WEBVTT - Hour 1: Setting Godly Priorities in the New Year 0:00:10.560 --> 0:00:14.520 It's our first live gathering around the radio kitchen table 0:00:14.520 --> 0:00:18.520 in the year. The new year 2025. What should be 0:00:18.640 --> 0:00:22.560 our ultimate priority for this new year and for every year? 0:00:23.120 --> 0:00:26.160 Stay with me and we'll talk about that in just 0:00:26.160 --> 0:00:29.760 a moment. Hello, friends. Welcome to Open Line with Ray 0:00:30.560 --> 0:00:34.000 Moody Radio's Bible Study Across America. My name is Michael Ray. 0:00:34.400 --> 0:00:38.199 I'm the academic dean at Moody Bible Institute, also professor 0:00:38.200 --> 0:00:41.480 of Jewish studies and Bible here and here we are 0:00:41.520 --> 0:00:44.680 sitting around the radio kitchen table. We're going to be 0:00:44.680 --> 0:00:50.680 taking your questions about the Bible, God and the spiritual life. 0:00:50.680 --> 0:00:53.599 If you have a question you'd like to call, the 0:00:53.600 --> 0:00:59.910 phone number here is (877) 548-3675. Let me Let me give 0:00:59.910 --> 0:01:10.550 you that a little bit slower. (877) 548-3675. And Tricia McMillan 0:01:10.550 --> 0:01:14.710 is our producer. Back in the chair today. Omar Mendoza 0:01:14.709 --> 0:01:19.790 is doing all things technical and someone is answering the phones. 0:01:19.790 --> 0:01:23.710 Not sure who it is. Uh, someone is around here. 0:01:23.750 --> 0:01:27.669 Didn't see him. Lisa and Anthony. Oh, I'm so glad 0:01:27.670 --> 0:01:29.630 that they are answering the phones. They will be the 0:01:29.630 --> 0:01:36.910 first voices you hear again. The phone number (877) 548-3675. Time 0:01:36.910 --> 0:01:40.070 to go. Get yourself a cup of coffee. I've got mine. 0:01:40.069 --> 0:01:42.550 And open your Bible because we're going to study the 0:01:42.550 --> 0:01:46.510 scriptures together. Let's start by talking about what is the 0:01:46.510 --> 0:01:50.670 most important aspect of our lives. I mean, what's the 0:01:50.710 --> 0:01:56.310 number one feature that comes before everything else? Let's ask ourselves, 0:01:56.310 --> 0:02:00.850 what's my ultimate priority. What do I care about the most? 0:02:00.850 --> 0:02:04.490 Some of us might say it's my family. Others might 0:02:04.490 --> 0:02:07.290 say I need to care for my family. So it's 0:02:07.290 --> 0:02:11.690 financial security or my job that's most important. Some of 0:02:11.690 --> 0:02:14.610 us might think getting healthy this year is the most 0:02:14.610 --> 0:02:19.210 crucial part of my life, or finding a meaningful relationship. 0:02:20.090 --> 0:02:23.090 But if we review the priority given to us by 0:02:23.090 --> 0:02:27.329 the Lord Jesus himself, we'll find our ultimate priority. In 0:02:27.330 --> 0:02:33.210 Matthew 633 it says, but seek first his kingdom and 0:02:33.210 --> 0:02:37.169 his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 0:02:37.810 --> 0:02:42.410 So what should be our ultimate priority, priority in 2025? 0:02:42.889 --> 0:02:47.490 And actually, for every day of every year. Matthew 633 0:02:47.490 --> 0:02:51.850 is saying that we are called to pursue eternal values, 0:02:52.250 --> 0:02:55.730 not temporal ones. The word seek in this verse is 0:02:55.730 --> 0:02:58.880 a present tense command, and that has the nuance of 0:02:59.200 --> 0:03:04.200 always seek the Lord's most concerned that we pursue that 0:03:04.200 --> 0:03:09.760 which lasts forever, not what fades away as our first priority. 0:03:10.000 --> 0:03:13.119 God wants us to seek his kingdom. Kingdom refers to 0:03:13.160 --> 0:03:17.960 God's rulership. So he's asking us to seek his rulership 0:03:17.960 --> 0:03:22.080 in our lives. That's what the Lord Jesus is talking 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:25.120 about when he says, seek first his kingdom. It means 0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:28.520 pursuing whatever it is that God wants us to accomplish 0:03:28.680 --> 0:03:32.600 in our lives. When we ask, What's God's will? This 0:03:32.600 --> 0:03:34.720 is at the top of the list that we willingly 0:03:34.720 --> 0:03:39.200 pursue his direction, his rule in our lives. Many of 0:03:39.200 --> 0:03:43.400 us really give lip service to this commitment, but then 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:46.040 when it comes down to it, we might resist following 0:03:46.040 --> 0:03:50.360 God's rulership if what he demands is hard. Too many 0:03:50.360 --> 0:03:53.920 of us rewrite the old hymn this way. I'll have 0:03:53.920 --> 0:03:58.030 my own way, Lord. I'll have my own way. I'll 0:03:58.030 --> 0:04:02.110 be the potter. You be the clay. I'll mold you 0:04:02.110 --> 0:04:06.030 and make you after my will. While you are waiting. 0:04:06.510 --> 0:04:11.630 Yielded and still. No. He has to be our ultimate goal. 0:04:11.870 --> 0:04:15.190 His rule in our lives. But it's not just God's 0:04:15.190 --> 0:04:20.830 rulership that we're to prioritize. Seeking eternal values requires us 0:04:20.830 --> 0:04:25.910 to pursue God's righteousness as well. Seeking his righteousness refers 0:04:25.910 --> 0:04:28.590 to making the pursuit of the holiness of God a 0:04:28.589 --> 0:04:32.910 reality in my life. We can become so frustrated with 0:04:32.910 --> 0:04:36.270 our own failures that we just give up and give in. 0:04:37.470 --> 0:04:40.870 We say we'll never be holy. Yet Jesus, the Lord 0:04:40.870 --> 0:04:44.830 Jesus encouraged us to hunger and thirst for righteousness so 0:04:44.830 --> 0:04:50.150 that we'd be satisfied. That means my New Year's vision 0:04:50.150 --> 0:04:54.450 must include a renewed commitment to spiritual disciplines like reading 0:04:54.450 --> 0:04:59.490 God's Word daily, praying persistently, actively serving in my local 0:04:59.490 --> 0:05:04.770 congregation and other disciplines as well. And what does the 0:05:04.770 --> 0:05:08.490 Lord Jesus promise those who put his eternal values first 0:05:08.490 --> 0:05:12.930 and foremost in our lives? It's simple. God will provide 0:05:12.930 --> 0:05:16.690 for all our temporal needs and concerns. That's what he 0:05:16.690 --> 0:05:20.570 means by all these things will be provided. In the 0:05:20.570 --> 0:05:24.650 context Jesus was discussing basic needs like food and clothing. 0:05:24.650 --> 0:05:27.770 He said that if we pursue God's eternal values, God 0:05:27.770 --> 0:05:32.409 would provide temporal necessities. Note that this is a promise 0:05:32.410 --> 0:05:36.290 that God would provide basics, not luxuries. There is no 0:05:36.290 --> 0:05:39.370 promise that we'll be rich and it won't necessarily come 0:05:39.370 --> 0:05:42.530 like manna from heaven. He will provide jobs so that 0:05:42.529 --> 0:05:46.050 we can work for our bread. Also, notice that this 0:05:46.050 --> 0:05:49.890 promise really is directed to God's children, not all people. 0:05:50.610 --> 0:05:54.360 God in his common grace, allows rain to fall on 0:05:54.360 --> 0:05:56.960 the just and the unjust alike, and he provides for 0:05:56.960 --> 0:06:01.200 all people. But he only promises this provision to those 0:06:01.200 --> 0:06:05.440 who pursue his rule and his righteousness. Some of us 0:06:05.440 --> 0:06:09.040 might object that there have indeed been followers of the 0:06:09.040 --> 0:06:12.960 Lord Jesus who have experienced poverty. They've even experienced starvation. 0:06:13.320 --> 0:06:16.960 I think the answer is that this is a general promise. 0:06:18.000 --> 0:06:21.000 But there are exceptions. When the Lord wants some of 0:06:21.000 --> 0:06:26.400 his children to suffer for righteousness sake, he'll provide an alternate. Namely, 0:06:26.400 --> 0:06:30.560 the enablement for them to cope with starvation or exposure, 0:06:30.760 --> 0:06:35.200 or even martyrdom. Their faithfulness to the Messiah, Jesus to 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:38.960 the very end, even in terribly difficult times, will bring 0:06:38.960 --> 0:06:43.480 great glory to God. Here's Jesus point in Matthew 633. 0:06:43.520 --> 0:06:49.159 It's simple. If we pursue spiritual priorities, God will give 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:53.350 us material provision. If we have eternal values, God will 0:06:53.350 --> 0:06:57.830 meet our temporal needs. A.W. Tozer once said, when we 0:06:57.830 --> 0:07:01.029 take to ourselves the place that is God's. The whole 0:07:01.029 --> 0:07:05.830 course of our lives are out of joint. But what 0:07:05.870 --> 0:07:10.590 Jesus taught is actually the reverse. When we give to 0:07:10.630 --> 0:07:14.750 God His rightful place in our lives, the whole course 0:07:14.750 --> 0:07:19.030 of our lives comes into balance. And that's how to 0:07:19.070 --> 0:07:31.470 find our ultimate priority for 2025. Well, that's a great 0:07:31.470 --> 0:07:34.390 reminder for the new year. Uh, you know, I've got 0:07:34.390 --> 0:07:36.630 this thing about New Year's. You know, people say, Happy 0:07:36.630 --> 0:07:39.070 New Year for weeks and weeks and weeks into the 0:07:39.070 --> 0:07:41.590 new year, my limit is two weeks. So today is 0:07:41.590 --> 0:07:43.870 the only time that I will be with you live 0:07:43.910 --> 0:07:46.310 to say Happy New Year. But then after that, I 0:07:46.310 --> 0:07:51.620 stopped saying it and it's just because we're on. After 0:07:51.620 --> 0:07:53.740 two weeks, we're in the new year. We're going. But 0:07:53.740 --> 0:07:55.380 I do want to say Happy New Year to all 0:07:55.380 --> 0:08:00.020 of you. And begin by talking with Rita in Hendersonville, 0:08:00.020 --> 0:08:03.620 North Carolina, listening on the Moody Radio app. Hello, Rita. 0:08:04.140 --> 0:08:05.940 Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you. 0:08:07.260 --> 0:08:11.820 Doctor? Happy new year. I was reading in Second Kings 0:08:12.500 --> 0:08:16.500 and over and over again it talks about like Amaziah, 0:08:16.540 --> 0:08:19.940 son of Joash, the fourth king of Israel, became king 0:08:19.940 --> 0:08:24.340 in Samaria and he reigned 41 years. When did Samaria 0:08:24.580 --> 0:08:28.740 become a place? It went from where kings in Israel 0:08:28.740 --> 0:08:32.700 reigned to that place nobody even wanted to walk through 0:08:32.740 --> 0:08:36.340 where Jesus went to see the woman. The Samaritan woman. 0:08:36.380 --> 0:08:42.460 Okay, well, that's a little Old Testament history. Okay. And, uh, 0:08:42.460 --> 0:08:44.260 by the way, if you want to really follow the 0:08:44.260 --> 0:08:47.300 Old Testament history, something that would be really helpful. It's 0:08:47.300 --> 0:08:50.480 an old book. It's probably 50 years old, maybe more, 0:08:50.880 --> 0:08:54.320 but it's called A Survey of Israel's History by Leon Wood, 0:08:54.520 --> 0:08:57.920 and it's a really helpful history of the Old Testament. 0:08:57.920 --> 0:09:01.520 There's others one Eugene Merrill did called Kingdom of Priests. 0:09:01.520 --> 0:09:04.600 That's also a good one. But Leon Wood, best and 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:07.080 easiest to follow. Follow the history. And here's what the 0:09:07.080 --> 0:09:12.480 history was. Uh, the, the you know, the two. There 0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:16.400 was one kingdom under David, right. And Solomon, Judah, and 0:09:16.400 --> 0:09:19.240 then under Rehoboam. Remember, he didn't listen to the good 0:09:19.240 --> 0:09:23.640 advice of the the counselors and listened to the young 0:09:23.679 --> 0:09:27.800 youngster's advice. And as a result, he increased taxes and 0:09:27.800 --> 0:09:32.360 the kingdom split Jeroboam taking ten tribes to the north 0:09:32.360 --> 0:09:35.400 that becomes known as the Northern Kingdom or the Kingdom 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:41.600 of Israel, with its capital in Samaria, the city of Samaria, 0:09:41.600 --> 0:09:46.680 and then the southern kingdom, Judah and Benjamin. Those are 0:09:46.679 --> 0:09:49.030 the two tribes that becomes known as the Kingdom of 0:09:49.030 --> 0:09:52.590 Judah under the Davidic dynasty. So all the kings there 0:09:52.910 --> 0:09:56.350 are descended from David. So there you have your two kingdoms. 0:09:56.510 --> 0:10:02.030 And then, uh, Assyria came and conquered the northern kingdom 0:10:02.030 --> 0:10:07.189 in the year 722. 721. Somewhere around there. Uh, 721 0:10:07.190 --> 0:10:11.590 is the date I'd give you. Uh, so the Northern 0:10:11.590 --> 0:10:16.910 Kingdom falls with its capital, capital in Samaria. And then 0:10:16.910 --> 0:10:21.510 what happens is the Assyrians take most of the people, 0:10:21.510 --> 0:10:29.270 but not all, to Assyria. They exile them. And then 0:10:29.990 --> 0:10:35.950 when they exile them, uh, they bring people from Assyria 0:10:35.950 --> 0:10:41.750 into the northern kingdom, and they intermarry with the the 0:10:41.750 --> 0:10:46.220 people who have remained. And as a result, those people 0:10:46.220 --> 0:10:50.459 are not known as Israelites or Jewish people at this point. 0:10:50.460 --> 0:10:56.780 Those intermarried, they become known as Samaritans. And then when Nehemiah, 0:10:56.780 --> 0:11:00.020 for example, comes back to build the wall in Judah, 0:11:00.020 --> 0:11:06.900 it is the Samaritans that oppose and harass what they're 0:11:06.940 --> 0:11:10.340 what they're doing in rebuilding the wall. The other thing 0:11:10.340 --> 0:11:15.020 that happens is I left out that the southern kingdom 0:11:15.020 --> 0:11:17.740 falls to Babylon, and they go into captivity as well. 0:11:17.740 --> 0:11:20.980 But when they come back under Nehemiah, that's when the 0:11:21.059 --> 0:11:26.780 Samaritans who have already been there, they they start harassing them. 0:11:26.980 --> 0:11:32.020 And then also what happens in the Intertestamental period, the 0:11:32.020 --> 0:11:38.860 period between the Old Testament and the new, uh, when Antiochus, 0:11:38.940 --> 0:11:43.500 the king, the Hellenistic king of Syria, begins to oppress 0:11:43.500 --> 0:11:49.720 the Jewish people. The Samaritans join with him and are 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:53.840 involved in oppressing the Jewish people, which is when that 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:57.320 becomes the most hated region there. Sort of like a 0:11:57.320 --> 0:12:03.120 tension between the, the, the Jewish people who have returned 0:12:03.760 --> 0:12:09.400 into the kingdom there, and the Samaritans who have been 0:12:09.440 --> 0:12:13.640 involved in oppression of the Jewish people under during the 0:12:13.640 --> 0:12:16.680 Second Temple, the Second Temple has been built. And under 0:12:16.679 --> 0:12:20.520 that second temple, Antiochus has been oppressing them. The Samaritans 0:12:20.520 --> 0:12:23.600 joined with this Hellenistic king in oppressing the Jewish people. 0:12:23.600 --> 0:12:26.679 That's where we get the story of Hanukkah when they 0:12:26.679 --> 0:12:29.599 deliver them. So that's that's sort of in a nutshell, 0:12:30.640 --> 0:12:34.439 what happened. So it's in the intertestamental period that Samaria 0:12:34.480 --> 0:12:36.880 becomes the place to avoid. Okay. 0:12:36.920 --> 0:12:39.200 Thank you. Boy, that was a lot of animosity all 0:12:39.200 --> 0:12:40.000 through a lot of years. 0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:43.910 Yeah, yeah. And then, uh, part of the conflict was 0:12:43.910 --> 0:12:50.830 that the, uh, the Judaeans destroyed the temple. Uh, and 0:12:50.830 --> 0:12:54.830 as a result of destroying the temple. Oh, my. Uh, 0:12:54.830 --> 0:12:57.750 the Samaritans hated the the Jewish people, but it was 0:12:57.750 --> 0:13:00.950 part of war. It's it's a mess. But anyway, that's 0:13:00.950 --> 0:13:03.350 where it came from. Uh, thanks for your call, Rita. 0:13:03.390 --> 0:13:05.950 I hope that helped. Uh, hope it really spurs you 0:13:05.950 --> 0:13:08.390 to read about Old Testament history. And when we come back, 0:13:08.390 --> 0:13:10.910 we'll take more of your questions right here on Open Line. 0:13:11.030 --> 0:13:20.350 Our number (877) 548-3675. This is Michael. Be right back. Do 0:13:20.350 --> 0:13:23.550 you ever feel overwhelmed trying to see how all 27 0:13:23.550 --> 0:13:26.550 books of the New Testament fit together? Well, I have 0:13:26.590 --> 0:13:29.710 the perfect resource for you. Survey of the New Testament 0:13:29.710 --> 0:13:32.670 by Paul Benware takes you on a journey from Matthew 0:13:32.670 --> 0:13:36.070 to Revelation, giving you the big picture of God's grand 0:13:36.070 --> 0:13:40.150 story of redemption. Get your copy of this resource today. 0:13:40.150 --> 0:13:45.459 When you give a gift of any size. Call (886) 447-1222 0:13:45.460 --> 0:13:57.699 or go to open line radio.org. Welcome back to Open Lines. 0:13:57.700 --> 0:14:01.220 So glad you're joining us for this new year of 2025. 0:14:01.220 --> 0:14:05.940 We're looking forward to many, many times of talking together 0:14:05.940 --> 0:14:10.380 about your questions about the Bible, God and the spiritual life. 0:14:10.420 --> 0:14:13.940 It's it's just a really an amazing thing that that 0:14:13.980 --> 0:14:16.300 week after week, we get to study the scriptures together. 0:14:16.300 --> 0:14:18.900 This is the Bible study across America and I am 0:14:18.900 --> 0:14:21.700 so grateful for your listening in. Let's go back to 0:14:21.700 --> 0:14:25.940 the phones. We're going to talk with Laura in The Villages, Florida. 0:14:26.380 --> 0:14:28.380 Welcome to Open Line. Laura. How can I help you today? 0:14:29.420 --> 0:14:33.260 Good morning. I'll say Happy New Year. I'm like you 0:14:33.540 --> 0:14:35.380 one more time. That's it, that's it. 0:14:35.380 --> 0:14:36.500 Good. Thank you. Laura. 0:14:38.500 --> 0:14:44.800 Um, I've been thinking about after Jesus's resurrection. He went 0:14:44.800 --> 0:14:50.600 down to Hades and he preached to them. And I 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:54.760 know that nothing God does is a coincidence that there 0:14:54.760 --> 0:14:58.280 was a purpose for that. And I'm wondering, did Jesus 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:03.360 go there? Because maybe, you know, it was part of 0:15:03.680 --> 0:15:10.120 him fulfilling everything to go to Hades, where we would 0:15:10.120 --> 0:15:13.240 have ended up if we didn't have him. And so 0:15:13.280 --> 0:15:16.360 I just wanted you to speak on. Why do you 0:15:16.360 --> 0:15:20.400 think that? Does the Bible say anything about why he 0:15:20.400 --> 0:15:21.440 went there? 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:24.120 Okay. Well, first of all, there are many people who 0:15:24.160 --> 0:15:27.880 say that he went there to give those who. The 0:15:27.880 --> 0:15:32.560 spirits who are locked up in Hades, uh, a second chance. 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:36.040 I don't think that that's really appropriate, you know, to 0:15:36.080 --> 0:15:41.950 give them another chance to to believe. Leave. Uh, the 0:15:41.990 --> 0:15:45.830 in uh, Hebrews 927 it is appointed unto man once 0:15:45.830 --> 0:15:48.030 to die, and then the judgment. So I don't believe 0:15:48.030 --> 0:15:53.990 there's post-death second chances. Another interpretation of the that he 0:15:53.990 --> 0:16:02.030 descended to Hades is, uh, that he went to proclaim judgment, uh, 0:16:02.030 --> 0:16:05.190 upon those who were the spirits in prison. So that's 0:16:05.230 --> 0:16:07.910 a second view. I'm going to tell you the third view. 0:16:07.910 --> 0:16:11.590 And by the way, a great New Testament scholar theologian 0:16:11.590 --> 0:16:14.430 by the name of Wayne Grudem, uh, he and I 0:16:14.430 --> 0:16:17.950 agree on this. I don't believe the Lord Jesus descended 0:16:17.950 --> 0:16:24.230 to Hades at all. Uh, so how's that? Here's what 0:16:24.230 --> 0:16:30.510 I think. When the Lord Jesus was, uh, on the 0:16:30.510 --> 0:16:33.990 cross and he was dying, uh, the the thief on 0:16:33.990 --> 0:16:36.750 the cross says to him, Lord, remember me when you 0:16:36.790 --> 0:16:40.580 come into your kingdom. The Lord Jesus says, today you'll 0:16:40.580 --> 0:16:42.460 be in my kingdom, but I'll meet you afterwards because 0:16:42.460 --> 0:16:44.500 I've got to go to Hades first. He says, no. 0:16:44.500 --> 0:16:49.420 Today you'll be together with me. Uh, in in, in at, uh, 0:16:49.420 --> 0:16:56.860 in heaven, basically. Uh, and then secondly, he says, as 0:16:56.860 --> 0:16:59.980 he's dying, father, into your hands, I commit my spirit. 0:17:00.460 --> 0:17:04.340 So he goes right to the father. And then. So 0:17:04.340 --> 0:17:06.859 where does this idea come from that the Lord Jesus 0:17:06.859 --> 0:17:10.419 descended to hell or to Hades? Uh, well, first of all, 0:17:10.420 --> 0:17:13.020 I think most people know it because it's in later 0:17:13.020 --> 0:17:16.100 versions of the Apostles Creed. But it's it's not in 0:17:16.100 --> 0:17:21.419 the original versions of the Apostles Creed. And then lastly, 0:17:21.660 --> 0:17:26.180 it comes people think from first Peter chapter three and 0:17:26.180 --> 0:17:32.460 verse 18. So I'm turning there right now. And in 0:17:32.500 --> 0:17:35.020 first Peter three, this is what I'm going to try 0:17:35.020 --> 0:17:39.600 and tell you what I think he's talking about. Uh, 0:17:39.600 --> 0:17:45.320 he says, uh, let's see if I can find it here. Uh, 0:17:45.320 --> 0:17:50.240 verse 18, for Messiah suffered for sins once for all, 0:17:52.160 --> 0:17:54.440 the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you 0:17:54.440 --> 0:17:56.639 to God after being put to death in the flesh, 0:17:56.640 --> 0:18:01.280 but made alive in the spirit. Uh, and then my 0:18:01.280 --> 0:18:04.160 version says at in that state he also went and 0:18:04.160 --> 0:18:08.720 made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:11.800 the past were disobedient. When God patiently waited in the 0:18:11.800 --> 0:18:16.160 days of Noah while an ark was being prepared. So 0:18:16.160 --> 0:18:19.720 what is this talking about? Well, Christ suffered for the 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:22.600 sins in the flesh. He was put to death in 0:18:22.600 --> 0:18:26.320 the flesh, but made alive either in the spirit as 0:18:26.320 --> 0:18:30.000 he was spiritually made alive when his flesh died, or 0:18:30.080 --> 0:18:33.480 I think it could possibly refer to, but made alive 0:18:33.520 --> 0:18:37.150 by the Holy Spirit, but made alive by the spirit. 0:18:38.310 --> 0:18:42.390 By whom? The spirit. That's what I would say. By 0:18:42.390 --> 0:18:45.469 the spirit he went and made a proclamation to the 0:18:45.470 --> 0:18:50.150 spirits who are now in prison. Here's what I think is. 0:18:50.150 --> 0:18:53.470 It's saying that the Lord Jesus died in the flesh, 0:18:54.230 --> 0:18:56.990 but he was raised by the spirit. And it's through 0:18:56.990 --> 0:19:01.350 that spirit that he went. And in previous days, during 0:19:01.350 --> 0:19:06.149 the times of Noah, he preached through Noah to the 0:19:06.150 --> 0:19:10.070 people who would not believe. And now they are the 0:19:10.070 --> 0:19:15.390 spirits in prison, awaiting final judgment. They are now in prison. 0:19:15.510 --> 0:19:17.109 So he didn't go preach to them when they were 0:19:17.109 --> 0:19:19.590 in prison. He preached to them when they were alive 0:19:19.950 --> 0:19:24.270 through Noah. And there's a great article. It's a technical article. 0:19:24.270 --> 0:19:28.070 So I wouldn't, uh, probably recommend it for everyone, but 0:19:28.070 --> 0:19:30.869 there's a great article written by Wayne Grudem in the 0:19:30.869 --> 0:19:34.859 Trinity Journal many years ago showing how that was the 0:19:35.220 --> 0:19:40.500 idea that it was preaching through Noah that that the 0:19:40.500 --> 0:19:44.460 Lord Jesus made proclamation through him just like he he 0:19:44.460 --> 0:19:49.580 preached through the apostles after his ascension. So he preached 0:19:49.580 --> 0:19:53.900 through Noah before the flood. That's what I think it's 0:19:53.900 --> 0:19:57.340 talking about. And I don't believe he ever ascended, descended 0:19:57.340 --> 0:20:00.419 to hell. He only went to be with the Father 0:20:00.420 --> 0:20:03.620 in spirit until the resurrection. Okay, Laura? 0:20:04.460 --> 0:20:08.980 Yes, yes. Um, it's a tough one. Yeah, it's a heavy. 0:20:09.020 --> 0:20:14.180 Not to undo, you know, because the Apostle's Creed, when 0:20:14.180 --> 0:20:19.420 you mentioned that, I remember saying that that, uh, you know, 0:20:19.460 --> 0:20:25.020 sometimes our own traditions end up messing us up. Yeah. Um, 0:20:25.060 --> 0:20:28.020 it's like at Christmas time, you've got the shepherds and 0:20:28.020 --> 0:20:29.820 the wise men all together, and. 0:20:29.820 --> 0:20:32.060 And there's only three of the wise men, right? So 0:20:32.320 --> 0:20:33.880 we don't know how many there were. 0:20:34.640 --> 0:20:38.239 So, you know, we end up, uh, getting kind of 0:20:38.280 --> 0:20:41.919 our scripture messed up. Yeah. So. But thank you for 0:20:41.920 --> 0:20:45.080 answering my question. And God bless you and what you're doing. 0:20:45.200 --> 0:20:48.320 Thank you so much for your call. I really appreciate it. Uh, 0:20:48.359 --> 0:20:52.440 we're we're going to talk with Cathy in Minnesota listening 0:20:52.440 --> 0:20:55.560 on Ktag. Uh, welcome to Open Line, Cathy. How can 0:20:55.560 --> 0:20:56.240 I help you? 0:20:57.359 --> 0:21:01.320 Good morning. Thank you so much for taking my call. Um, 0:21:01.320 --> 0:21:04.160 my neighborhood has a little Bible study, and we are 0:21:04.240 --> 0:21:09.360 studying specifically the life of Jesus right now. Last week, 0:21:09.359 --> 0:21:13.960 we were speaking and looking into his baptism. And when 0:21:14.000 --> 0:21:18.280 the Trinity is all visible and audible. The question we 0:21:18.280 --> 0:21:21.040 had in our book was, can you think of any 0:21:21.040 --> 0:21:26.280 other times in Scripture where the Trinity is visibly, audibly 0:21:26.320 --> 0:21:29.280 present altogether? 0:21:29.320 --> 0:21:34.590 Um. Is this a trick question? No. I'm just no, 0:21:34.590 --> 0:21:36.910 I don't, I'm just. I'm just joking. It feels like. 0:21:37.869 --> 0:21:42.389 I feel like we're playing a little biblical Trivial Pursuit here. Uh. Mm. 0:21:42.750 --> 0:21:45.390 That's what when people ask me the question of when 0:21:45.430 --> 0:21:48.070 were all three present, I always mention the baptism. That's 0:21:48.070 --> 0:21:53.310 what I think of first, at the, uh, Transfiguration. The 0:21:53.310 --> 0:22:02.149 father speaks. Uh, and so I would say that that's, uh, 0:22:02.150 --> 0:22:05.990 that's one example, but it's only the father and the son, uh, 0:22:05.990 --> 0:22:10.389 that's there. The father speaks at the Transfiguration in Matthew 0:22:11.030 --> 0:22:17.470 chapter 16, uh, while he was still speaking. I'm sorry, 0:22:17.510 --> 0:22:20.230 at the transfigure, Matthew 17, while he was still speaking, 0:22:20.230 --> 0:22:22.310 suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from 0:22:22.310 --> 0:22:25.230 the cloud said, this is my beloved son. I take 0:22:25.230 --> 0:22:29.460 delight in him. Listen to him. But I don't see 0:22:29.619 --> 0:22:32.379 that the Holy Spirit. I do believe he was present, 0:22:32.380 --> 0:22:37.419 but he's not, uh, descending like a dove, you know? Right. Uh, 0:22:37.420 --> 0:22:39.460 I don't know anything else. I'll show you a great 0:22:39.460 --> 0:22:43.580 Old Testament verse. This is kind of fun when you 0:22:43.580 --> 0:22:52.100 think about it. Isaiah 4816. Okay. Uh, there we go. 0:22:52.420 --> 0:22:58.500 Finding that one. Isaiah 4816 starts off by saying, uh, 0:22:58.540 --> 0:23:01.180 I have not spoken in secret from the beginning. Here's 0:23:01.180 --> 0:23:03.379 what it says. Approach me. Listen to this. From the beginning. 0:23:03.380 --> 0:23:06.379 I have not spoken in secret. Who's the one speaking? 0:23:06.900 --> 0:23:10.379 If you look in the context, uh, like, for example, 0:23:10.380 --> 0:23:13.020 in verse 12. Listen to me, Jacob and Israel, the 0:23:13.020 --> 0:23:15.700 one called by me. I am he, I am the first. 0:23:15.700 --> 0:23:20.020 I am also the last. Obviously God is speaking right. 0:23:21.140 --> 0:23:23.179 And then he says, I have not spoken in secret 0:23:23.180 --> 0:23:26.540 from the time anything existed, I was there. Again, God 0:23:26.540 --> 0:23:32.210 is speaking. And then it says, and now the Lord Yahweh, 0:23:32.250 --> 0:23:37.290 or the Lord God has sent me, and his spirit. 0:23:38.050 --> 0:23:41.290 So you have all three mentioned there. I think you've 0:23:41.330 --> 0:23:45.370 got the father who sent the son and his spirit 0:23:46.170 --> 0:23:50.889 right there. Isn't that something right there in the Old Testament? Yeah, 0:23:50.930 --> 0:23:53.609 that's a good triune verse in the Old Testament. 0:23:55.250 --> 0:23:57.290 Yes. And in the Old Testament even. 0:23:57.330 --> 0:24:00.090 Yeah, yeah. So I guess that's where it is. That's 0:24:00.090 --> 0:24:02.570 my answer to the. And it's audible because one of 0:24:02.570 --> 0:24:08.290 them is speaking. Right. The uh, where it says I 0:24:08.290 --> 0:24:11.090 was there from the beginning. And then now the Lord 0:24:11.090 --> 0:24:15.570 God has sent me and his spirit. So pretty cool. Uh, 0:24:15.570 --> 0:24:17.530 you know, if you can find any other verses, Kathy, 0:24:17.530 --> 0:24:21.970 let me know. But I just think of the baptism. Okay. 0:24:22.970 --> 0:24:23.290 Yes. 0:24:23.290 --> 0:24:25.450 Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Love your. 0:24:25.450 --> 0:24:31.189 Program. Oh, thank you so much. Appreciate you listening. Oh, my. Well, 0:24:31.710 --> 0:24:34.950 I did want to say I appreciate appreciate every listener. 0:24:35.030 --> 0:24:39.470 I also appreciate the team here that works together. We're 0:24:39.470 --> 0:24:41.750 all part of this family of open line. But there's 0:24:41.750 --> 0:24:44.110 some people who are very special. They are part of 0:24:44.109 --> 0:24:46.590 the team because they are kitchen table partners. They give 0:24:46.590 --> 0:24:49.310 monthly so that we can be on the air weekly. 0:24:49.670 --> 0:24:53.390 And one of the great things about that is that 0:24:53.390 --> 0:24:55.109 I like to say thank you by sending you a 0:24:55.109 --> 0:24:58.950 Bible study moment every other week. And I just want 0:24:58.990 --> 0:25:01.270 to say thanks to those kitchen table partners and hope 0:25:01.270 --> 0:25:03.030 that maybe some of you might consider, if you're a 0:25:03.030 --> 0:25:06.950 regular listener, becoming a kitchen table partner. If you did, 0:25:06.950 --> 0:25:10.510 you'd give monthly and we'd we'd send you that Bible 0:25:10.510 --> 0:25:13.910 study moment. I'd really, really appreciate it. It really gives 0:25:13.910 --> 0:25:17.109 us great assurance about the program to stay on. If 0:25:17.109 --> 0:25:25.140 you'd like to become a kitchen table partner, call (888) 644-7122. 22. 0:25:25.180 --> 0:25:34.540 That's (888) 644-7122. And, uh, you can also go to Openline radio.org. 0:25:35.060 --> 0:25:36.939 And when you do, you can sign up there to 0:25:36.940 --> 0:25:39.460 become a kitchen table partner. We'll appreciate that so much. 0:25:39.460 --> 0:25:43.260 We're going to come back with the Febc mailbag. Trish 0:25:43.260 --> 0:25:45.300 is coming into the studio. And we're going to take 0:25:45.300 --> 0:25:48.939 the questions you've mailed in to open by going to 0:25:48.980 --> 0:25:52.780 ask Michael a question at Online radio.org. Appreciate you guys 0:25:52.780 --> 0:25:54.460 so much for doing that. We're going to be right 0:25:54.460 --> 0:26:06.100 back with more right here on Open Line. Welcome back 0:26:06.100 --> 0:26:09.020 to Open Line. So glad that you're listening in today. 0:26:09.020 --> 0:26:16.020 It's time for the Febc, uh, mailbag, which that Febc 0:26:16.060 --> 0:26:20.140 stands for Far Eastern Broadcasting Company. And we're so grateful 0:26:20.140 --> 0:26:23.780 that Febc partners with Open Line to bring you this 0:26:23.930 --> 0:26:29.410 weekly open line Febc mailbag. Febc. Far Eastern Broadcasting Company 0:26:29.450 --> 0:26:32.530 is a terrific organization. They bring the good news to 0:26:32.570 --> 0:26:37.090 people via media and personal engagement. Check out the Febc 0:26:37.090 --> 0:26:39.810 podcast about what they are doing all around the world. 0:26:39.810 --> 0:26:42.290 It's called Until All Have Heard. If you'd like to 0:26:42.330 --> 0:26:48.450 find that podcast, you can always go to febc. That's febc. Org. 0:26:48.490 --> 0:26:50.970 Check out the podcast and the rest of the information 0:26:50.970 --> 0:26:54.010 there about the organization is a terrific group that's doing 0:26:54.010 --> 0:26:56.890 a lot to bring the gospel to the world. And 0:26:56.890 --> 0:27:00.409 joining me right now for the Febc mailbag is the 0:27:00.410 --> 0:27:05.890 Queen of the questions, Tricia McMillan. So glad to see 0:27:05.890 --> 0:27:06.970 you for the New Year. 0:27:07.010 --> 0:27:07.929 Glad to see you, too. 0:27:07.970 --> 0:27:09.050 It's been so long. 0:27:09.050 --> 0:27:10.090 Really. I know. 0:27:10.250 --> 0:27:16.090 Yeah, because we did an a pre-recorded podcast for last week. 0:27:16.090 --> 0:27:19.090 And then of course there was some time off for 0:27:19.090 --> 0:27:24.710 the holidays, for Christmas, and I took some time for Hanukkah, right. 0:27:24.910 --> 0:27:28.270 Which came really late this year. Or at least what 0:27:28.270 --> 0:27:31.150 I recall it coming because it usually comes before Christmas. 0:27:31.230 --> 0:27:33.870 Here's here's what we Jewish people always say. The holidays 0:27:33.869 --> 0:27:36.550 are either late or early. They're never on time. We 0:27:36.550 --> 0:27:41.389 just because they change. Because, uh, Jewish people are. Judaism's 0:27:41.390 --> 0:27:46.350 calendar is a lunar calendar, so it changes dates. Okay. 0:27:46.390 --> 0:27:50.149 The date is always the same. Kislev 25. But because 0:27:50.150 --> 0:27:53.470 the lunar calendar doesn't jibe with us. Okay, all the time. 0:27:53.470 --> 0:27:53.830 That's why. 0:27:53.830 --> 0:27:55.469 It's different. You may not know this, and so I'm 0:27:55.470 --> 0:27:59.389 putting you on the spot. Does does how late Hanukkah 0:27:59.430 --> 0:28:04.190 came in relation to Christmas this year? Uh, impact when 0:28:04.190 --> 0:28:08.230 it comes for Easter or for Passover? 0:28:08.270 --> 0:28:12.669 Uh, Passover should be probably a little bit later this year. Okay. 0:28:12.869 --> 0:28:15.550 Uh, and I realize I can just look that up, but. 0:28:15.550 --> 0:28:18.550 But but yeah, it'll be a little later. But, uh, 0:28:18.550 --> 0:28:21.859 the thing is, with Easter, it's Easter is not always 0:28:21.859 --> 0:28:25.580 the same day. Easter is based on the solar calendar 0:28:25.900 --> 0:28:30.859 about when the equinox happens. And so, uh, yeah, I 0:28:30.859 --> 0:28:32.900 don't know how it's going to relate to Easter. 0:28:32.940 --> 0:28:34.859 So okay, I know I put you on the spot. 0:28:34.980 --> 0:28:36.740 I didn't look up the date of Easter yet. You 0:28:36.740 --> 0:28:38.780 didn't anticipate that question coming? Yeah. 0:28:38.780 --> 0:28:39.300 It's okay. 0:28:39.900 --> 0:28:41.100 Let's talk about Passover. 0:28:41.140 --> 0:28:45.700 Yeah. So, uh. Okay. Well, I did want to ask 0:28:45.700 --> 0:28:49.340 you what was your your highlight of your Christmas celebration? 0:28:49.380 --> 0:28:55.420 Ooh, highlight was, I think, spending time with family. I had, um, 0:28:55.420 --> 0:28:58.660 I unexpectedly got to see my brother and his wife, uh, 0:28:58.660 --> 0:29:01.940 at Christmas, and then, um, got to see a lot 0:29:01.940 --> 0:29:05.220 of my husband's family, um, kind of in a bulk group, 0:29:05.220 --> 0:29:08.220 which I wasn't expecting. A couple were planned, but then 0:29:08.220 --> 0:29:10.300 there were a couple extras, a couple extra of his 0:29:10.300 --> 0:29:13.300 siblings who we saw. And so that was like an 0:29:13.300 --> 0:29:16.580 unexpected blessing, too. So I would say the family time 0:29:16.580 --> 0:29:18.740 was really nice. And we got some projects done around 0:29:18.740 --> 0:29:22.370 the house, which was like a secondary highlight. That's great. 0:29:22.450 --> 0:29:24.210 Just lots of time with family. 0:29:24.570 --> 0:29:28.010 Our highlight, believe it or not, was that after Christmas, 0:29:28.010 --> 0:29:32.130 the days immediately after our daughter in law had to work, 0:29:32.330 --> 0:29:34.970 our son had to work. And so we got to 0:29:35.010 --> 0:29:40.290 watch the grandkids with multiple sleepovers. Yeah. And bowling events 0:29:40.290 --> 0:29:41.450 and other fun. 0:29:41.450 --> 0:29:42.130 Times during. 0:29:42.130 --> 0:29:47.250 Hanukkah, during Hanukkah, and lighting the candles every night and 0:29:47.290 --> 0:29:52.130 singing the songs, playing special games. It was like one 0:29:52.130 --> 0:29:53.010 of the best times. 0:29:53.210 --> 0:29:53.890 Yeah. 0:29:54.090 --> 0:29:57.490 Uh, of course, we were together as a family, you know? 0:29:57.850 --> 0:30:00.610 You know, all the kids and everyone together at Christmas. 0:30:00.610 --> 0:30:02.930 But for Hanukkah, it was real special for me to 0:30:02.930 --> 0:30:03.770 be with the grandkids. 0:30:03.890 --> 0:30:05.610 Yeah. Oh, that sounds wonderful. 0:30:05.650 --> 0:30:08.130 Yeah. Eva, too. Yes. Yeah. I was happy to be 0:30:08.130 --> 0:30:08.410 with Eve. 0:30:08.410 --> 0:30:10.250 She's a given. Yeah. But. 0:30:10.250 --> 0:30:11.610 But we were there together. It was fun. 0:30:11.730 --> 0:30:13.090 Oh, good. Yeah. Good. Yeah. 0:30:13.130 --> 0:30:13.810 So. Okay. 0:30:13.810 --> 0:30:15.410 And now we're back. Yeah. Now we're back. 0:30:15.850 --> 0:30:17.730 I'm ready. You know, that was a lot of time off. 0:30:17.730 --> 0:30:18.790 I'm ready to ready to work. 0:30:18.830 --> 0:30:20.990 It was. And so we do have some carry over 0:30:21.030 --> 0:30:24.430 on questions. And actually what's funny is this one actually 0:30:24.430 --> 0:30:28.630 came in during January. Um, but David in Tennessee wants 0:30:28.630 --> 0:30:31.790 to know if there was a significance to the fact 0:30:31.790 --> 0:30:34.350 that the angel told the shepherds that they would find Jesus, 0:30:34.350 --> 0:30:39.430 one in a manger and two wrapped in swaddling clothes. Uh, 0:30:39.430 --> 0:30:43.230 he's been searching the internet, and the only thing he's 0:30:43.230 --> 0:30:47.190 found is that lambs were not swaddled. Um, so so 0:30:47.350 --> 0:30:51.950 was there a significance to these specific details that the 0:30:51.950 --> 0:30:53.150 shepherds were told? 0:30:53.270 --> 0:30:56.350 Well, it seems to me that he's been looking someplace 0:30:56.910 --> 0:30:59.469 on the internet. Now, one of the things that the 0:30:59.470 --> 0:31:01.670 internet is saying more than more, because there is a 0:31:01.670 --> 0:31:03.270 book that came out and talked about it that was 0:31:03.270 --> 0:31:08.989 very popular, that that these were priestly shepherds, shepherds who 0:31:08.990 --> 0:31:11.350 were preparing lambs for the temple. 0:31:11.750 --> 0:31:13.270 This is what the internet is saying. This is not 0:31:13.310 --> 0:31:13.710 what you're. 0:31:13.750 --> 0:31:16.469 This is what he found. It didn't say this, but. Right. 0:31:16.510 --> 0:31:18.260 I'm not saying this, but this is what they're going 0:31:18.260 --> 0:31:21.820 to see. Yeah. If you look all about the shepherds 0:31:21.980 --> 0:31:27.340 that these were shepherds making raising lambs for temple sacrifice, 0:31:27.340 --> 0:31:29.820 and therefore what they would do is they would go 0:31:29.820 --> 0:31:32.460 to a particular place in Bethlehem based on Micah four, 0:31:32.820 --> 0:31:35.860 and they would wrap the lambs so that they would 0:31:35.860 --> 0:31:38.980 not be without they would be without spot or blemish. 0:31:38.980 --> 0:31:41.540 That would be unbruised. Now the thing is, can you 0:31:41.540 --> 0:31:46.700 imagine taking a baby lamb and swaddling it? I don't 0:31:46.700 --> 0:31:50.020 think they would put up with that. Wrapping them up. 0:31:50.060 --> 0:31:52.460 I you know, I just but the truth of it is, 0:31:52.460 --> 0:31:56.620 there's nothing in rabbinic literature that teaches that the priests, 0:31:56.620 --> 0:32:00.020 the priestly shepherds, would swaddle lambs. It is a made 0:32:00.060 --> 0:32:00.580 up thing. 0:32:00.740 --> 0:32:03.780 Okay, so what he found wherever he looked was correct. 0:32:03.820 --> 0:32:07.740 It was correct. They did not swaddle them. Uh, and 0:32:07.740 --> 0:32:09.820 so I'm glad to hear that there's something right on 0:32:09.820 --> 0:32:13.940 the internet. That's good. Uh, now, the significance of the 0:32:13.940 --> 0:32:17.490 angel telling the shepherds that they would find this baby, 0:32:17.490 --> 0:32:22.650 this glorious king that was just born not in a palace, 0:32:22.930 --> 0:32:26.650 but in a manger. That's that's kind of unusual. So 0:32:26.650 --> 0:32:28.450 they were told where to look. You're supposed to look 0:32:28.450 --> 0:32:31.410 where they keep animals. Look for. 0:32:31.410 --> 0:32:31.890 Strange. 0:32:32.010 --> 0:32:33.010 A baby in a manger. 0:32:33.330 --> 0:32:36.730 Even. Even a normal baby. You wouldn't look there. I mean, like, 0:32:36.730 --> 0:32:37.770 even if it wasn't a king. 0:32:37.930 --> 0:32:40.850 Yeah. And then wrapped in swaddling clothes is what every 0:32:40.850 --> 0:32:43.970 baby is. But not just. But it's not a baby 0:32:43.970 --> 0:32:46.170 that's been abandoned in a manger. It's a baby that's 0:32:46.170 --> 0:32:48.810 being cared for. But there's no room. And so therefore, 0:32:48.810 --> 0:32:55.010 that they they had to use the, the manger as a, 0:32:55.050 --> 0:32:59.130 as a, as a like crib or, or a cradle. Right. 0:32:59.250 --> 0:33:05.170 That's so it's basically it gives two bits of information. One, 0:33:05.170 --> 0:33:07.690 these are people who don't have any place to be. 0:33:07.690 --> 0:33:10.090 So they have to be where they keep the animals, 0:33:10.090 --> 0:33:11.890 like in the barn, so to speak, but not really 0:33:11.890 --> 0:33:14.830 a barn like we think of. But in this cave 0:33:14.990 --> 0:33:18.430 where they kept some animals outside the home. And then secondly. 0:33:18.430 --> 0:33:21.270 But this is not a baby that's been abandoned or 0:33:21.270 --> 0:33:25.990 uncared for. It's just that it's swaddled. It's being cared 0:33:25.990 --> 0:33:28.790 for as a baby is. And so it gave them 0:33:28.790 --> 0:33:30.350 two clues for what to look for. 0:33:30.670 --> 0:33:33.990 Okay. But there would there was not an Old Testament 0:33:33.990 --> 0:33:38.350 prophecy that would have said he's going to be lowly 0:33:38.510 --> 0:33:42.709 in with animals or something, that this was fulfilled, fulfilled. Okay. 0:33:42.750 --> 0:33:45.550 No, the, the, the verse that, that a lot of 0:33:45.550 --> 0:33:51.070 people point to for this is in Micah four. I'm, 0:33:51.070 --> 0:33:53.910 I'm talking while I turn my pages. You know, whenever 0:33:53.910 --> 0:33:58.390 I do this, I wonder if people wonder what in 0:33:58.390 --> 0:34:00.550 the world I'm doing, but I'm trying to turn the pages, 0:34:00.550 --> 0:34:02.430 so I turn them loud so that they give me. 0:34:02.430 --> 0:34:05.110 Time when we hear it. Yeah, it sounds intentional. Yeah. 0:34:05.710 --> 0:34:09.830 It says in Micah four eight. And you. Watchtower of 0:34:09.830 --> 0:34:12.940 the flock, fortified hill of daughter Zion. The Zion. The 0:34:12.940 --> 0:34:16.339 former rule will come to you. Sovereignty will come to 0:34:16.380 --> 0:34:20.020 daughter of the daughter of Jerusalem. The word watchtower of 0:34:20.020 --> 0:34:26.379 the flock is the Hebrew words Migdal Eder and Migdal Eder. 0:34:26.420 --> 0:34:29.020 Apparently there was a watchtower in the fields of Bethlehem 0:34:29.020 --> 0:34:31.379 where they could keep watch over, you know, keep watch 0:34:31.380 --> 0:34:36.860 over their flocks by night from a tower. Uh, and 0:34:36.860 --> 0:34:40.420 so that could be some people said that they went. 0:34:40.420 --> 0:34:43.300 That's where the cave was. Where the where the manger 0:34:43.300 --> 0:34:46.419 was at Migdal Eder. I don't think so. I think 0:34:46.460 --> 0:34:51.779 it's Migdal Eder is just representative for Bethlehem. So, you know, 0:34:51.780 --> 0:34:54.299 it's it's like if sometimes when people talk about the 0:34:54.300 --> 0:34:58.379 United States, they'll say. And Washington has said, you know. Yeah. 0:34:58.700 --> 0:35:02.220 So Migdal Eder is like a key place in Bethlehem. Uh, 0:35:02.219 --> 0:35:05.940 and the Tower of, of Bethlehem, so to speak. And, 0:35:05.940 --> 0:35:09.580 and that's, that's what the prophecy is foretelling that the 0:35:09.580 --> 0:35:12.410 Messiah will come from Bethlehem. That's picked up in Micah 0:35:12.410 --> 0:35:12.930 five two. 0:35:13.250 --> 0:35:14.250 So okay. 0:35:15.010 --> 0:35:15.730 Let's do one more. 0:35:16.050 --> 0:35:16.410 Okay. 0:35:16.450 --> 0:35:17.850 Because that took too long. 0:35:18.090 --> 0:35:22.570 Okay. Um, next question. First, I do have to say, um, 0:35:22.570 --> 0:35:25.050 Eva is listening in on top of things. And Passover 0:35:25.090 --> 0:35:28.049 is April 12th. Okay. And Easter is April 20th. Oh, 0:35:28.050 --> 0:35:29.930 there we go. Okay. Thank you. Eva. 0:35:29.969 --> 0:35:31.730 Yeah, I told you she texted the answers. 0:35:31.930 --> 0:35:35.810 I know Pamela in Michigan listens to Wgme. Nathaniel has 0:35:35.810 --> 0:35:38.810 always been inspiring to me, but his name is not 0:35:38.810 --> 0:35:42.130 listed in the 12 disciples. Do we know any more 0:35:42.130 --> 0:35:43.570 about him from history? 0:35:43.570 --> 0:35:47.770 Or he was an Israelite without guile? That's what we know. Okay, 0:35:47.810 --> 0:35:53.810 that's what John says in John 145 through 51, remember? Uh, and, 0:35:53.850 --> 0:35:58.049 you know, there is, uh, he's an interesting character. There's 0:35:58.050 --> 0:36:00.009 a couple of things I want to say about this. 0:36:00.130 --> 0:36:03.609 First of all, let me just start with this. If 0:36:03.610 --> 0:36:05.850 you have a question like this, I've decided I'm going 0:36:05.850 --> 0:36:07.609 to try and say this more and more about where 0:36:07.610 --> 0:36:10.910 you can find the answer. Not because, you know, I 0:36:10.910 --> 0:36:12.750 don't want people to think that I am the the 0:36:12.790 --> 0:36:15.310 source of all knowledge. There's a lot of places where 0:36:15.310 --> 0:36:17.710 you can find answers. I think everyone should have a 0:36:17.750 --> 0:36:21.669 Bible dictionary in their library. Every growing believer who wants 0:36:21.670 --> 0:36:25.509 to understand the Bible better should have a Bible dictionary. 0:36:25.510 --> 0:36:28.150 We have a great one at Moody called the Unger's 0:36:28.150 --> 0:36:33.350 Bible Dictionary. Moody publishers, uh, Merrill Unger was a great scholar. Uh, 0:36:33.350 --> 0:36:35.950 and so the Unger's Bible dictionary, you could look up Nathaniel, 0:36:35.950 --> 0:36:37.790 and they would give you everything we know about him 0:36:37.790 --> 0:36:40.989 in the Bible. So it's a one volume thing. It's 0:36:40.989 --> 0:36:43.549 really worth it. And whenever you get it, when there's 0:36:43.550 --> 0:36:47.029 a big sale at Moody Publishers, you know, Moody Books.com, 0:36:47.030 --> 0:36:49.910 I think we have periodic sales if you books.org. 0:36:50.550 --> 0:36:51.110 But yes. 0:36:51.110 --> 0:36:55.670 Yeah. Sorry. Okay. And then also, uh, one of the 0:36:55.670 --> 0:36:59.310 things if a person becomes a kitchen table partner $30 0:36:59.310 --> 0:37:01.950 a month, which I mentioned in a previous segment, the 0:37:01.950 --> 0:37:05.430 kitchen table partners, if they do it for $30 a 0:37:05.430 --> 0:37:08.550 month as a kitchen table partner, they'll get 50% off. 0:37:09.300 --> 0:37:09.540 All the. 0:37:09.540 --> 0:37:12.500 Time. Everything in all the books. And that'd be a 0:37:12.500 --> 0:37:16.580 great way to get the the Unger's Bible Dictionary, but 0:37:16.580 --> 0:37:19.259 that would tell you a lot. Secondly, it says that 0:37:19.260 --> 0:37:23.819 he was the Lord. Jesus said, I saw you when 0:37:23.820 --> 0:37:25.739 you were under the fig tree. Being under the fig 0:37:25.739 --> 0:37:31.380 tree was actually a rabbinic idiom for studying the Bible. Mhm. 0:37:31.420 --> 0:37:33.500 And so he may have been under a fig tree 0:37:33.500 --> 0:37:35.380 and we can take it literally. Or it may be 0:37:35.380 --> 0:37:37.420 that the Lord Jesus was saying I saw you when 0:37:37.420 --> 0:37:41.419 you were studying. That's kind of interesting. Yeah. I'm not 0:37:41.420 --> 0:37:43.940 sure which it is, but it could be either one. Yeah. 0:37:43.980 --> 0:37:47.700 And then he was the Lord. Jesus says he hears 0:37:47.700 --> 0:37:51.380 an Israelite, a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile. 0:37:52.060 --> 0:37:56.420 So he was Jewish and was a transparent, honest person. 0:37:56.660 --> 0:37:58.260 I think that's that's kind of cool. 0:37:58.300 --> 0:38:00.660 I mean, if that's what Jesus says about you. Yeah. 0:38:00.700 --> 0:38:03.740 You know, pointing you out and saying that that's. 0:38:03.780 --> 0:38:04.339 How cool is that? 0:38:04.380 --> 0:38:05.420 Pretty cool thing. 0:38:05.460 --> 0:38:09.890 And the only other time that we were aware of him. Uh, 0:38:09.890 --> 0:38:15.370 and uh, is in John 21, when they went back 0:38:15.410 --> 0:38:18.570 fishing after Peter said, I'm going back. Nathaniel is mentioned 0:38:18.610 --> 0:38:19.570 as going back. 0:38:20.250 --> 0:38:21.650 And fishing with them. Yeah. 0:38:21.690 --> 0:38:23.690 Okay. That's the only two times he's mentioned. 0:38:23.690 --> 0:38:27.810 John 21 two. Yep. Okay. So. All right. Well, I 0:38:27.810 --> 0:38:30.730 hope that helps, Pamela. There's not a lot there, but. Yeah. 0:38:30.770 --> 0:38:32.810 What is there is telling you what his name. 0:38:32.810 --> 0:38:35.410 Means, which is a great name. Gift of God. 0:38:35.930 --> 0:38:36.489 That's a good name. 0:38:36.610 --> 0:38:39.570 Yeah. I love that name. Yeah. I know someone named Nathan. 0:38:39.730 --> 0:38:42.450 Yes. That my husband's named Nathan. He's a gift. That's right. 0:38:42.530 --> 0:38:46.049 That's great. Okay, we're we're going to take a break here. 0:38:46.050 --> 0:38:48.370 And when we come back, we'll be back with more 0:38:48.370 --> 0:38:53.969 of your questions that you've called in. 848775483675. Thank you, 0:38:54.010 --> 0:38:57.450 Tricia McMillan, for bringing those questions together. You'll be back 0:38:57.450 --> 0:38:59.810 next hour with more. This is Michael Ray. Dominic, you're 0:38:59.810 --> 0:39:21.960 listening to Open Line. We'll be right back. Welcome back 0:39:21.960 --> 0:39:24.799 to Open Line. So glad that you are here with 0:39:24.800 --> 0:39:27.880 us and I'm so grateful for your listening. One of 0:39:27.880 --> 0:39:30.200 the things I'm also grateful for is that Chosen People 0:39:30.200 --> 0:39:35.520 Ministries is partnering with us to help bring you Open Line. 0:39:36.239 --> 0:39:40.000 That's a wonderful ministry that has been involved in bringing 0:39:40.000 --> 0:39:44.800 the good news to Jewish people for, uh, 130 years. 0:39:45.040 --> 0:39:54.360 Pretty amazing when you think about it. Well, uh, they are, uh, 0:39:54.360 --> 0:39:56.919 they're concerned. And I think Christians should be concerned about 0:39:56.920 --> 0:39:59.799 the growing anti-Semitism in the world. And that's why I 0:39:59.800 --> 0:40:02.640 Chosen People Ministries is offering a free book to our listeners. 0:40:02.640 --> 0:40:07.900 It's called Uncommon Allies American Jews and Christians uniting against Hitler. 0:40:08.060 --> 0:40:09.980 It was written by Alan Shore, and it's a book 0:40:09.980 --> 0:40:13.500 that shows the importance and power of Christians standing against 0:40:13.540 --> 0:40:17.700 anti-Semitism in the past. So we'll be motivated to do 0:40:17.700 --> 0:40:22.460 the same in the present and the future. Go to openlibrary.org. 0:40:22.460 --> 0:40:24.860 That's our website. Scroll down and you'll see a link 0:40:24.860 --> 0:40:28.259 that says A Free gift from Chosen People Ministries. Click 0:40:28.260 --> 0:40:29.899 on that and you'll be taken to a page where 0:40:29.900 --> 0:40:32.299 you can sign up for your own free copy of 0:40:32.300 --> 0:40:37.500 this really important book called Uncommon Allies. And we're going 0:40:37.540 --> 0:40:42.180 to talk to Courtney in Atlanta, Georgia, listening on. I'm 0:40:42.219 --> 0:40:44.620 guessing the internet. Welcome to Open Line, Courtney. How can 0:40:44.620 --> 0:40:45.460 I help you today? 0:40:46.460 --> 0:40:48.420 Good morning Michael I was calling to find out a 0:40:48.420 --> 0:40:50.380 couple weeks ago you had a panel on, and it 0:40:50.380 --> 0:40:55.060 sounded like there was agreement that in Matthew 23, Zacharias 0:40:55.500 --> 0:40:58.580 was the same Zacharias that said in Second Chronicles 24, 0:40:59.100 --> 0:41:00.860 I'm just trying to figure out how you got that. 0:41:01.820 --> 0:41:04.010 Well, it seems like I think. 0:41:04.290 --> 0:41:09.609 Uh, let me just say that 100% of Bible interpreters, 100% 0:41:09.810 --> 0:41:13.010 would say that it's talking about, uh, from the blood 0:41:13.010 --> 0:41:16.009 of Abel. It talks about in that verse that's in 0:41:16.010 --> 0:41:21.050 Genesis to the blood of Zechariah, whom you murdered between 0:41:21.050 --> 0:41:27.690 the sanctuary and the altar. Right. Uh, that's in Second Chronicles, 0:41:28.010 --> 0:41:32.529 chapter 24, verse 20, where he is murdered between the, uh, 0:41:32.530 --> 0:41:36.690 the sanctuary and the altar. So it's. And that that's 0:41:36.690 --> 0:41:41.370 a literary device the Lord Jesus is using there, because 0:41:41.370 --> 0:41:44.450 Genesis is the first book of the Bible. Second Chronicles 0:41:44.450 --> 0:41:46.529 is the last book of the Bible according to the 0:41:46.570 --> 0:41:51.489 Hebrew canon at that time. Uh, and so it's saying 0:41:51.489 --> 0:41:54.450 from the first to the last, that's really what it's saying. 0:41:55.730 --> 0:41:57.210 Uh, I guess. 0:41:57.210 --> 0:41:59.850 But the question you have is it says the son 0:41:59.850 --> 0:42:04.399 of Berechiah. Berechiah Is the prophet Zechariah one one and 0:42:04.400 --> 0:42:11.359 two and not, uh, this one here in, uh, this verse, uh, 0:42:11.360 --> 0:42:14.080 it's a different Zechariah you're saying. Right? 0:42:14.880 --> 0:42:15.280 Yes. 0:42:15.520 --> 0:42:22.680 Okay. Uh, well, the there's some, uh, in, in, uh, like, 0:42:22.680 --> 0:42:26.480 for example, Gleason Archer in his book on Encyclopedia of 0:42:26.480 --> 0:42:30.759 Bible difficulties. His explanation is that the grandfather of the 0:42:30.760 --> 0:42:34.880 Zechariah killed between the altar and the sanctuary, his grandfather, 0:42:34.880 --> 0:42:37.080 not his father, was named Berechiah. So he had the 0:42:37.080 --> 0:42:39.960 same name. I don't think that's right. I don't think 0:42:39.960 --> 0:42:42.760 that's the answer. I think what we have here is 0:42:42.760 --> 0:42:47.640 a textual copyist error. Year after year after year of copying. 0:42:47.640 --> 0:42:49.560 And it just went and it was early done. I 0:42:49.560 --> 0:42:52.320 think that there was a scribe and he was saying 0:42:52.320 --> 0:42:55.960 he didn't know the story in in Second Chronicles, and 0:42:55.960 --> 0:42:58.440 he just changed it to because he only knew the 0:42:58.440 --> 0:43:02.100 prophet Zechariah, son of son of Berechiah. And and that's 0:43:02.100 --> 0:43:05.300 what he did. In fact, the oldest we have two very, 0:43:05.300 --> 0:43:10.100 very ancient editions in Greek of Matthew. And they have 0:43:10.100 --> 0:43:14.300 it right. They don't have it berechiah. So I think 0:43:14.420 --> 0:43:16.899 that what we have is a very early copyist error 0:43:16.940 --> 0:43:20.100 that got then put into a lot of the documents. 0:43:20.260 --> 0:43:25.780 And that's why it says Berechiah here in, in Matthew 2335. 0:43:26.140 --> 0:43:27.259 Okay. Okay. 0:43:27.300 --> 0:43:30.060 There's the earlier copies. Did they just not have verify 0:43:30.060 --> 0:43:31.899 at all, or does it say like the son of 0:43:31.940 --> 0:43:33.060 Jehoiada or something like that? 0:43:33.100 --> 0:43:36.420 Jehoiada. It does say that. Yeah. Oh, wow. 0:43:36.460 --> 0:43:37.739 Awesome. All right. That's good to know. 0:43:37.900 --> 0:43:38.260 Okay. 0:43:38.860 --> 0:43:41.180 Well, good. Thanks for your. It's a good question, but 0:43:41.180 --> 0:43:42.500 by the way, this is one of the things that's 0:43:42.500 --> 0:43:45.700 really important. It shows that the Hebrew canon was complete 0:43:45.820 --> 0:43:48.900 in the first century, that they they there it is, 0:43:48.900 --> 0:43:53.100 the Lord Jesus using the Hebrew canon from Genesis to 0:43:53.140 --> 0:43:57.700 Second Chronicles. And he's he's recognizing the complete Hebrew canon. 0:43:57.980 --> 0:43:58.980 I think that's pretty cool. 0:43:59.410 --> 0:44:02.370 So that is okay. I appreciate it. 0:44:02.410 --> 0:44:05.690 Sure. Thanks for your call. Uh, court. Uh, Eugene in 0:44:05.690 --> 0:44:08.850 Grand Rapids, Michigan, listening on WGN. Can you ask your 0:44:08.850 --> 0:44:11.330 question really quick? Because we're coming up against the break. 0:44:12.810 --> 0:44:15.130 Yeah, sure. Go ahead. 0:44:16.890 --> 0:44:19.009 Hello? Hello. Go ahead with your question. 0:44:19.570 --> 0:44:26.970 Okay. Yes. My question is about, uh, uh, Mark 14th chapter, uh, 0:44:27.010 --> 0:44:30.850 the where Jesus was arrested and it says something about 0:44:30.850 --> 0:44:36.690 Jesus was arrested. All the disciples fled. And then the last, uh, 0:44:36.690 --> 0:44:40.730 verse there says something about a young man wearing nothing 0:44:40.730 --> 0:44:44.569 but a linen garment was following Jesus. Uh, who was 0:44:44.570 --> 0:44:47.529 that young man? And what was that verse 51 about? 0:44:47.890 --> 0:44:50.890 Well, it says, this is an interesting thing. The gospel 0:44:50.890 --> 0:44:55.250 of Mark is actually the gospel of Simon Peter. Why? 0:44:55.290 --> 0:45:02.960 It's historically what the gospel of Mark is traditionally understood 0:45:03.000 --> 0:45:05.560 to be. As Peter goes and gives a sermon about 0:45:05.560 --> 0:45:09.200 the life of Jesus in Rome. Mark is listening to it, 0:45:09.200 --> 0:45:12.239 takes down notes, and writes up the gospel based on 0:45:12.239 --> 0:45:16.960 what Peter dictated to him, basically in that sermon. And 0:45:16.960 --> 0:45:21.160 so this is Mark writing Peter's understanding of the life 0:45:21.160 --> 0:45:28.720 of Jesus for Romans. That's what the gospel of Mark is. Uh, 0:45:28.719 --> 0:45:30.879 but he did he still the one that wrote it up. 0:45:30.960 --> 0:45:35.600 And so this is his little saying, his little writing, saying, hey, 0:45:35.600 --> 0:45:39.480 I was there. There's a certain young man, John Mark, 0:45:39.520 --> 0:45:43.040 that's he's he's putting his signature in there saying having 0:45:43.040 --> 0:45:46.320 a linen cloth wrapped around his naked body, probably wearing 0:45:46.320 --> 0:45:49.880 underwear of some sort, not completely naked, was following him 0:45:49.880 --> 0:45:52.239 and they caught hold of him. He they grabbed a 0:45:52.239 --> 0:45:55.200 hold of the the garment. He fled and ran off 0:45:55.200 --> 0:45:59.739 in his underwear Uh, and that's, uh, John Mark saying, hey, 0:46:00.380 --> 0:46:03.779 this is not just Peter's words. This is me. I 0:46:03.780 --> 0:46:07.180 was there. So that's what I think that is. Okay. 0:46:07.180 --> 0:46:10.700 Thanks for your call. Really, really appreciate it. Thanks for listening, everyone. 0:46:10.900 --> 0:46:14.219 That's it for the first hour. Keep listening. There's a 0:46:14.219 --> 0:46:16.820 second hour of open line on most of these stations. 0:46:16.820 --> 0:46:19.500 Your station doesn't carry open line second hour. You can 0:46:19.500 --> 0:46:22.299 always listen on the Moody Radio app or online, or 0:46:22.300 --> 0:46:25.419 you can get the podcast afterwards during the break, check 0:46:25.460 --> 0:46:28.419 out our web page. Open Line radio.org has all kinds 0:46:28.420 --> 0:46:31.100 of links that you're looking for, like past programs where 0:46:31.100 --> 0:46:35.260 to give a question in written form. Ask Michael a question. 0:46:35.260 --> 0:46:37.020 You can find it all there. How to get our 0:46:37.020 --> 0:46:40.180 current resource. Whatever you're looking for is there? Our Bible 0:46:40.180 --> 0:46:42.500 study across America will continue in the second hour, so 0:46:42.500 --> 0:46:45.620 stay with us. Open line with Doctor Michael Dolnick is 0:46:45.620 --> 0:46:50.460 a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute. 0:46:50.460 --> 0:46:51.340 We'll be right back.