S1: She grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, but then
S1: moved to southern Israel. Deborah's first hand account of life
S1: on the Gaza border and the October 7th attack is chilling,
S1: but today she also shares disturbing evidence of how hatred
S1: for Jews is instilled in the youngest of Palestinian children.
S1: This is an eye opening conversation I promise you'll be
S1: sharing over dinner, so join us now for the land
S1: and the book. Middle East expert and author Doctor Charlie
S1: Dyer is our host. I'm John Gager, and no surprise
S1: that Israel has been in the news a lot over
S1: the last year. And as we know, the Bible is
S1: jam packed with end times prophecies about epic world events,
S1: the regathering of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland,
S1: and Jesus returned. It is crucial, though, for us as
S1: believers to have a proper understanding of Bible prophecy. Why?
S1: So our view of the future is shaped by Scripture,
S1: not today's headlines. Boy, Charlie, I think that's critical.
S2: I think so too, John. In fact, with this in mind,
S2: our friends at Life in Messiah have published a book
S2: titled God, Israel and Bible Prophecy, and they're offering it
S2: to listeners of the land and the book for a
S2: limited time. This informative book is focused on providing readers
S2: with a deeper understanding and greater appreciation of what God
S2: has in store for Israel and the nations by digging
S2: into what the scriptures say about these issues. If you're
S2: interested in learning more about what God has in store,
S2: visit Life in Messiah. Org and click on the Moody
S2: Radio button there to find out how you can receive
S2: your copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life
S2: in messiah.org.
S1: If this is your first time with us, the land
S1: and the book is divided into four segments. This first
S1: one devoted to current events from the Middle East. Israel's
S1: current government seems to be moving closer, Charlie, to dissolving
S1: over multiple issues, including the cease fire talks with Hamas.
S1: What might the future hold for Israel in terms of
S1: new elections?
S2: You know, right now Israel needs to be united against
S2: all the threats it faces. But petty bickering and party
S2: politics are once again on the rise there. Those in
S2: the opposition in the Knesset seem to be using every
S2: opportunity to attack Netanyahu's policies and his character. Following the
S2: assassination attempt on Donald Trump, an Israeli government secretary presented
S2: a compilation of video clips showing opponents of Netanyahu deriding
S2: him as a traitor, as Satan, as an enemy of
S2: the people. Some threatened violence against him, including one who said,
S2: if the hostages aren't brought home, we'll be waiting with
S2: a noose. Those are shocking. But the real shock was
S2: the response of the head of the opposition, who slammed
S2: Netanyahu for allowing the concern to even be raised, calling
S2: him a crybaby and a coward. Another member of the
S2: opposition predicted that Netanyahu will dissolve the Knesset and call
S2: for elections in November. That individual has also been meeting
S2: with former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to discuss strategy for
S2: replacing Netanyahu. A recent poll suggests a right wing coalition
S2: led by Naftali Bennett could possibly unseat Netanyahu. The problem
S2: is that each of the parties in such a coalition
S2: is led by an individual who also wants to be
S2: prime minister. Perhaps more worrisome, though, for the current government,
S2: is the disunity within the coalition itself. After the failure
S2: of the so-called rabbis Bill last month, some ultra-Orthodox lawmakers
S2: say they can no longer rely on Netanyahu to look
S2: out for their interests, and Ben-Gvir and his party have
S2: refused to back any bills unless he's given a seat
S2: on the now disbanded War Cabinet. The leader of the
S2: Shas party called Ben-Gvir an inflated balloon, and he responded
S2: by calling the leader of Shas a lap dog of
S2: the left. This kind of animosity within the coalition is
S2: paralyzing the legislative process. Whether it's going to be a
S2: ceasefire agreement with Hamas or the military draft of the
S2: ultra-Orthodox or upcoming budget negotiations, or a number of other
S2: contentious issues, something could soon bring about a no confidence
S2: vote in the government, and that will then lead to
S2: new elections.
S1: And what about the impact of all of this on
S1: the current conflict with Hamas?
S2: Well, it's giving Hamas hope. They are being defeated militarily.
S2: But as they look at Israel's disarray, they know if
S2: they can hold out just a little bit longer, perhaps
S2: the government will collapse. And that's the sad part. When
S2: there's not unity. It really does give comfort to the enemy.
S1: Another disturbing observation here Russia has been growing closer to
S1: Islamic countries like Syria, Iran and Turkey. But is this
S1: because they share strategic interests in the Middle East, or
S1: are other factors also drawing them closer?
S2: You know, we've said before, Russia, Iran and Turkey do
S2: share strategic interests in the Middle East. They want to
S2: form a new axis of influence that will push the
S2: United States out of the region and allow them to dominate.
S2: Of course, each country has its own vision of what
S2: a change ought to look like, with each seeing itself
S2: as the dominant power. Erdogan from Turkey, wants to rebuild
S2: the old Ottoman Empire, a Sunni caliphate, with him at
S2: the helm. Iran wants to rebuild a Shiite version of
S2: the ancient Persian empire extending from Iran to the Mediterranean Sea,
S2: while dominating the Persian Gulf region and obliterating the Jewish state.
S2: Russia wants to keep the Shiites and Sunnis in equilibrium
S2: by extending its influence among the more moderate Islamic states
S2: like Syria, Egypt, and the Gulf states. But Russia is
S2: also facing a serious internal problem that could upend all
S2: of Putin's plans. And Islamic time bomb is ticking within
S2: Russia itself. In 1991, the Soviet Union had 120 mosques.
S2: Over the next 20 years, that number exploded to over
S2: 8000 and continues increasing in the next 15 years. It's
S2: very possible that the majority population in cities like Moscow
S2: and Saint Petersburg will be Muslim, the imam of the
S2: Grand Mosque of Moscow said Muslims have a great demographic
S2: mission due to the high birth rate to make Russia
S2: a muslim majority country. In 1959, 6% of the Russian's
S2: population was Muslim. By 2020, that had grown to 15%,
S2: and the trend is accelerating. Seven of Russia's 22 republics
S2: already have an Islamic majority. Putin might indeed have a
S2: goal for Russian dominance in the Middle East, but the
S2: dramatic population shift within Russia itself could change the face
S2: of Russia before Russia is able to change the face
S2: of the Middle East.
S1: Well, if you just joined us, this is the land
S1: and the book from Moody Radio. Our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer,
S1: working us through a list of current events stories all
S1: based in the Middle East. Last week you talked about
S1: problems in Egypt, including a potential conflict with Ethiopia over
S1: the dam that they're building across the Nile River. Could
S1: that conflict over this dam far to Egypt's south ultimately
S1: impact Israel? Help us connect all these different geographical dots?
S2: Yeah, the dots do seem unrelated, but they could indeed
S2: impact Israel. We know Egypt is struggling financially. They're also
S2: concerned about Ethiopia's new dam that it could reduce the
S2: flow of the Nile River, which is Egypt's main water source.
S2: They've threatened to prevent the dam being completed, but the
S2: dam is located about 800 miles south of Egypt's southern border.
S2: Egypt's air bases are all located in the north around
S2: Cairo and in the Sinai Peninsula. So as much of
S2: their army to protect the capital and to guard against
S2: Islamic insurgents in Libya and in Sinai. If Egypt's going
S2: to mount a credible military threat against the dam, it'll
S2: need to reposition some of its forces away from the
S2: north toward its southern border. Now, that could impact Israel
S2: two ways. First, it could allow ISIS, al Qaeda or
S2: other Islamic groups to rebuild on the Sinai Peninsula next
S2: to Israel. And second, it could upend potential plans being
S2: discussed for Israel's ceasefire with Hamas because that could involve
S2: having Israel cede control of the corridor between Egypt and
S2: Gaza to the Egyptian army. Israel is still uncovering all
S2: the tunnels Hamas had there to smuggle in weapons and supplies.
S2: By taking this border region, Israel choked off that supply
S2: of weapons. Egypt was already doing a relatively poor job
S2: of stopping weapons entering from its side of the border.
S2: And if they're forced to move troops to the south
S2: while also resuming full control of that corridor with Gaza,
S2: it could open the way for Hamas to rebuild the
S2: tunnels and resupply its forces, depending on Egypt, to choke
S2: off Hamas's supply lines into Gaza, in addition to everything
S2: else Egypt is facing, could be a recipe for future disaster.
S1: Doesn't sound good. Well, researchers in amazing Israel have discovered
S1: self-repairing glass. What exactly is self-repairing glass and what could
S1: its impact be on both technology and on everyday life?
S2: Yeah, this discovery changes our concept of glass. If we
S2: think of glass as a hard but relatively fragile substance
S2: that once it's chipped or cracked or broken, can't be
S2: mended unless that glass is reheated till it becomes molten
S2: and then recast. Israeli researchers were studying sequences of amino acids,
S2: and during their research, they discovered a unique peptide that
S2: behaves differently from anything previously discovered. It formed a pattern
S2: that is like liquid glass on a molecular level, but
S2: with mechanical properties that are solid like. It forms into
S2: glass spontaneously at room temperature, without the need of extreme
S2: heat or pressure. So what kind of impact might it
S2: have in real life? Rather than polishing and grinding lenses
S2: for glasses, they were able to dip the liquid onto
S2: a surface and control its curvature simply by adjusting the
S2: solution volume, and the glass was as transparent as ordinary
S2: glass would be. Should cracks form in a glass, they
S2: can be restored instantly with the touch of water at
S2: room temperature. Imagine discovering a recyclable, self-healing, optically transparent glass
S2: that can also act as a glue. Beyond the common
S2: applications for optics, the scientists believe the new discovery could
S2: revolutionize electro optics, satellite communication, remote sensing, and even biomedicine.
S2: Self repairing adhesive glass. It seems hard to imagine. Unless,
S2: of course, you're a scientist at Tel Aviv University in
S2: amazing Israel, shattering.
S1: The bonds of technology. Thank you Charlie for that. Look
S1: at current events. Boy, a great conversation coming up next.
S1: Life on the Gaza border. What's it really like to
S1: live there? What was it like on October 7th? You'll
S1: hear it all firsthand as we talk with Deborah. That's
S1: our segment next on the land and the book, and
S1: our website is The Land and the book.org. Before the
S1: October 7th attack, before Gaza found its way onto everybody's map,
S1: there were Israelis living peacefully near the border. What was
S1: life like for them back then? You're about to hear
S1: a first hand account from someone who lived just two
S1: miles north of the Gaza border. Welcome back to the
S1: land and the book. I'm John Gager. Let's say hi
S1: to today's guest, Deborah Ben Aderet. Good to have you
S1: with us.
S3: Thank you. Thank you for having me, Deborah.
S1: You grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, where you
S1: were raised in a conservative Jewish home. As an adult,
S1: you became an active member of AIPAC and other pro-Israel organizations.
S1: I understand in 2012, though, you quit your job in
S1: Chicago's Merchandise Mart, where I walk by just about every week,
S1: I come in to Moody. You sold your car, rented
S1: out that Lakeview condo, and then along with your two cats,
S1: I'm wondering how they made the trip. You made Aliyah
S1: moving to Israel a year later, I guess you met
S1: the Israeli man who would become your husband. And so
S1: you guys left Tel Aviv. You moved with him to
S1: the southern city of Ashkelon. And that is, I think,
S1: kind of where today's story begins. We're honored to have
S1: you with us today on the land and the book.
S3: Deborah, thank you for having me.
S1: So describe Ashkelon where it's at.
S3: So Ashkelon is the southernmost city north of Gaza, if
S3: that makes sense. So it's not a lot is the
S3: southernmost city in Israel if you're looking at a map,
S3: but Ashkelon is on the water and it's about five,
S3: six miles north of Gaza on the water.
S1: And it's a beautiful city.
S4: It's beautiful.
S1: Modern, um, a lot of high rises.
S3: A Marina, beautiful Marina with shops and restaurants, and it's
S3: really getting very built up and more and more touristy.
S1: Yeah, yeah, for sure. We were just there a couple
S1: of months ago. You and your husband moved to the
S1: south of Israel with the best of intentions. What was
S1: life in the Ashkelon area like before the war?
S3: I was a little concerned, moving to a city that
S3: was kind of close to Gaza. Yes, but I wasn't
S3: overly concerned. There wasn't a history of, you know, wars
S3: that had reached Ashkelon. So the House did have a
S3: safe room, and it was lovely living there. But we
S3: did live there through the protective edge War. I was
S3: eight months pregnant with my first, and I spent a
S3: lot of time in that safe room where you get
S3: about 30 to 45 seconds, maybe when rockets come. That
S3: had to.
S1: Be unnerving and maybe got you thinking.
S3: It got me thinking like we are kind of close
S3: to the Gaza border. And thank goodness we had that
S3: safe room because most houses didn't come with that. My
S3: husband's parents live in Ashkelon. He has two sisters in Ashkelon.
S3: Their homes do not have one.
S1: Deborah Ben Aderet joins us today on the Land and
S1: the book. She shares firsthand experiences of life on the
S1: Gaza border. Two years later, while pregnant with your second child,
S1: you and your husband built a home in Kibbutz Zikim,
S1: about two miles north of the Gaza border. Tell us
S1: of another sobering Hamas incident that you encountered there. Anything
S1: come to mind?
S3: We had several wars, quote unquote, that you won't even
S3: hear about in the media here. You probably didn't hear
S3: that in May of 2021. We were evacuated for two
S3: weeks because Hamas started a rocket barrage, and we were
S3: evacuated for two weeks. They also started over the last
S3: few years, sending over bouquets of incendiary balloons, Mickey Mouse balloons,
S3: aiming them at our at our children. You know, here
S3: comes a bouquet of Mickey Mouse balloons. You have to
S3: teach your kids stay away. Because Hamas started burning acres
S3: and acres of our land. And you won't really see
S3: that anywhere either. Killing wildlife and killing the crops that
S3: we grow to feed them, to truck in to Gaza.
S3: You know, so so there was I don't want to
S3: call it daily terror, but when they were feeling riled up,
S3: we would all suffer from it. It was just sort
S3: of how you live on the on the border.
S1: Some listeners might say, look, at this point, you've already
S1: had more than a taste of what Hamas is capable of.
S1: Why not move away?
S3: Exactly. Why do you live on the Gaza border? I
S3: get that now and then. I do not get that
S3: from people that have been there because it is gorgeous.
S3: And when Hamas is not acting up, why would you
S3: not live there? Right? We built a gorgeous home, what,
S3: half a mile from one of Israel's most beautiful beaches? Um,
S3: a kibbutz means we don't have stop signs and stoplights
S3: and crazy traffic. You know, it's a sweet community where
S3: you can send your kids out. You want to play
S3: with your friend, and you open the front door and
S3: you send your kids out. We have cows. We have
S3: a petting zoo, the daycares, you know, picnic every day.
S3: It's a wonderful place to go and raise your kids.
S3: But you do start to question, wait, why are we staying.
S4: Life.
S1: On the Gaza border? That's our conversation today on the
S1: land and the book. I'm John Yeager. Our guest is
S1: Deborah Ben Aderet. Take us to the October 7th attack.
S1: What was that like for your community?
S3: We went to sleep on the sixth like any other night.
S3: On the seventh, I was awoken to a huge explosion
S3: and that's not unusual. So I was just going to
S3: go back to sleep because we have 5 to 8
S3: seconds to get to our bomb shelter. When we hear
S3: the rocket alert, we don't hear it very well. In
S3: our community, where we live, where we built our home
S3: in the kibbutz, you don't hear it very well. So
S3: I didn't hear it. I slept through it. And by
S3: the time you hear the explosion, it's really too late
S3: to go into the bomb shelter. It means the rocket
S3: hit or it means the Iron Dome intercepted it. But
S3: either way, it's a huge explosion, and it's done. And
S3: it's too late to go to the safe room. So
S3: my husband said, let's go, let's go. And I said,
S3: it's too late. And I rolled over to go back
S3: to sleep because we're used to this. And then it
S3: really started coming like a barrage, like a lot. And
S3: we said, okay, let's go to the safe room. So
S3: we spent the first few hours in the safe room,
S3: and then we heard doo doo doo doo doo doo doo,
S3: machine gun. And then we knew this is not normal.
S3: Something else is happening. Soon after that, we got a
S3: message from our kibbutz security saying there have been ground infiltrations,
S3: not in Zikim, but there have been ground infiltrations. Stay
S3: in the safe room. And at this point, we knew
S3: something really horrible is happening. And then we lost all
S3: cell reception and phone reception. So we didn't have internet.
S3: I didn't get the rocket alert on my phone. I
S3: couldn't hear in real time when it was really happening.
S3: I didn't know what was happening outside. All we knew
S3: was there's rocket barrages, there's gunfire that we don't know
S3: what it is, and there's been infiltration. We were told
S3: to go around and lock up our house and stay
S3: in our safe room. I think we didn't have the
S3: infiltration because 50 terrorists tried to come up through our
S3: beach that day. They managed to kill 41 of the
S3: 50 terrorists, but nine did infiltrate our beaches and our
S3: beaches like half a mile from us, right? Because we're
S3: close to the water. Nine of those terrorists came up
S3: through the beach, killed everyone they saw, slaughtered everyone they saw,
S3: continued on to our army base, had a big fight there,
S3: and then continued to try to infiltrate our kibbutz. And
S3: at that time, some of the security in the army
S3: base alerted our security guy. We have one. We have
S3: one security guy alerted him that terrorists on foot or
S3: in a stolen truck are on their way to our kibbutz.
S3: That's about a minute drive, maybe 45 second drive. And
S3: in that time, our one security guy managed to round
S3: up a team of our kibbutz members. These are just
S3: regular people who are in the reserves or have a
S3: gun from when they were in the reserves. And it
S3: is because of this very small staff, 5 or 6
S3: guys that I'm here today. And the doo doo doo
S3: doo doo that we heard was our security shooting at
S3: Hamas after they had thrown a grenade at our guys
S3: trying to kill our guys and blow through our gate. Wow.
S1: Yeah, boy, what a story.
S3: And we're in the safe room the whole time not
S3: knowing what's happening, you know, really? Right outside my daughter's
S3: bedroom door.
S1: Well, this impact has made a significant change in your
S1: family's trajectory.
S4: Talk about that. Yeah.
S3: So like I said, we had been considering moving further
S3: north a few years ago. I never would have thought
S3: October 6th was the last night I sleep in my
S3: own bed, but it was. We were all evacuated the
S3: next day, my community was evacuated to a hotel in Jerusalem,
S3: and about two and a half weeks into that, living
S3: in a. It sounds nice living in a hotel. It's
S3: four of us. I have two young girls. We're all
S3: sharing one room. We get three meals a day, but
S3: it's mobbed because we're with our community. We're with other communities.
S3: It's not fun, you know, after two and a half weeks,
S3: my husband said, take the girls and just go back
S3: to the Chicago suburbs, because this is going to be
S3: a while. And we came back to the Chicago area.
S3: I put my girls in school. We've been here since then,
S3: and my husband and I have decided we're not going
S3: to live in this house again. And it breaks my
S3: heart because we built it from scratch. I picked out
S3: every door handle. I laid out tiles myself. I mean,
S3: we built this house from scratch. We have avocado trees,
S3: mango trees, macadamia, I mean gorgeous, gorgeous yard. And when
S3: we go back, we're going to move further north. But
S3: you need to remember that Israel is the size of
S3: Lake Michigan. Nowhere in Israel is totally safe. Iran sent
S3: 300 missiles a few months ago, and the only reason
S3: Israel is still on the map is the Iron Dome system.
S3: So now, instead of 5 to 8 seconds to get
S3: to a safe room, I think we're going to have
S3: a minute. But it's not out of the question. Everyone's
S3: surrounding us, wants to kill us all the time.
S4: So, you know, this.
S1: Attack did not come out of a vacuum. Um, and, uh,
S1: it's shocking to understand when you peel back the layers,
S1: the level of hate that exists inside of Gaza toward Israel.
S1: I want to play for you now the audio from
S1: a 32nd video clip. This is footage obtained by the
S1: Middle East Policy Research Center. You're about to hear from
S1: three young Palestinian boys, ages nine to about 11. I'm
S1: going to let them each begin, and then I'm going
S1: to share a translation of what they're saying. I want
S1: you to listen to this closely with me.
S5: You can check out the stream.
S1: The first boy is saying I'm in favor of the
S1: stabbing operations because they scare the Jews. Here's boy number two.
S6: And then.
S1: We are fighting the Jews to get our lands back,
S1: he's saying. And this is through terrorist acts. Like stabbing, trampling, shooting.
S1: Boy number three.
S6: At a time. And I'm I'm.
S1: I'm in favor of the stabbing operations. I support anyone
S1: who stabs them or thinks of stabbing them. And he adds,
S1: to sum it all up, I'm for it. Deborah, how
S1: come the world does not hear and see more of
S1: this footage? Why is this part of the story left untold?
S3: That's a question I ask every day. It doesn't fit
S3: the narrative. It doesn't fit, in my opinion, the anti-Semitic
S3: bias narrative that Israel is the bad guy. The truth
S3: of what is going on is that Hamas is indoctrinating
S3: these kids at a young age. My my girls are
S3: seven and nine, and they go to camp and braid
S3: hair and do art projects and swim. There's proof there's
S3: videos there. Kids go to camp and learn how to
S3: be terrorists. And you see these five, six, seven year
S3: old kids. This is their goal. The textbooks in Gaza
S3: do not show that Israel exists. It's Palestine. I mean,
S3: this is indoctrinated in them. I'm not saying every single
S3: person in Gaza wants to be a terrorist, but this
S3: is this is training. This is where it begins, right
S3: at home and at school. So this is a huge,
S3: huge problem. What are you going to do with a
S3: population that for 20 years has been under the control
S3: of terrorists who teach it to their children? It blows
S3: my mind why this doesn't get shown in the world.
S3: It's child abuse. It's child abuse. It blows my mind
S3: and I'm trying so hard to figure out the why.
S3: And I'm telling you that the only thing I can
S3: think of is it doesn't fit, really, the anti-Semitic anti-Israel narrative.
S3: It doesn't fit the narrative.
S1: Well, listeners to the land in the book want to
S1: make a difference, Deborah. But we feel, I think, rather powerless.
S1: We're praying for the peace of Jerusalem, as we're told
S1: in Psalm 122 six, what can we do as concerned
S1: Americans beyond that?
S3: You're doing it right here, that you're interviewing me, that
S3: you're visiting Israel, that you're spreading the word. This honestly,
S3: is just seeking out the truth. There's truth and there's
S3: the media, unfortunately, and I almost have to say, I
S3: don't blame people that aren't seeking out the truth and
S3: are sitting down. We think that we're getting the news.
S3: We're trusting the news. We're trusting the media. If you
S3: don't have a connection to Israel, to the Jewish people,
S3: to the Christian people, the Muslim people, if you don't
S3: have a connection to to the history and to the
S3: land and to the the truth, and you just sit
S3: down and turn on the news, that's what you're going
S3: to see in Israel is not perfect. I'm not saying
S3: Israel is perfect. I'm not saying the government is perfect.
S3: I'm not saying, you know, the Jews are better than anyone,
S3: but there's facts and there's history. And I really just
S3: encourage people to please seek it out. Don't get on
S3: to TikTok and get all sucked into, you know social
S3: media is good and bad. And in this scenario, the
S3: bad is that it feeds you what you want to see.
S3: So if you're going to get on that anti-Israel bandwagon, woohoo, Palestine,
S3: that's what you're going to keep seeing. I just encourage
S3: people to please seek out the truth, seek out, you know,
S3: watch the news from Israel. You can go online. You
S3: can watch I24 news. I watch the daily briefings that
S3: are coming out of the government office in Israel. On YouTube.
S3: You can find the daily briefings. I get a lot
S3: of my news that way. So that's what you could
S3: do and what you're doing. Just spread the word. Interview people,
S3: ask people, you know, in the beginning when I started speaking,
S3: I was mostly speaking just to to Jewish communities. And
S3: I thought, well, they obviously already support, I have to
S3: get out to other communities. But then I thought, that's
S3: not even the right way to think, because everyone knows
S3: 100 other people, who know 100 other people who know
S3: 100 other people, and somebody in there is going to
S3: deny this or going to be on the wrong side
S3: or not be educated. So that's my long answer. But
S3: there's something I know. It's a helpless feeling, but that's
S3: what everybody could be doing.
S1: That's good advice. Thank you Deborah, appreciate your time, your
S1: story and your honesty with us here on the land
S1: and the book.
S3: Thank you so much for having me. Keep up the
S3: good work.
S1: And we're looking forward to our next segment. It's Charlie
S1: Dyer back. You know what it is. Questions and answers
S1: right here. Thank you for making the land and the
S1: book part of your day. Our host is Doctor Charlie Dyer.
S1: I'm John Gieger, and in this segment we take a
S1: look at your questions. But you know, first this quick thought,
S1: Israel has been in the news a lot over the
S1: past year. And as we know, the Bible is jam
S1: packed with end times prophecies about epic world events, the
S1: regathering of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland. And
S1: and of course, Jesus soon returned. It is crucial, though,
S1: for us as believers to have a proper understanding of
S1: Bible prophecy. So our view of the future is shaped
S1: by Scripture and not just today's headlines or our own whims. Right, Charlie?
S2: That's right. And with that in mind, our friends at
S2: Life and Messiah have published a book titled God, Israel
S2: and Bible Prophecy, and they're offering it to listeners of
S2: the land in the book for a limited time. This
S2: informative book is focused on providing readers with a deeper
S2: understanding and greater appreciation of what God has in store
S2: for Israel and the nations by digging into what the
S2: scriptures say about these issues. If you're interested in learning
S2: more about what God has in store, visit Life in Messiah.
S2: Org and click on the Moody Radio button there to
S2: find out how you can receive your copy of God,
S2: Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org.
S1: All right. Question number one is fascinating. A lot of
S1: people have wondered about this. So Charlie, here it is.
S1: We're Ishmael, Adam and Eve saved.
S2: Yeah. Let me start with the Adam and Eve. I
S2: think that's easier to answer. The fact that God clothed
S2: them with animal skins in Genesis, I believe, is more
S2: than just a picture of God as the ultimate tailor.
S2: God had an animal die to provide a covering for
S2: their nakedness and by extension, for the sin they had committed.
S2: I believe that's a picture of the ultimate sacrifice God
S2: would provide for the human race. But the fact God
S2: provided it and they accepted it, would indicate to me
S2: that they experienced his forgiveness. Now it's more difficult to
S2: say with Ishmael, though. I like to believe he was
S2: a man of faith, and I base that on some
S2: rather vague references. In Genesis 17, for example, Abraham expressed
S2: a wish that Ishmael might live under God's blessing, and
S2: God told Abraham he had heard him and that he
S2: would bless Ishmael. Now, what follows is primarily physical in nature,
S2: but I would hope that there was a spiritual component
S2: to that blessing. And I also note, when Abraham died,
S2: both Isaac and Ishmael joined together to bury him at
S2: the cave of Machpelah. That same chapter then describes the
S2: nations that descended from Ishmael. So the Bible presents Ishmael
S2: in a positive light, faithful to his father, in good
S2: relationship to his brother, and being blessed by God. And
S2: while the blessings again are primarily physical in nature, it's
S2: possible they flowed from a heart of faith and were
S2: matched by God's spiritual blessing as well.
S1: Another question that looks forward can believers in heaven see
S1: what we are doing down here on earth? Bob wants
S1: to know.
S2: Yeah, and the Bible doesn't clearly say, one way or another,
S2: that those in heaven can see what's taking place here
S2: on earth. Uh, where the Bible is silent. Then I
S2: think we need to tread very carefully that we do
S2: know from the parable Jesus told of the rich man
S2: and Lazarus, that those who died have a conscious existence,
S2: and in the case of that rich man, might even
S2: include concern about those who remain behind on earth. Remember,
S2: he asked, to be able to go back and warn
S2: his brothers of what was coming. Now we know in
S2: revelation six, uh, the fifth seal is opened. It says,
S2: martyrs in heaven. Ask God when he's going to intervene
S2: and judge and avenge their wrongful deaths. But we're not
S2: told that they have an opportunity to see what actually happens.
S2: So here's the real question. Once we're actually in heaven
S2: and we're seeing it's indescribable beauty, and we're in the
S2: presence of God and the Lord Jesus, and our eyes
S2: are open to see the millions of angels and all
S2: of those wondrous things. Will we even want to look
S2: back to see what's happening here on Earth? I tend
S2: to think of that old gospel song, and I think
S2: it got it right. And the things of earth will
S2: grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
S1: Jonathan wants to know what is the need for a
S1: new heaven if there is no sin in heaven now?
S2: Yeah, and actually, the Bible doesn't say there's no sin
S2: in heaven. The Bible actually depicts different realms that we
S2: collectively call heaven. You know, we we know the atmosphere
S2: around us is called heaven. You know, in the beginning,
S2: God created the heavens plural and the earth. Uh, in
S2: Ezekiel 28, Satan is described as an anointed cherub who
S2: dwelt on God's holy mountain until he sinned. And that's
S2: actually picturing him in heaven. And by the time Satan
S2: appears in the Garden of Eden, he'd already sinned. So
S2: sin actually originated in heaven. And the passage says, God
S2: drove him out of the Mount of God, which must
S2: refer to that highest part of heaven where God's dwelling
S2: place is. But Satan still had access to at least
S2: part of heaven. You know, in job chapters one and two,
S2: he appeared before God in heaven to accuse job. Uh,
S2: in revelation 12 we're told about a future war in
S2: heaven when Satan and his angelic followers are finally banished
S2: from all of heaven and cast to earth. So all
S2: of that, to answer the question, why a new heaven
S2: and new earth? Well, God's indicating that he intended his
S2: creation to be perfect, and ultimately he's going to accomplish
S2: that in his new heaven and earth. This includes his
S2: plan for the created realm, for heaven and earth itself,
S2: for the angelic realm, and for humanity. I love the
S2: phrases that are in revelation. There'll be no more night.
S2: You know, darkness began in Genesis. There'll be no more sea,
S2: and waters covered the earth. In Genesis, he says, there'll
S2: be no more sin. There'll be no more death. There'll
S2: be no more tears. So everything that, uh, that God
S2: intended in the original creation of heaven and earth will
S2: be accomplished in that new heaven and new earth. And
S2: that's why God says it's coming.
S1: It's the land. And the book from Moody Radio, our host,
S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer, answering your Bible questions like this one
S1: from Joyce. Can Christians today claim God's Old Testament promises
S1: to his people?
S2: Yeah, and this might come as a surprise, but not
S2: all promises given in the Bible are for all people.
S2: Now here's what I mean. Some are given to specific individuals.
S2: You know, God promised through Eli that Hannah would give
S2: birth to a son, and he promised through Elisha that
S2: the Shunammite woman would have a son. Now, those were
S2: specific promises to specific people, and someone who wants a
S2: child today can't automatically claim those promises for herself. Some
S2: promises are given specifically to Israel. The land was promised
S2: to them, and it contains specific boundaries. Now, even within Israel,
S2: certain areas were assigned to certain tribes, so someone from
S2: the tribe of Asher couldn't claim the land that was
S2: promised to the tribe of Ephraim, for example. Now, however,
S2: promises and principles in the Old Testament, though given to Israel,
S2: can many times be applied to the church, since they're
S2: grounded in the unchanging character of God. Best example I
S2: know First Corinthians chapter ten. Paul describes God's judgment on
S2: Israel during the wilderness wanderings, and then he says, these
S2: things happen to them as examples. They were written down
S2: as warning for us. The root cause for the temptations
S2: were similar, since human nature is the same. So Paul
S2: can use the lessons from Israel in the wilderness to
S2: apply to the largely Gentile church in Corinth. Now, the
S2: key in all of this is making sure we make
S2: a distinction between interpretation and application. We can apply principles
S2: from much of the Old Testament for today, but we
S2: need to guard against assuming that every promise in the
S2: Old Testament is a direct promise to us that we
S2: can automatically claim for ourselves.
S1: Maggie wonders, why did God give the land only to
S1: Isaac while Ishmael got nothing?
S2: Yeah, okay, I'll start with this. Uh, God owns everything,
S2: and he can give his land to whomever he wants.
S2: So the question assumes Isaac got everything and Ishmael got nothing.
S2: But that's really not true. You know, God did choose
S2: Isaac to be the heir of his land. Promised to Abraham.
S2: He says, your wife Sarah will bear you a son,
S2: and you'll call him Isaac. And I will establish my
S2: covenant with him as an everlasting covenant. But God also
S2: gave a promise and blessing to Ishmael. God told Hagar
S2: that he would so increase your descendants that they will
S2: be too numerous to count in Genesis 16. In Genesis 21,
S2: he says, God was with the boy Ishmael, and he
S2: grew up. Ishmael had 12 sons and dwelled in the
S2: area from Havilah to shore, near the border with Egypt,
S2: as you go toward Asher. So that's the area of
S2: the Arabian Peninsula from Egypt up to northern Iraq. Now,
S2: I think an illustration can help here. Individuals can make
S2: a will and they can leave their possessions to whomever
S2: they want. And while we might hope they'll share equally
S2: with all children, well, it's within their right to divide
S2: the inheritance however they want. They can do it because
S2: it belongs to them, not to the children. Uh, the
S2: bottom line is Ishmael was blessed, but his blessing didn't
S2: include the land God promised to Abraham. God directed that
S2: part of Abraham's inheritance to pass to Isaac and his descendants.
S1: Florence asks, how could Jesus be heard by 5000 people?
S2: Yeah, when he preached to the multitudes. Well, here's an
S2: illustration from D.L. Moody. In 1888, Moody preached at a
S2: campaign in Los Angeles, and 4000 people attended, and he
S2: spoke to all of them at one time, and he
S2: had no amplification. But before that, John Wesley wrote in
S2: his diary back in 1739, on November 11th, he said,
S2: I preached at 8:00 to 5 or 6000. There are
S2: several spots around the Sea of Galilee, where the hills
S2: slope up in a natural theatre shape. And if Jesus
S2: was on one of those, because he was by the
S2: Sea of Galilee, well, he spoke near the bottom. Those
S2: at the top could hear quite a ways. Uh, the
S2: Roman theater, and this is people need to go to
S2: Israel to see this. But the Roman theater at Beit
S2: She'an has a capacity of 7000. It's the largest in Israel.
S2: And somebody standing on the stage, they can be heard
S2: by everyone in that theater. And that's not the largest
S2: in Ephesus. There's a theater that holds 25,000. Wow. And
S2: it had no amplification. But the human voice is able
S2: to project to a large listening audience.
S1: Jeff is looking at Jewish laws and is wondering, is
S1: there any scripture that tells us how quickly a body
S1: should be buried after death? What do you think?
S2: Well, there are no specific scriptures I know of that
S2: say it has to be buried like within 24 hours,
S2: but that is the normal Jewish custom today. But there
S2: are some examples. In fact, one I love is acts
S2: chapter five. Ananias dies and it says, some young men
S2: came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out
S2: and buried him. His wife later came in, died, and
S2: was also buried. That said in verse ten there. But
S2: the interesting thing is, when Ananias died, he was buried immediately,
S2: even before his wife could be found and notified. Today,
S2: the Jewish custom is to bury an individual as soon
S2: as possible, unless it's a Sabbath or Jewish holiday. And
S2: that closely matches the examples that we do see in
S2: the Bible.
S1: And that's a look at some of the questions that
S1: have come in to us via email. And yours is
S1: welcome at the land and the book@moody.edu. Well, for many
S1: people it's their favorite segment of the entire broadcast, so
S1: don't go away. Charlie Dyer has handpicked a site in Israel.
S1: He's got a devotional lined up for you. You're going
S1: to enjoy it. So keep it right here on Moody
S1: Radio's The Land and the book. Well, if you live
S1: in the south, the southwest, it's usually because you like
S1: the heat. Good for you. But, Charlie, you say there's
S1: one kind of heat that maybe we should avoid.
S2: Oh, yeah, John, there definitely is.
S1: All right. We're looking forward to your devotional. It's titled
S1: The One Kind of Heat to Avoid. You're going to
S1: take us to Proverbs 19 and 22. I understand, but
S1: not before we hear this Holy Land experience testimony.
S7: Hi, I'm Joe, and the thing that I love most
S7: about the trip to the Holy Land is the fact
S7: that it it brings it really brings the Bible alive.
S7: It really helps me to visualize the events and people
S7: and places of the Bible. Before I came here, there really,
S7: I had a lot of misperceptions as to what the
S7: images were that come into my head when I'm reading
S7: the Bible, and so I know it will. Definitely. It's
S7: going to change my reading of the Bible forever. I
S7: will read it with a much different perspective, have different images,
S7: have a different understanding as to what's being said. So
S7: it's been an absolutely enlightening experience.
S1: Charlie, I'm looking forward to your devotional.
S2: Well, John thanks. You travel to the desert southwest, as
S2: you mentioned, or to any area around the Dead Sea
S2: in Israel, and you quickly discover that summer is synonymous
S2: with sunshine and heat. Lots of heat. Phoenix experiences, on
S2: average 111 days per year above 100 degrees, and twice
S2: while hiking around the Dead Sea in the early summer,
S2: we had to help two of our tour participants who
S2: developed heat exhaustion that could easily have progressed to heat
S2: stroke had we not poured water on them to help
S2: them cool off, while also getting them to drink liquids
S2: to rehydrate them? Intense, prolonged exposure to heat and sun
S2: can be dangerous, but the Bible pictures an even more
S2: dangerous form of heat that we need to avoid and know.
S2: In this instance. I'm not talking about eternal judgment in
S2: the lake of fire, though that is certainly the ultimate
S2: kind of heat to avoid. I should add here that
S2: anyone listening needs to know Jesus is God's Son who
S2: came to earth to die on the cross to pay
S2: the penalty for our sins so we can avoid that
S2: eternal judgment in the lake of fire. So if you've
S2: not made that decision right now, jot down 1888. Need
S2: him and call that number as soon as I'm done.
S2: It could be the most important phone call you'll ever make.
S2: But now back to our story. Apart from avoiding the
S2: heat of eternal judgment, the Bible pictures another kind of
S2: heat we should avoid. And to introduce you to this
S2: type of heat, I want you to hop on our
S2: tour bus. As we head from our hotel to the
S2: top of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. It's a
S2: short drive, and I need to prepare you to face
S2: the multitude of peddlers who will descend on our group
S2: as we pile out of the bus. There can be
S2: the occasional pickpocket. So, men, put your wallet in the
S2: front pocket of your trousers and ladies, put the strap
S2: of your purse over your shoulder and hold on to
S2: it tightly. Now, most of these merchants are regulars who
S2: are simply trying to make a living and feed their families.
S2: So if you're not interested in what they're selling, just
S2: say no. But do so kindly. They'll understand. Well, at
S2: least most of them will. But there was a peddler
S2: up here who definitely took offence at everyone who refused
S2: to buy from him. He made the most obnoxious person
S2: you know seem quiet and polite. I don't know his
S2: Arabic name, but everyone called him Mike. He would stand
S2: just outside the bus, pushing his wares into the faces
S2: of the tourists as they stepped out, and once the
S2: first person said in a very kind manner, by the way,
S2: no thank you. Mike would launch into a profanity filled
S2: tirade against everyone on the bus. Mike knew every American
S2: expletive and as they say, could curse like a sailor. Angry, rude, offensive,
S2: almost threatening. Mike was like an unexploded landmine, just waiting
S2: for someone to step on the firing mechanism to set
S2: him off. One time as our bus pulled up and
S2: I saw Mike, I decided to do something different. I
S2: jumped off the bus before anyone else bounded up to him,
S2: addressed him by name, and asked him how he was doing.
S2: My display of kindness threw him for a loop, but
S2: before he could respond, I took him aside and said, Mike,
S2: I got to tell you, your anger and swearing don't
S2: help you make any sales. Not everyone's going to buy
S2: from you. But if you remain calm and kind, some will.
S2: Please don't shout and swear at our people. And after that,
S2: Mike did clean up his act, at least as far
S2: as our bus was concerned. But it was a very
S2: limited victory. A year or so later, on our way
S2: up to the Mount of Olives, my regular driver turned
S2: to me and said, you remember Mike up here on
S2: the Mount of Olives? Yeah, I do. Why? He was killed.
S2: He got angry and threatened to Palestinian who had a
S2: knife and stabbed him. Mike could never get his overheated
S2: temper under control and it cost him his life. Now,
S2: why go into that long story about Mike and the
S2: danger of anger and an overheated temper? It's because Solomon
S2: described anger as the kind of heat we need to
S2: avoid all the time, in both summer and winter. Let
S2: me share two sets of proverbs that focus on this
S2: one crucial truth. The first is Proverbs 1919. A hot
S2: tempered man must pay the penalty. If you rescue him,
S2: you'll have to do it again. Sadly, Mike was a
S2: good illustration of this. I tried to rescue him to
S2: help him gain sales by reminding him not to be
S2: so angry to the point of rudeness, and it worked
S2: for our groups, though I had to remind him each time.
S2: But as soon as our bus left and another arrived,
S2: Mike went back to his hot tempered nature until he
S2: spouted off to the wrong person. The second proverb is
S2: found in Proverbs 22. Verses 24 and 25. Do not
S2: make friends with a hot tempered man. Do not associate
S2: with one easily angered or you may learn his ways
S2: and get yourself ensnared. I was deliberately friendly toward Mike,
S2: but Mike was not a friend. He tolerated me because
S2: I helped him gain a few sales from those on
S2: our bus, and I treated him in a friendly way.
S2: For his sake and for the sake of our tourists.
S2: I chose not to learn Mike's ways, though I kept
S2: hoping he would begin to see and understand how a
S2: little kindness could go a long way toward helping increasing
S2: his sales. I do pity anyone who might have looked
S2: up to Mike to the point of trying to be
S2: like him. Thankfully, I never encountered anyone else on the
S2: Mount of Olives who seemed to follow in his path.
S2: If the heat of anger is something we want to avoid,
S2: what can we do to help make that a reality
S2: in our lives? And thankfully, Solomon once again has the answer,
S2: this time in Proverbs 15 verse one, a gentle answer
S2: turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
S2: The antidote to anger is gentleness, especially in the way
S2: we respond to someone in a stressful situation. And this
S2: brings to mind another situation with another vendor in Jerusalem,
S2: this time one from the Old City. I was leading
S2: a group of students who had gone shopping and managed
S2: to offend a shopkeeper by reaching an agreement on a price,
S2: only to leave his shop and go to another to
S2: buy the same item. The shopkeeper came to the school
S2: where we were staying to let us all know he
S2: wasn't happy. His reputation was called into question. He lost
S2: a sale and he was deeply offended by this perceived slight.
S2: As I met with the shopkeeper in the garden, the
S2: students were watching out the dining hall window. They heard
S2: the shopkeeper shout, I'm so angry I could kill them.
S2: What they did wasn't right. They stole the food right
S2: out of the mouths of my children. Remembering Proverbs 15 one,
S2: I said to him, you're right. That wasn't a nice
S2: thing to do. I'm sorry our students offended you and
S2: I apologize for their actions. The shopkeeper calmed down and
S2: we parted and remained good friends until the day he
S2: died of natural causes. In my office I still have
S2: an olive wood statue he later gave me as a
S2: token of friendship. So what lessons can we take away
S2: from these three sets of related proverbs? I think the
S2: key lesson is to work hard to control our emotions
S2: and our tongue. It's so easy to become angry when
S2: we feel as if we've been wronged or disrespected or
S2: cheated or offended in a myriad of ways, and in
S2: the heat of anger, the tongue is often the weapon
S2: of choice to lash back at those who've hurt us.
S2: Allowing emotions to run unchecked is a recipe for disaster.
S2: Avoid those who are prone to such outbursts of anger,
S2: and work to control how you respond. When you feel
S2: wronged or offended, remember, a gentle answer turns away wrath,
S2: but a harsh word stirs up anger. It's no accident
S2: that Solomon's wise words are repeated throughout the Bible. Among
S2: the acts of the sinful nature in Galatians 519 to
S2: 20 are hatred, discord, and fits of rage, and among
S2: the fruit of the spirit in verses 22 to 23
S2: are love, joy, peace, and patience, along with kindness, gentleness,
S2: and self-control. Remember the best way to respond wisely is
S2: to respond through the fruit of the spirit as we
S2: allow God to produce them in our lives.
S1: Charlie Dyer there with his devotional The One Kind of
S1: Heat to Avoid. From time to time, people will email
S1: us and say, hey, is there any chance I could
S1: get a transcript of that? The answer, sadly, is no.
S1: We have a really small staff. They're spread pretty thin.
S1: That's the bad news. The good news is you can
S1: always hear it again or share it with a friend.
S1: When you go to our website, The Land and the
S1: book org, that's the land and the book org. And
S1: with that, we're going to say thank you for listening
S1: to us today. I'm John Gager for our host Charlie
S1: Dyer and producer Dan Anderson. The land and the book
S1: is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody
S1: Bible Institute.