1 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:12,320 S1: Have you got any impossibles in your life? Impossible people, 2 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:17,959 S1: impossible problems. Impossible finances? Maybe an impossible prodigal. Well, Doctor 3 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:20,759 S1: Charlie Dyer has some encouragement for you today in a 4 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,239 S1: devotional segment we'll be sharing later on. And before that, 5 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:26,320 S1: a look at current events from the Middle East, a 6 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,920 S1: conversation about your Bible questions. And we're going to take 7 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:32,000 S1: a walk on the road to Emmaus. All of that 8 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,520 S1: and more in this broadcast, we call the land and 9 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,560 S1: the book. Our host is Old Testament scholar and author 10 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,440 S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager, and did you know 11 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,879 S1: that most Jewish people have never heard the gospel? Each week, 12 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,360 S1: of course, we talk about Israel and the Jewish people, 13 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,840 S1: and it's important to remember that they, like everyone else, 14 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:51,479 S1: need to hear the good news. 15 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,200 S2: That's exactly right. And that's why life in Messiah, a 16 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:58,280 S2: ministry that's been in existence for over 135 years, is 17 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:01,670 S2: devoted to sharing the gospel with Jewish people around the world. 18 00:01:01,950 --> 00:01:04,870 S2: And now they're offering a gift to moody listeners. This 19 00:01:04,870 --> 00:01:09,030 S2: free e-book, Reaching Jewish People for Messiah, highlights the need 20 00:01:09,030 --> 00:01:12,310 S2: for the gospel among the Jewish people. It will equip 21 00:01:12,310 --> 00:01:15,670 S2: you with practical ways to share the good News with them. Now, 22 00:01:15,670 --> 00:01:20,030 S2: to receive this free e-book, visit Life in Messiah and 23 00:01:20,030 --> 00:01:22,910 S2: click on the Moody Radio logo. Sign up today to 24 00:01:22,950 --> 00:01:25,830 S2: get your copy. That's life in Messiah. 25 00:01:27,190 --> 00:01:29,390 S1: And now let's swing our focus toward events happening in 26 00:01:29,390 --> 00:01:31,470 S1: the Middle East this past week. It has been a 27 00:01:31,470 --> 00:01:34,270 S1: week since President Trump's trip to the Middle East. What 28 00:01:34,270 --> 00:01:37,950 S1: long term impact could that trip have on the region, Charlie? 29 00:01:38,270 --> 00:01:41,750 S2: Well, one person rather breathlessly compared the impact to the 30 00:01:41,750 --> 00:01:44,709 S2: fall of the Berlin Wall, suggesting that an era of 31 00:01:44,709 --> 00:01:47,990 S2: confrontation in the Middle East was about to be replaced 32 00:01:47,990 --> 00:01:51,990 S2: by an era of economic commerce and cooperation. And certainly 33 00:01:51,990 --> 00:01:55,510 S2: the eye watering size of the agreements, estimated in the 34 00:01:55,550 --> 00:01:59,820 S2: hundreds of billions or even trillions of dollars does suggest 35 00:01:59,820 --> 00:02:04,140 S2: that President Trump approached this trip as a mega business deal, 36 00:02:04,580 --> 00:02:08,620 S2: but one fly in the ointment remains Iran. The military 37 00:02:08,620 --> 00:02:11,980 S2: hardware sold to the Gulf states was intended in part 38 00:02:11,980 --> 00:02:15,540 S2: to help protect them against Iranian threats. A reacting to 39 00:02:15,580 --> 00:02:20,020 S2: Trump's visit, Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei said Trump lied when he 40 00:02:20,020 --> 00:02:23,220 S2: made claims about creating peace and that America needed to 41 00:02:23,220 --> 00:02:26,540 S2: be ousted from the region. He was even more vitriolic 42 00:02:26,540 --> 00:02:30,340 S2: in his description of Israel, again calling the Jewish state 43 00:02:30,380 --> 00:02:35,380 S2: a lethal, dangerous cancerous tumor that needed to be eradicated. 44 00:02:35,660 --> 00:02:38,340 S2: Trump presented a proposal to Iran and the two sides 45 00:02:38,340 --> 00:02:42,260 S2: continued their discussion. He called the proposal an olive branch, 46 00:02:42,460 --> 00:02:46,020 S2: but said the offer wouldn't last forever. A key sticking 47 00:02:46,020 --> 00:02:48,579 S2: point is whether Iran will be allowed to enrich its 48 00:02:48,580 --> 00:02:52,100 S2: own uranium, and so far, Iran is refusing to give 49 00:02:52,100 --> 00:02:55,740 S2: up its centrifuges. The Gulf states were effusive in their 50 00:02:55,740 --> 00:02:59,049 S2: praise for President Trump during the meetings. They do see 51 00:02:59,050 --> 00:03:02,370 S2: this as an opportunity to develop stronger economic ties with 52 00:03:02,370 --> 00:03:05,530 S2: the U.S. and to draw the US closer as their 53 00:03:05,530 --> 00:03:09,090 S2: friend and protector. Now, Israel was somewhat concerned about the 54 00:03:09,090 --> 00:03:13,169 S2: meetings since they were excluded from the discussions. Trump's previous 55 00:03:13,169 --> 00:03:17,209 S2: trip produced the Abraham Accords and growing trade between Israel 56 00:03:17,210 --> 00:03:20,770 S2: and several Gulf states, but Saudi Arabia is still not 57 00:03:20,810 --> 00:03:23,369 S2: on board, and they were a central focus in this 58 00:03:23,370 --> 00:03:27,210 S2: most recent visit. One surprising the trip, though, was President 59 00:03:27,250 --> 00:03:31,050 S2: Trump's meeting with the new leader of Syria. Trump dropped 60 00:03:31,050 --> 00:03:34,530 S2: US sanctions on Syria and offered Syria an opportunity to 61 00:03:34,570 --> 00:03:38,130 S2: make peace with Israel and join the Abraham Accords. Now 62 00:03:38,130 --> 00:03:42,530 S2: those negotiations are underway. Trump's grand bargain for the region 63 00:03:42,530 --> 00:03:47,930 S2: envisions greater trade, greater transfer of technology and greater cooperation 64 00:03:47,930 --> 00:03:51,290 S2: among all the different countries. But we need to realize 65 00:03:51,290 --> 00:03:53,810 S2: that this is the Middle East. All of this talk 66 00:03:53,810 --> 00:03:58,320 S2: of peace could quickly collapse to gauge the ultimate success 67 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,400 S2: of this trip. We need to watch to see what 68 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,800 S2: will happen with Iran and Gaza and Syria. 69 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,360 S1: Well, Libya once again finds itself in the news. What 70 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:09,960 S1: are the details behind all the headlines we're seeing? 71 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,240 S2: Yeah, the most prominent headline was the report that the U.S. 72 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:17,880 S2: is planning to move a million Palestinians to Libya from Gaza. Now, 73 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:20,560 S2: it's not clear if this was simply a possible option 74 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:23,960 S2: being suggested to Libya by the U.S., or if it 75 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:29,160 S2: was seriously being considered. The State Department denied discussions were underway. 76 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,640 S2: And likely now that that's come out, those discussions, if 77 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,440 S2: they were there, are ended. But under the supposed plan, 78 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:40,440 S2: Palestinians would be incentivized to leave Gaza with the promise 79 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,200 S2: of a financial stipend and housing in Libya, though it's 80 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,479 S2: not exactly clear where they were going to be settled. 81 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,760 S2: Libya has been used as a route for migrants making 82 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,320 S2: their way from Africa to Europe. So it's likely Europe 83 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,339 S2: would not be in favor of a million Gazans being 84 00:04:56,339 --> 00:04:59,700 S2: sent to Libya. Now, there were other news reports out 85 00:04:59,700 --> 00:05:02,100 S2: of Libya this last week that were likely missed by 86 00:05:02,100 --> 00:05:06,020 S2: most people. We've talked before about Libya being divided into 87 00:05:06,020 --> 00:05:09,460 S2: two warring governments, one based in Tripoli to the west, 88 00:05:09,460 --> 00:05:12,500 S2: the other based in Benghazi to the east. The government 89 00:05:12,540 --> 00:05:15,500 S2: recognized by the U.S. as the one in Tripoli. That 90 00:05:15,500 --> 00:05:20,500 S2: government is supported by different militias, including the 444th Brigade 91 00:05:20,500 --> 00:05:24,820 S2: and stability Support apparatus. Well, 12 days ago, the head 92 00:05:24,820 --> 00:05:30,500 S2: of the stability support apparatus was assassinated by the 444th Brigade. 93 00:05:30,820 --> 00:05:34,300 S2: The Tripoli based Government of National Unity then declared a 94 00:05:34,300 --> 00:05:37,979 S2: state of emergency in an attempt to restore calm. But 95 00:05:37,980 --> 00:05:41,460 S2: a wave of protests against the government erupted, and now 96 00:05:41,460 --> 00:05:45,420 S2: several government ministers have resigned and joined with the protesters 97 00:05:45,420 --> 00:05:48,180 S2: in calling for the prime minister to step down. So 98 00:05:48,220 --> 00:05:52,860 S2: two rival governments, coupled with internal dissent, Libya is still 99 00:05:52,860 --> 00:05:56,190 S2: a country in crisis, and any thought of adding a 100 00:05:56,190 --> 00:06:01,170 S2: million refugees, perhaps including Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, would 101 00:06:01,170 --> 00:06:04,450 S2: only add to the tension and uncertainty in that country. 102 00:06:04,450 --> 00:06:06,930 S1: From Moody Radio. This is the land and the book. 103 00:06:06,930 --> 00:06:10,210 S1: I'm John Geiger, our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, noted Old 104 00:06:10,250 --> 00:06:14,050 S1: Testament scholar, Middle East expert, nearly lost in all the 105 00:06:14,050 --> 00:06:16,930 S1: focus on President Trump's trip to the Middle East was 106 00:06:16,930 --> 00:06:20,849 S1: a report that Israeli police arrested nine Jewish men trying 107 00:06:20,850 --> 00:06:24,010 S1: to smuggle a goat onto the Temple Mount. Why were 108 00:06:24,010 --> 00:06:26,570 S1: they trying to smuggle the animal up there? And what 109 00:06:26,570 --> 00:06:28,409 S1: might have happened had they succeeded? 110 00:06:28,850 --> 00:06:31,330 S2: Yeah. To understand this, we need to begin with a 111 00:06:31,330 --> 00:06:34,770 S2: passage in numbers, chapter nine. Some Israelites during the Exodus 112 00:06:34,810 --> 00:06:37,890 S2: weren't able to celebrate Passover on the 14th day of 113 00:06:37,890 --> 00:06:41,890 S2: the first month because they were ceremonially unclean. They asked 114 00:06:41,890 --> 00:06:45,050 S2: Moses what they were to do. Moses asked the Lord. 115 00:06:45,050 --> 00:06:48,450 S2: And in numbers nine, God instituted what is sometimes called 116 00:06:48,450 --> 00:06:52,680 S2: the second Passover, exactly one month later. And now back 117 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,520 S2: to recent events. On the 14th day of the second 118 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,640 S2: month in the Jewish calendar, this group of nine Jewish 119 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,600 S2: men tried to sneak a baby goat onto the Temple 120 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,720 S2: Mount inside a shopping bag. Their goal was to offer 121 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:08,600 S2: the animal as a Passover sacrifice in this second Passover 122 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,680 S2: on the Temple Mount. Now, guards are always alert to 123 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:15,520 S2: such attempts, especially during Passover. But this group hopes security 124 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:19,120 S2: would be less stringent for the second Passover. Some of 125 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:21,400 S2: the men, including the one with the goat, managed to 126 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,120 S2: push their way onto the mount. They were met by 127 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,920 S2: Muslim guards there and by the Israeli guards who caught 128 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:31,120 S2: up with them, and all nine were detained. So was 129 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:34,600 S2: the goat, by the way, and no sacrifice was offered. Now, 130 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,760 S2: had they succeeded, it likely would have led to rioting 131 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:41,440 S2: within the Muslim community. This isn't the first time someone's 132 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:46,160 S2: tried to smuggle an animal onto the Temple Mount for sacrifice. Thankfully, 133 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:48,800 S2: at least up till now, the Jewish guards at the 134 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,550 S2: gates have been able to block all these attempts. 135 00:07:52,070 --> 00:07:55,390 S1: A study of ancient names suggests the northern Kingdom of 136 00:07:55,390 --> 00:07:59,550 S1: Israel was more cosmopolitan than the southern Kingdom of Judah. 137 00:07:59,710 --> 00:08:01,150 S1: How accurate is this study? 138 00:08:01,670 --> 00:08:04,230 S2: Well, I found this fascinating, but mainly by the way 139 00:08:04,230 --> 00:08:07,190 S2: the study was framed. It claimed the northern kingdom of 140 00:08:07,190 --> 00:08:12,430 S2: Israel was more, quote, worldly, open, cosmopolitan or diverse than 141 00:08:12,430 --> 00:08:15,590 S2: the southern kingdom of Judah, which they described as insular, 142 00:08:15,630 --> 00:08:20,910 S2: a displaying religious centralization and political rigidity. So what was 143 00:08:20,910 --> 00:08:24,910 S2: the study? Well, it applied modern statistical tools to over 144 00:08:24,910 --> 00:08:28,430 S2: a thousand personal names found on seals and jars and 145 00:08:28,430 --> 00:08:32,550 S2: pottery fragments from sites in Israel and Judah. Based on 146 00:08:32,550 --> 00:08:36,230 S2: the names discovered, the researchers concluded the northern Kingdom of 147 00:08:36,230 --> 00:08:40,670 S2: Israel displayed more name diversity than the southern Kingdom of Judah. 148 00:08:41,070 --> 00:08:43,910 S2: One of the lead archaeologists said it showed that, quote, 149 00:08:43,950 --> 00:08:47,189 S2: Israel was more open to the world, while Judah leaned 150 00:08:47,190 --> 00:08:51,900 S2: into internal cohesion and religious uniformity. Now, my problem with 151 00:08:51,900 --> 00:08:54,140 S2: the study is that it was presented in a way 152 00:08:54,140 --> 00:08:57,540 S2: that suggests that this is some new revelation, and it 153 00:08:57,540 --> 00:09:01,860 S2: assumes that the northern kingdom's diversity was superior. But the 154 00:09:01,860 --> 00:09:05,300 S2: study really just confirmed what the Bible already says. The 155 00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:08,900 S2: northern kingdom of Israel departed from God and tried to 156 00:09:08,900 --> 00:09:12,860 S2: become like its neighbors. You see this from Jeroboam setting 157 00:09:12,860 --> 00:09:17,339 S2: up his own false worship centers, to Ahab marrying Jezebel 158 00:09:17,340 --> 00:09:20,780 S2: from Sidon and making Baal the God of Israel. In 159 00:09:20,780 --> 00:09:24,100 S2: the end, Israel was influenced by, in fact, even oppressed 160 00:09:24,100 --> 00:09:28,420 S2: by the Phoenicians and the Syrians and the Assyrians. This 161 00:09:28,420 --> 00:09:33,460 S2: quote cosmopolitan northern kingdom was judged by God and fell 162 00:09:33,500 --> 00:09:37,580 S2: 150 years before the southern kingdom of Judah. Now, in 163 00:09:37,580 --> 00:09:40,940 S2: wanting to be like all the surrounding nations, Israel turned 164 00:09:40,940 --> 00:09:44,060 S2: from God and was judged by him. And the diversity 165 00:09:44,059 --> 00:09:49,609 S2: of names uncovered by these scholars simply Confirms the biblical account. 166 00:09:49,610 --> 00:09:52,810 S2: I would prefer to stick with Judah and stay close 167 00:09:52,809 --> 00:09:53,490 S2: to God. 168 00:09:53,929 --> 00:09:56,490 S1: Charlie, I want to circle back to this Libya story. 169 00:09:56,490 --> 00:10:00,970 S1: Any possibility that at least some Gazans might actually relocate 170 00:10:00,970 --> 00:10:04,650 S1: to Libya or somewhere else? You would think that by now, many, 171 00:10:04,650 --> 00:10:07,569 S1: if not most, would be happy to be anywhere other 172 00:10:07,570 --> 00:10:08,410 S1: than Gaza. 173 00:10:09,050 --> 00:10:11,650 S2: Uh, I think that the State Department has been approaching 174 00:10:11,650 --> 00:10:14,650 S2: many countries, including Libya, to see if they would take 175 00:10:14,650 --> 00:10:18,130 S2: in some of these individuals from Gaza. And certainly many 176 00:10:18,130 --> 00:10:21,330 S2: of the individuals in Gaza would prefer to go somewhere 177 00:10:21,330 --> 00:10:25,010 S2: where there would be peace, stability, food, the opportunity to 178 00:10:25,050 --> 00:10:28,250 S2: make a living. The problem is, most of the countries, 179 00:10:28,450 --> 00:10:32,210 S2: for whatever reason, have refused entry to those individuals except 180 00:10:32,210 --> 00:10:35,290 S2: for small handfuls. And I think that's because they're being 181 00:10:35,290 --> 00:10:38,210 S2: pressured by by other countries not to do that, because 182 00:10:38,210 --> 00:10:39,929 S2: it might be a solution for Israel. 183 00:10:40,530 --> 00:10:42,890 S1: Up next on the land and the book, we're going 184 00:10:42,929 --> 00:10:45,330 S1: to talk about God with us. We're going back to 185 00:10:45,370 --> 00:10:48,800 S1: the road to Emmaus for a conversation with Jesus and 186 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,440 S1: those two who wondered what had happened to him. Don't 187 00:10:51,440 --> 00:11:08,240 S1: miss it. Next on the land and the book. It's 188 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:11,200 S1: one of the most intriguing moments in the Gospels. The 189 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,679 S1: risen Jesus encounters two travelers on the road to Emmaus. 190 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,319 S1: The two are grief stricken over the death of Christ, 191 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:22,120 S1: but they don't recognize him when he actually joins their walk. Eventually, 192 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:25,800 S1: beginning with Moses and all the prophets. Jesus shows them 193 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:29,280 S1: all the scriptures concerning himself. Boy, if only we had 194 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,360 S1: been there, right? Well, with just a bit of imagination, 195 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:36,800 S1: we can. Up next, God with us. Bible stories on 196 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:39,840 S1: the road to Emmaus. This is the land and the book. 197 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:43,040 S1: I'm John Gager, and before we head off for Emmaus, 198 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:45,200 S1: let's take a walk with a friend who can help 199 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:47,340 S1: us more effectively share the love of Christ with a 200 00:11:47,340 --> 00:11:50,820 S1: Jewish friend. Here's an objection you sometimes bump into when 201 00:11:50,820 --> 00:11:53,500 S1: you're sharing Christ with a Jewish friend. Why would I 202 00:11:53,500 --> 00:11:57,580 S1: believe in Jesus when his followers Christians have persecuted Jewish 203 00:11:57,580 --> 00:12:01,460 S1: people for 2000 years? Tough question. Let's ask that of 204 00:12:01,500 --> 00:12:04,380 S1: Levi Hazon, executive director of Life in Messiah. 205 00:12:04,580 --> 00:12:08,220 S3: Well, John, this is really a historical objection that unfortunately 206 00:12:08,220 --> 00:12:10,420 S3: has a lot of truth to it. Just a couple 207 00:12:10,460 --> 00:12:13,700 S3: centuries after the birth of the church, Gentile believers started 208 00:12:13,700 --> 00:12:18,580 S3: to far outnumber Jewish believers. Unfortunately, the Gentile leadership made 209 00:12:18,580 --> 00:12:20,940 S3: a lot of decisions that separated the church from the 210 00:12:20,940 --> 00:12:24,660 S3: Jewish roots of our faith. What started with animosity and 211 00:12:24,660 --> 00:12:28,660 S3: hatred sometimes turned into outright violence. We don't have time 212 00:12:28,660 --> 00:12:31,580 S3: to explore the lengthy history of relations between the church 213 00:12:31,580 --> 00:12:34,060 S3: and the Jewish community right now, but if listeners are 214 00:12:34,059 --> 00:12:36,820 S3: interested in learning more, I encourage them to pick up 215 00:12:36,820 --> 00:12:39,740 S3: a book by Edward Flannery called The Anguish of the 216 00:12:39,740 --> 00:12:45,089 S3: Jews 23 Centuries of Antisemitism. But when addressing this historical objection, 217 00:12:45,090 --> 00:12:47,490 S3: I found the most important things to do are what 218 00:12:47,490 --> 00:12:51,610 S3: I call the three A's. Number one, acknowledge. Acknowledge the 219 00:12:51,610 --> 00:12:56,729 S3: history that it has taken place. Number two, apologize. Apologize 220 00:12:56,730 --> 00:12:59,650 S3: for the terrible treatment that has taken place. There's no 221 00:12:59,650 --> 00:13:03,809 S3: point in trying to defend these actions in the number three. Ask. 222 00:13:04,130 --> 00:13:07,050 S3: Ask if you can share what Jesus actually did and 223 00:13:07,050 --> 00:13:11,090 S3: said about the Jewish people. Jesus loved the Jewish people 224 00:13:11,090 --> 00:13:14,209 S3: and willingly laid down his life for their sins. 225 00:13:14,370 --> 00:13:17,970 S1: Great insights from Levi Hazen, Executive Director of Life in 226 00:13:17,970 --> 00:13:22,929 S1: Messiah here on the land and the book. Matt Mikalatos, 227 00:13:22,970 --> 00:13:25,530 S1: author of God with Us, has been a youth pastor, 228 00:13:25,530 --> 00:13:28,890 S1: missionary with crew, and a clerk at a comic book shop. 229 00:13:29,090 --> 00:13:32,410 S1: He has a master's degree in Biblical and Theological Studies. 230 00:13:32,650 --> 00:13:34,730 S1: Matt is an award winning author who lives with his 231 00:13:34,730 --> 00:13:37,570 S1: wife and three kids in the Portland, Oregon area, along 232 00:13:37,570 --> 00:13:40,730 S1: with their very large rabbit named Peter. No no no no. 233 00:13:40,770 --> 00:13:43,520 S1: I'm sorry. A very large rabbit named Bruce. I had 234 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:45,400 S1: that wrong. I'm so sorry there, Matt. 235 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:48,840 S4: Bruce will be fine. All right? He'll be fine. 236 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,560 S1: Uh, let's get started here on this book. God with us. 237 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:54,200 S1: There are lots of books out there that try to 238 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:57,480 S1: make the story of Jesus more accessible for children. What 239 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:00,040 S1: drove you to create this one? How is it different? 240 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:03,560 S4: You know, there are a lot of really wonderful comic 241 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:07,199 S4: book Bibles out there, graphic novels that are basically our 242 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:10,400 S4: illustrated Bibles. And what we wanted to do that was 243 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:14,080 S4: a little different is take stories from the Bible, but 244 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,800 S4: put them in the context of another story of Jesus 245 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,000 S4: telling the story so that we could see characters interacting 246 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:25,040 S4: with Bible stories, learning, changing, growing like we all do 247 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:27,560 S4: when we interact with Scripture. So that's what we did. 248 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,840 S4: That's why we chose the story of Emmaus. Jesus is 249 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:34,120 S4: telling the story to some of his followers, including in 250 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:37,000 S4: our imagined version, a couple kids who are walking along 251 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:38,320 S4: the road with him. 252 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:40,200 S1: Yeah. So just to frame this correctly, this is a 253 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:44,070 S1: book that is targeted first at younger readers, but also 254 00:14:44,070 --> 00:14:47,870 S1: adults as well. In my opinion, anybody who likes a great, 255 00:14:47,870 --> 00:14:51,150 S1: great visual approach to the Bible, this is for you too. 256 00:14:51,190 --> 00:14:51,910 S1: Wouldn't you say? 257 00:14:52,110 --> 00:14:55,470 S4: Oh, absolutely. I've already been getting notes from seven year 258 00:14:55,510 --> 00:14:58,350 S4: olds who love it, as well as adults who said 259 00:14:58,350 --> 00:15:01,110 S4: that it really brought to life some things for them 260 00:15:01,110 --> 00:15:04,870 S4: about the connections with the Old Testament stories and how 261 00:15:04,870 --> 00:15:07,390 S4: they reveal the good news of Jesus to us. 262 00:15:07,950 --> 00:15:10,030 S1: All right. We've mentioned, Matt, that you have a master's 263 00:15:10,030 --> 00:15:13,550 S1: degree in biblical and theological studies, and yet you've chosen 264 00:15:13,550 --> 00:15:16,630 S1: to have Jesus be the storyteller throughout God with us. 265 00:15:16,870 --> 00:15:19,830 S1: Did that at any point give you pause for concern, 266 00:15:19,830 --> 00:15:22,790 S1: for example, not wanting to to cross boundaries in telling 267 00:15:22,790 --> 00:15:25,310 S1: the story, putting words in Jesus mouth? It would make 268 00:15:25,310 --> 00:15:26,910 S1: me nervous. I'll just be honest with you. 269 00:15:27,390 --> 00:15:30,790 S4: For sure. Yes. And I think one of the things 270 00:15:30,790 --> 00:15:33,350 S4: that is wonderful, though, if you've ever read the story 271 00:15:33,350 --> 00:15:36,030 S4: of Emmaus, you quoted it already, is that it says 272 00:15:36,030 --> 00:15:39,670 S4: that Jesus begins with Moses and the prophets and tells 273 00:15:39,670 --> 00:15:43,820 S4: them everything concerning himself in Scripture and what that gave 274 00:15:43,820 --> 00:15:47,620 S4: me some confidence that if Jesus was saying these things 275 00:15:47,780 --> 00:15:50,020 S4: and we can look at the teachings of the New Testament, 276 00:15:50,020 --> 00:15:53,460 S4: we can assume, right, that they're building on the things 277 00:15:53,460 --> 00:15:57,060 S4: that Christ was revealing to them. So when we're looking 278 00:15:57,060 --> 00:16:00,140 S4: at the Old Testament and seeing how it reveals Jesus 279 00:16:00,180 --> 00:16:03,020 S4: in God with us, even what we're doing is we're 280 00:16:03,060 --> 00:16:06,700 S4: looking for places that the New Testament has already revealed this. 281 00:16:06,700 --> 00:16:09,260 S4: So the story of Jonah is a great example where 282 00:16:09,260 --> 00:16:12,500 S4: we see in the New Testament it's overtly said. There 283 00:16:12,500 --> 00:16:15,220 S4: are connections between the story of Jonah and the story 284 00:16:15,220 --> 00:16:17,580 S4: of Jesus. So to have Jesus talk about that is 285 00:16:17,580 --> 00:16:18,820 S4: not a stretch at all. 286 00:16:19,500 --> 00:16:22,540 S1: Well, God with us Bible stories on the Road to 287 00:16:22,580 --> 00:16:24,860 S1: Emmaus is what we're talking about today here on the 288 00:16:24,860 --> 00:16:28,740 S1: land and the book. I'm John Gager, joined by our guest, 289 00:16:28,780 --> 00:16:31,900 S1: Matt Michaloudis. And Matt. Like the best of children's books, 290 00:16:31,900 --> 00:16:35,060 S1: this one does appeal to adults. I love the way 291 00:16:35,060 --> 00:16:38,820 S1: that you simplified things without losing a sense of the profound. 292 00:16:38,820 --> 00:16:41,410 S1: I think that's so important. What's your secret here? 293 00:16:42,530 --> 00:16:45,170 S4: You know, my secret was to not try and answer 294 00:16:45,170 --> 00:16:48,970 S4: every question, because I think part of the power of 295 00:16:48,970 --> 00:16:51,450 S4: a book like this is that you want to drive 296 00:16:51,450 --> 00:16:54,930 S4: kids back to Scripture, so when there's something that you 297 00:16:54,930 --> 00:16:58,210 S4: can't explain in two pages, it's okay to make them go, 298 00:16:58,250 --> 00:17:00,250 S4: I want to pick up the Bible and understand what's 299 00:17:00,250 --> 00:17:03,770 S4: happening here, or to go to their parents and say, hey, 300 00:17:03,810 --> 00:17:06,330 S4: what's happening in this story? Can you explain it? So 301 00:17:06,369 --> 00:17:09,290 S4: my hope all along is that this book will push 302 00:17:09,290 --> 00:17:14,170 S4: kids toward deeper spiritual conversations with trusted adults and push 303 00:17:14,170 --> 00:17:15,290 S4: them towards Scripture. 304 00:17:15,330 --> 00:17:17,050 S1: Now, how do you go about doing this? You say, 305 00:17:17,170 --> 00:17:19,649 S1: here's the script, or so to speak, the narrative of 306 00:17:19,650 --> 00:17:25,450 S1: the story. Insert picture of Jesus and or insert, you know, Moses. Uh, here. 307 00:17:25,490 --> 00:17:27,050 S1: How did that flow work? 308 00:17:27,369 --> 00:17:30,650 S4: Yes. So when you're writing a graphic novel, the writer 309 00:17:30,730 --> 00:17:35,130 S4: explains as well as he can, everything possible. Here's what 310 00:17:35,130 --> 00:17:38,080 S4: the picture should look like. Here's the idea. here's the 311 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:40,800 S4: emotion that should be on the page. And then when 312 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,800 S4: you have a really gifted artist like I did in 313 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:46,800 S4: this book, David Shepherd, Dave would sometimes not exactly follow 314 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:49,560 S4: my directions if he could make it better, which he 315 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:52,320 S4: often did. And I love that. So you have to 316 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:56,040 S4: trust the people you're collaborating with, that they're also bringing 317 00:17:56,040 --> 00:18:00,359 S4: their skills and abilities and their storytelling sensibilities. So yeah, 318 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:02,840 S4: it's really fun. It's really fun to get a page 319 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:04,000 S4: and see. Yeah. 320 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:06,200 S1: You use the word emotion. Sorry for jumping in there. 321 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,680 S1: You use the word emotion. And I would say the 322 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:12,080 S1: artwork has a vibe that kind of projects hope and 323 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:15,720 S1: joy on every page. Tell us more about the the 324 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:17,200 S1: art and the artist as well. 325 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:21,440 S4: Yeah. So Dave, one of the things he's really gifted at, 326 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:23,479 S4: and I told him this many times, is what I 327 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:27,840 S4: call acting. The characters have so much life and so 328 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:31,560 S4: much emotion. Even looking at the cover, you see Jesus laughing. 329 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:34,439 S4: You see these kids smiling and enjoying each other. The 330 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:38,629 S4: people walking on the road. Dave sadly passed away before 331 00:18:38,630 --> 00:18:42,910 S4: the book was finished completely. But just a gifted artist 332 00:18:42,950 --> 00:18:45,630 S4: who really brought what I love about the book is 333 00:18:45,630 --> 00:18:48,669 S4: you read it and you connect and feel like Jesus 334 00:18:48,710 --> 00:18:51,310 S4: is alive, which we know he is. But I think 335 00:18:51,350 --> 00:18:53,310 S4: seeing it on the page is really beautiful. 336 00:18:53,350 --> 00:18:56,710 S1: Yeah. For sure. Well, what kind of collaboration or conversation 337 00:18:56,710 --> 00:18:58,870 S1: did go on between the two of you at points, 338 00:18:58,869 --> 00:19:01,430 S1: as you said, he he maybe strayed just a little 339 00:19:01,470 --> 00:19:03,790 S1: bit from what you had suggested. So what's the back 340 00:19:03,790 --> 00:19:04,630 S1: and forth like? 341 00:19:05,790 --> 00:19:07,910 S4: Yeah, a lot of that would be done. I would 342 00:19:07,910 --> 00:19:11,670 S4: send Dave, here's the script. He would do a breakdown. 343 00:19:11,670 --> 00:19:15,030 S4: So rough, rough, rough pencil drawings and send those back. 344 00:19:15,030 --> 00:19:16,830 S4: And I would say, okay, I like this. That's not 345 00:19:16,830 --> 00:19:19,510 S4: quite right. And then he would do another, more polished 346 00:19:19,510 --> 00:19:22,070 S4: draft that was closer. And we'd go back and forth 347 00:19:22,070 --> 00:19:24,550 S4: like that, like he would make suggestions. I would take 348 00:19:24,550 --> 00:19:27,030 S4: some of them. Others I'd say, I'm not sure that's right. 349 00:19:27,030 --> 00:19:29,630 S4: And of course, we had editors involved too, who were 350 00:19:29,630 --> 00:19:33,550 S4: coming in and saying, hey, would Jewish people dress that way? Hey, 351 00:19:33,590 --> 00:19:36,330 S4: should this guy have a beard? You know, those sorts 352 00:19:36,330 --> 00:19:38,649 S4: of things. So we had other people helping us too. 353 00:19:38,970 --> 00:19:41,650 S1: Okay, so these are all digital art files, I presume. 354 00:19:41,650 --> 00:19:43,409 S1: Or is he using traditional medium? 355 00:19:43,450 --> 00:19:45,530 S4: He did almost completely digital. 356 00:19:45,570 --> 00:19:50,490 S1: Yeah. Imagine Jesus telling stories about himself in the Old Testament. 357 00:19:50,690 --> 00:19:53,890 S1: That's what we're considering today on the land and the book. 358 00:19:54,090 --> 00:19:57,730 S1: I'm John Gieger. Our guest is Matt Mikalatos. Why did 359 00:19:57,730 --> 00:19:59,689 S1: you feel so committed to a book that would immerse 360 00:19:59,690 --> 00:20:04,530 S1: readers in a realistic first century in Israel kind of setting? Matt. 361 00:20:05,450 --> 00:20:10,010 S4: I think it can be really hard for kids, in particular, 362 00:20:10,410 --> 00:20:13,810 S4: to feel like first century stories have to do with 363 00:20:13,810 --> 00:20:17,170 S4: their life today. And so we really wanted to touch 364 00:20:17,170 --> 00:20:19,770 S4: on that. So there's a chapter, for instance, where the 365 00:20:19,770 --> 00:20:22,930 S4: kids find a toy merchant and all the toys are 366 00:20:22,930 --> 00:20:26,409 S4: first century toys, and there's something exciting about that. Something 367 00:20:26,570 --> 00:20:28,290 S4: I think kids look at that and go like, those 368 00:20:28,290 --> 00:20:30,170 S4: are cool. Some of those toys are toys I would 369 00:20:30,170 --> 00:20:33,010 S4: play with. Yeah. So I wanted kids to feel like 370 00:20:33,010 --> 00:20:35,600 S4: they were in that world and that that world was 371 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:39,040 S4: real and would matter to them. It's not some distant thing, 372 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:40,520 S4: but something they could relate to. 373 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,440 S1: Yeah, I'm drawn to that episode in the chosen series 374 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:45,720 S1: where Jesus is with the children and the toys that 375 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:49,520 S1: are present there. That's a real connection issue, I think. 376 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:54,159 S4: Right, absolutely. And I think, you know, kids are so 377 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:58,679 S4: smart and so insightful. So let's give them a world 378 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:01,200 S4: where kids are smart and insightful as they interact with 379 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:03,760 S4: Jesus and have questions and are learning things. 380 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:07,240 S1: All right. Let's go to the conversations themselves, the words, 381 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,439 S1: the moments that Jesus is sharing as he reveals himself 382 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:12,880 S1: in the Old Testament. What would you say is one 383 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,919 S1: of your favorite conversations that unfolded? 384 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:19,639 S4: I really love the story of Moses and the Bronze Serpent. 385 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:23,080 S4: In this story, Moses raises up a bronze serpent and 386 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:26,439 S4: anyone who looks to it is healed from being bitten 387 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:30,480 S4: by serpents. And what happens is Jesus talks about this 388 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:32,400 S4: story and says in the same way the Son of 389 00:21:32,510 --> 00:21:35,430 S4: Man himself is going to be lifted up, and all 390 00:21:35,470 --> 00:21:37,950 S4: who look to him will be saved. We don't talk 391 00:21:37,950 --> 00:21:40,389 S4: about that a lot in kids books, but it's a 392 00:21:40,390 --> 00:21:44,149 S4: really easy and interesting story to talk about. The good news. 393 00:21:44,150 --> 00:21:47,310 S4: So I love Jesus, who specifically discussed this in the 394 00:21:47,310 --> 00:21:50,830 S4: New Testament, having this conversation with the people with him 395 00:21:50,830 --> 00:21:52,110 S4: on the road in this book. 396 00:21:52,430 --> 00:21:55,590 S1: How about another profound revelation of Christ in the Old 397 00:21:55,630 --> 00:21:59,070 S1: Testament that has struck you in putting the book together? 398 00:22:00,190 --> 00:22:04,030 S4: I really love the story of Jonah, where we talk 399 00:22:04,070 --> 00:22:06,030 S4: about just in the same way that Jonah was in 400 00:22:06,030 --> 00:22:08,270 S4: the belly of the fish for three days. So Jesus 401 00:22:08,270 --> 00:22:10,710 S4: is going to be in the belly of the earth, right? 402 00:22:10,750 --> 00:22:14,510 S4: And then he comes out and speaks true words. The 403 00:22:14,510 --> 00:22:18,189 S4: flood is a fascinating one, where we have the story 404 00:22:18,190 --> 00:22:21,670 S4: of humanity being saved through the water, and then we 405 00:22:21,670 --> 00:22:24,790 S4: see Jesus being baptized. And there's a dove in the 406 00:22:24,830 --> 00:22:28,150 S4: Noah story, and there's a dove in Jesus baptism story. 407 00:22:28,190 --> 00:22:32,300 S4: Like there's amazing connections where God is saying to us throughout, 408 00:22:32,300 --> 00:22:35,300 S4: this is not a new plan. Jesus coming. That has 409 00:22:35,300 --> 00:22:37,380 S4: always been the plan. And let me show you that 410 00:22:37,380 --> 00:22:39,500 S4: I've been talking about it for thousands of years. 411 00:22:39,980 --> 00:22:41,460 S1: You know, I look at some of these stories and 412 00:22:41,460 --> 00:22:45,100 S1: the details associated with them, everything from, as you've pointed out, 413 00:22:45,100 --> 00:22:48,860 S1: Moses and and that bronze serpent being lifted up, Christ 414 00:22:48,859 --> 00:22:52,860 S1: using that same set of words unless I'm lifted up. 415 00:22:53,220 --> 00:22:55,500 S1: That sort of thing. And you think of Jonah in 416 00:22:55,540 --> 00:22:58,020 S1: the belly of that fish. Three days. Three nights. Christ 417 00:22:58,020 --> 00:23:01,260 S1: in the tomb. And I ask, is that, you know, 418 00:23:01,300 --> 00:23:03,980 S1: just sort of a love that God has for artistic 419 00:23:03,980 --> 00:23:07,179 S1: symmetry or is it not? I want to make it really, 420 00:23:07,180 --> 00:23:10,820 S1: really clear in lots and lots of ways that Jesus 421 00:23:10,820 --> 00:23:13,459 S1: really is in the Old Testament. You know, what do 422 00:23:13,460 --> 00:23:13,939 S1: you think? 423 00:23:14,460 --> 00:23:19,260 S4: Yeah. I think there's something beautiful about the way human 424 00:23:19,260 --> 00:23:24,060 S4: beings interact with stories. And God knows that. And God 425 00:23:24,060 --> 00:23:29,139 S4: uses stories throughout human history to say this reveals something 426 00:23:29,140 --> 00:23:33,970 S4: about me. There are historical resonances between these stories, but 427 00:23:33,970 --> 00:23:36,850 S4: I think also God is coming in and saying, let 428 00:23:36,850 --> 00:23:40,050 S4: me tell this story to you in a way that 429 00:23:40,050 --> 00:23:43,169 S4: will help you to understand me better. And I think 430 00:23:43,170 --> 00:23:46,810 S4: that's pretty amazing. God is choosing to communicate with us 431 00:23:46,930 --> 00:23:50,570 S4: in a language that we understand because it resonates with us, 432 00:23:50,570 --> 00:23:52,129 S4: because it draws us to him. 433 00:23:52,170 --> 00:23:54,889 S1: You know, Matt, I wonder sometimes if once we're finally 434 00:23:54,890 --> 00:23:58,090 S1: in heaven and God is, however, he's going to do 435 00:23:58,090 --> 00:24:01,250 S1: it in one great, you know, intellectual blast or layer 436 00:24:01,250 --> 00:24:04,170 S1: by layer like an onion peel things away. When we 437 00:24:04,210 --> 00:24:07,810 S1: finally truly understand all these things, how much more we 438 00:24:07,810 --> 00:24:11,330 S1: will discover in heaven that was revealed of Christ in 439 00:24:11,330 --> 00:24:12,649 S1: the Old Testament, you know? 440 00:24:13,010 --> 00:24:15,370 S4: Oh for sure. I think we're going to be in 441 00:24:15,369 --> 00:24:20,129 S4: heaven forever. And God is an eternal being, which means 442 00:24:20,130 --> 00:24:23,970 S4: the work of eternity will be getting to know God better. 443 00:24:24,090 --> 00:24:27,250 S4: I think we'll never run out of things to learn 444 00:24:27,490 --> 00:24:30,720 S4: about an eternal being, and I think that's amazing. It's exciting. 445 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:33,120 S1: What would you say is the best way for listeners 446 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:35,760 S1: to harness the power of this tool? Do you just 447 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:38,880 S1: hand it to a kid or do you share time 448 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:41,359 S1: with them? What's the best way to to use this? 449 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,040 S4: Yes, it might depend on your kid, but the beauty 450 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:46,520 S4: of comic books is that you hand it to a 451 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:49,320 S4: seven year old and they will read it over and 452 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:51,080 S4: over and over. That's what I did when I was 453 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,199 S4: a kid. So, yeah, stick it in an Easter basket 454 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:55,919 S4: or give it to them at the end of school 455 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:58,560 S4: one day, or give it to them during school if 456 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:02,280 S4: you're homeschooling. And I think there is value in reading 457 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:03,960 S4: it together. It's fun. 458 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:04,359 S1: Yes. 459 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:06,320 S4: But yeah, I think kids would read it on their own. 460 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:08,440 S4: And then if you go and read it and say, hey, 461 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:10,520 S4: let's talk about that book, I really enjoyed it. I 462 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,240 S4: think you'll have some really interesting good conversations. 463 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:15,840 S1: Well, and let me just encourage you, if you're an adult, 464 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,160 S1: don't steer away and say, well, that's for kids. It's 465 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:20,840 S1: not for me. I'm an adult, and it's not like 466 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:22,959 S1: I have a stash of comic book collections at home. 467 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,080 S1: I don't, but boy did I love this book. God 468 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,550 S1: with us. Just the whole idea of of one book 469 00:25:29,590 --> 00:25:33,150 S1: trying to capture the conversation that would have occurred with 470 00:25:33,150 --> 00:25:36,270 S1: Jesus on the road to Emmaus. It really is a beautiful, 471 00:25:36,310 --> 00:25:39,790 S1: beautiful thing and the images are fantastic. I just can't 472 00:25:39,790 --> 00:25:41,750 S1: say enough about it. Matt, thank you so much for 473 00:25:41,750 --> 00:25:42,709 S1: putting it together. 474 00:25:43,150 --> 00:25:44,710 S4: Thank you John. A real pleasure. 475 00:25:44,990 --> 00:25:47,310 S1: That's Matt Mikalatos, and we'll put a link to his 476 00:25:47,310 --> 00:25:50,470 S1: book at our website, The land and the book org. 477 00:25:50,630 --> 00:25:54,230 S1: Up next, your Bible questions and our answers here on 478 00:25:54,230 --> 00:26:07,950 S1: the land and the book. This is the land and 479 00:26:07,950 --> 00:26:10,390 S1: the book. I'm John Gager. And as a regular listener, 480 00:26:10,390 --> 00:26:12,310 S1: you know what's coming up. And if you're not a 481 00:26:12,310 --> 00:26:15,669 S1: regular listener, well, welcome. Anyway, we're so glad you're here, 482 00:26:15,670 --> 00:26:18,630 S1: and we hope you'll become a regular listener. Not just that, 483 00:26:18,630 --> 00:26:21,109 S1: we hope you'll share with your friends the existence of 484 00:26:21,109 --> 00:26:23,710 S1: this thing we call the land and the book, which also, 485 00:26:23,750 --> 00:26:27,420 S1: by the way, conveniently enough, is available in a podcast 486 00:26:27,420 --> 00:26:30,980 S1: at our website, the land and the book. Org. You've 487 00:26:31,020 --> 00:26:33,300 S1: got friends who don't live anywhere near a radio station 488 00:26:33,300 --> 00:26:35,860 S1: that might carry the program, but they can hear it 489 00:26:35,859 --> 00:26:39,780 S1: if you'll share the land and the book with them. 490 00:26:39,780 --> 00:26:42,340 S1: Thank you for doing that. That said, let me point 491 00:26:42,340 --> 00:26:45,540 S1: out the fact that most Jewish people have never heard 492 00:26:45,540 --> 00:26:48,260 S1: the gospel. Each week we talk about Israel and the 493 00:26:48,260 --> 00:26:51,500 S1: Jewish people for sure, and it's important to remember that they, 494 00:26:51,740 --> 00:26:54,500 S1: like everybody else, need to hear the good news. 495 00:26:54,700 --> 00:26:58,940 S5: Life in Messiah, a ministry in existence for over 135 years, 496 00:26:59,140 --> 00:27:02,020 S5: is devoted to sharing the gospel with Jewish people around 497 00:27:02,020 --> 00:27:05,340 S5: the world. Now they're offering a gift to moody listeners 498 00:27:05,340 --> 00:27:10,020 S5: this free e-book. Reaching Jewish People for Messiah highlights the 499 00:27:10,020 --> 00:27:12,300 S5: need for the gospel among the Jewish people, and will 500 00:27:12,300 --> 00:27:15,060 S5: equip you with a practical ways to share the good 501 00:27:15,060 --> 00:27:19,219 S5: News with them. To receive this free e-book, visit Life 502 00:27:19,220 --> 00:27:23,780 S5: in Messiah. Click on the Moody Radio logo and sign 503 00:27:23,780 --> 00:27:25,490 S5: up to get your copy today. 504 00:27:25,530 --> 00:27:28,090 S1: All right. This segment is all about your questions as 505 00:27:28,090 --> 00:27:31,890 S1: you read through Scripture. We'll get right to Ron and 506 00:27:31,930 --> 00:27:34,690 S1: his question. He says I was reading first Samuel 16 507 00:27:34,690 --> 00:27:37,850 S1: verses 17 and 18, where it talks about King Saul 508 00:27:37,890 --> 00:27:42,090 S1: being tormented by an evil spirit. A servant suggests music 509 00:27:42,090 --> 00:27:44,010 S1: so the king will feel better. And then one of 510 00:27:44,010 --> 00:27:46,690 S1: the young men said, hey, I've seen a son of Jesse, 511 00:27:46,690 --> 00:27:50,129 S1: the Bethlehemite, who was a skilled musician, a mighty man 512 00:27:50,130 --> 00:27:53,770 S1: of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a 513 00:27:53,770 --> 00:27:57,090 S1: handsome man. And the Lord is with him. So here's 514 00:27:57,090 --> 00:28:00,409 S1: Ron's question. If David is perhaps in his teens or 515 00:28:00,410 --> 00:28:03,890 S1: maybe early 20s and has never been in battle, how 516 00:28:03,890 --> 00:28:06,410 S1: could he have a reputation as a mighty man of 517 00:28:06,410 --> 00:28:08,250 S1: valor and a warrior no less? 518 00:28:08,290 --> 00:28:11,010 S5: Oh, it is a wonderful question. Now, we should keep 519 00:28:11,010 --> 00:28:15,890 S5: in mind something important. This comment about David comes from 520 00:28:15,890 --> 00:28:19,250 S5: one of Saul's young men. It doesn't actually come as 521 00:28:19,250 --> 00:28:22,370 S5: a comment from God. It comes from one of Saul's 522 00:28:22,369 --> 00:28:24,510 S5: young men. Now, how did he get this idea? Where 523 00:28:24,510 --> 00:28:27,470 S5: did this comment come from? Huh? I think there's a 524 00:28:27,470 --> 00:28:31,750 S5: couple of possible ways where this young man thought this. First, 525 00:28:32,230 --> 00:28:35,470 S5: David comes from a family with a very strong reputation. 526 00:28:35,510 --> 00:28:38,790 S5: He's got lots of older brothers, and they are courageous 527 00:28:38,790 --> 00:28:40,910 S5: and they are strong and they are hard working. They 528 00:28:40,910 --> 00:28:43,910 S5: are warriors. So I think the young man is assuming 529 00:28:44,110 --> 00:28:47,350 S5: if David is anything like his older brothers, right. He's 530 00:28:47,350 --> 00:28:53,350 S5: going to be courageous and strong. Secondly, when David volunteered 531 00:28:53,350 --> 00:28:57,230 S5: to fight Goliath, Saul objected, saying David was too young 532 00:28:57,390 --> 00:29:00,910 S5: and he had no experience. Do you remember what David said? Oh, 533 00:29:00,950 --> 00:29:04,990 S5: this is really fun. This is first Samuel 17, verses 534 00:29:04,990 --> 00:29:09,110 S5: 34 to 37. David said to Saul, your servant used 535 00:29:09,110 --> 00:29:11,510 S5: to keep sheep for his father. And when there was 536 00:29:11,510 --> 00:29:14,630 S5: a lion or a bear, and it took a lamb 537 00:29:14,630 --> 00:29:17,910 S5: from the flock, I went after him and struck him, 538 00:29:18,310 --> 00:29:21,150 S5: and delivered it from his mouth. If he arose against me, 539 00:29:21,150 --> 00:29:22,979 S5: I caught him by his beard and struck him and 540 00:29:22,980 --> 00:29:27,460 S5: killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, 541 00:29:27,460 --> 00:29:30,540 S5: and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them. 542 00:29:31,580 --> 00:29:36,780 S5: So David has experience in battle with the animals threatening 543 00:29:36,780 --> 00:29:42,060 S5: his flock. I think that those victories out in the field, 544 00:29:42,060 --> 00:29:44,980 S5: people were talking about them. Yeah. And so he was 545 00:29:44,980 --> 00:29:45,740 S5: a warrior. 546 00:29:45,900 --> 00:29:48,340 S1: Okay. I want to ask a timeline question related to 547 00:29:48,380 --> 00:29:51,140 S1: David now. And this particular incident seems to me this 548 00:29:51,140 --> 00:29:55,020 S1: has to happen before David going to fight Goliath because he's, quote, 549 00:29:55,060 --> 00:29:57,420 S1: being introduced to Saul in this setting. Is that is 550 00:29:57,420 --> 00:29:58,180 S1: that fair chronology? 551 00:29:58,220 --> 00:29:59,780 S5: Yes, exactly. Right. Exactly right. 552 00:29:59,820 --> 00:30:02,420 S1: Yeah. Okay. So David would have been known first as 553 00:30:02,420 --> 00:30:03,380 S1: the harpist. 554 00:30:03,420 --> 00:30:04,140 S5: Yes. 555 00:30:04,300 --> 00:30:05,980 S1: And then the giant slayer. 556 00:30:06,020 --> 00:30:06,460 S5: Mhm. 557 00:30:06,500 --> 00:30:07,060 S1: Okay. 558 00:30:07,140 --> 00:30:09,100 S5: And I think people grow up a little bit faster 559 00:30:09,100 --> 00:30:11,020 S5: in the ancient world than they do these days. Yeah. 560 00:30:11,020 --> 00:30:13,380 S5: He could have been a teenager who was very strong 561 00:30:13,380 --> 00:30:14,220 S5: and courageous. 562 00:30:14,780 --> 00:30:17,780 S1: Altus question do you think that God taught Adam and 563 00:30:17,780 --> 00:30:21,210 S1: Eve to read and write when he taught them to speak. 564 00:30:21,490 --> 00:30:24,010 S1: It would make more sense, she feels, than the oral 565 00:30:24,050 --> 00:30:27,370 S1: tradition theory. I mean, Moses compiled all the writings into 566 00:30:27,370 --> 00:30:28,770 S1: one narrative. What do you think? 567 00:30:29,570 --> 00:30:31,650 S5: This is amazing. You know, I had never thought about this, 568 00:30:31,650 --> 00:30:34,250 S5: but it's a really good question. On the one hand, 569 00:30:34,250 --> 00:30:38,490 S5: it seems to be natural that God would create Adam 570 00:30:38,490 --> 00:30:42,050 S5: and Eve as fully fluent. Obviously he can speak to them. 571 00:30:42,090 --> 00:30:45,770 S5: Obviously they can understand him. But did that include being 572 00:30:45,770 --> 00:30:49,490 S5: able to read and write? I'm sorry. There's just no 573 00:30:49,530 --> 00:30:51,610 S5: Old Testament evidence where I can say yes or no. 574 00:30:51,970 --> 00:30:54,010 S5: So I have to say, I'm sorry, I don't know. 575 00:30:54,050 --> 00:30:57,290 S1: Yeah. Okay. And I don't know, is is a legitimate 576 00:30:57,290 --> 00:30:59,170 S1: answer to a lot of questions that come our way. 577 00:30:59,170 --> 00:31:01,410 S1: It's an honest answer. But if you've got a question 578 00:31:01,410 --> 00:31:03,450 S1: that you'd like to send our way, you can email 579 00:31:03,450 --> 00:31:07,209 S1: Doctor Peterman anytime in care of the land and the 580 00:31:07,250 --> 00:31:14,410 S1: book at the land and the book at Eric says, 581 00:31:14,410 --> 00:31:17,690 S1: I've been thinking about Psalm 46 verse ten. God says, 582 00:31:17,730 --> 00:31:20,840 S1: be still and know that I am God. So here's 583 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:24,680 S1: his question how can I become still and know God? 584 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:27,600 S1: Is this just through prayer? I was wondering exactly how 585 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:28,480 S1: this is done. 586 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:31,880 S5: Oh, thanks Eric so much for the question. The psalm 587 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:37,680 S5: begins and ends talking about God as our refuge, God 588 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:41,600 S5: as our stronghold. He is the place where we go, 589 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:46,440 S5: where we can find safety. So therefore Psalm 46 verse 590 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:49,800 S5: two says, therefore we will not be afraid, though the 591 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:53,240 S5: earth should change. And though the mountains shake into the 592 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:55,840 S5: heart of the sea. So in other words, when the 593 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:58,720 S5: world seems like it's in serious trouble, God is the 594 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:01,720 S5: place we can go for safety. Now back to verse ten. 595 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:05,160 S5: This verse in particular. Be still and know that I 596 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:09,960 S5: am God. I've gone there many times. Like I feel sick. 597 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:12,800 S5: Like there's relationships in my family that don't seem right. 598 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:15,400 S5: Like the world seems to me like a crazy place. 599 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:18,990 S5: Like I feel stressed because I'm working too hard And 600 00:32:18,990 --> 00:32:21,670 S5: now I'm all in a turmoil in my heart and mind. 601 00:32:21,710 --> 00:32:24,710 S5: I can just feel it. And then this verse speaks 602 00:32:24,710 --> 00:32:28,230 S5: to me. Be still, that is. Don't think that you're 603 00:32:28,230 --> 00:32:31,310 S5: in control. Don't think that you have to fix this. 604 00:32:31,630 --> 00:32:35,230 S5: Don't think this is all about you. Folks, this is 605 00:32:35,230 --> 00:32:38,150 S5: a place where we sometimes go. We think it's all 606 00:32:38,150 --> 00:32:41,150 S5: about us. We have to fix it. But I can 607 00:32:41,150 --> 00:32:43,830 S5: be still. I can say, all right, I'm going to 608 00:32:43,830 --> 00:32:47,430 S5: be okay. And then know. He says, know that I 609 00:32:47,470 --> 00:32:51,630 S5: am God. He's the one who's in control, not I. 610 00:32:52,150 --> 00:32:55,950 S5: So I'm encouraging Eric to take all his troubles to 611 00:32:55,990 --> 00:32:58,630 S5: God and just lay him at his feet. As Peter says, 612 00:32:58,630 --> 00:33:01,510 S5: cast all your cares upon him. He cares for you. 613 00:33:01,510 --> 00:33:04,750 S5: And just let him be the God who's in control. 614 00:33:04,950 --> 00:33:07,950 S1: You know, the language used here is so dramatic. Some 615 00:33:07,950 --> 00:33:10,790 S1: would say, you know, over the top hyperbole. Though the 616 00:33:10,790 --> 00:33:13,310 S1: earth give way, though the mountains fall into the heart 617 00:33:13,310 --> 00:33:16,390 S1: of the sea. I don't think God is exaggerating. He 618 00:33:16,390 --> 00:33:20,060 S1: is speaking the truth. It's it's that dramatic, that frightening. 619 00:33:20,060 --> 00:33:22,780 S1: And we can still be still. That's the wonder of it. 620 00:33:22,780 --> 00:33:26,060 S1: Not just minor troubles that we know, but. 621 00:33:26,100 --> 00:33:26,740 S5: Oh, yes. 622 00:33:26,780 --> 00:33:27,140 S1: Extreme. 623 00:33:27,140 --> 00:33:30,220 S5: Stuff. Extreme troubles are a place where we can go 624 00:33:30,220 --> 00:33:31,300 S5: and we can trust God. 625 00:33:31,340 --> 00:33:32,980 S1: Yeah, well, that's that's reassuring, isn't it? 626 00:33:33,220 --> 00:33:35,020 S5: He's that big. Very reassuring. 627 00:33:35,460 --> 00:33:39,180 S1: Joanna asks if God is omniscient, then how can we 628 00:33:39,180 --> 00:33:42,060 S1: have free will? I'm a Christian, but I really struggle 629 00:33:42,060 --> 00:33:43,260 S1: with this. Any thoughts? 630 00:33:43,580 --> 00:33:46,739 S5: Well, I can see how we struggle with this. And, uh, 631 00:33:46,780 --> 00:33:49,580 S5: years ago I've pondered it and struggled with it myself. 632 00:33:49,580 --> 00:33:53,300 S5: It was extremely hard. This is an important question. If 633 00:33:53,300 --> 00:33:56,820 S5: God is omniscient, then he knows the future. If he 634 00:33:56,820 --> 00:33:59,980 S5: knows the future, then does this mean the future has 635 00:33:59,980 --> 00:34:03,860 S5: already been established? Does this mean my choices don't matter? 636 00:34:03,900 --> 00:34:07,220 S5: Does this mean I'm not making real choices? My response 637 00:34:07,260 --> 00:34:12,940 S5: is no. Let's make sure we affirm two things. First, 638 00:34:13,700 --> 00:34:17,570 S5: God is omniscient and God is sovereign. God will accomplish 639 00:34:17,570 --> 00:34:21,050 S5: his will. The psalmist says, Our God is in the heavens. 640 00:34:21,450 --> 00:34:25,569 S5: He does whatever pleases him. Psalm 115, verse 33. 641 00:34:26,130 --> 00:34:27,810 S1: I want to ask you a moment, a couple of 642 00:34:27,810 --> 00:34:31,850 S1: questions about principles for unpacking prophecy. You know, you you 643 00:34:31,890 --> 00:34:34,850 S1: come to Scripture. There's a whole lot of of imagery 644 00:34:34,850 --> 00:34:38,609 S1: in Daniel and revelation in particular that are exclusively prophetic. 645 00:34:38,969 --> 00:34:41,890 S1: What are some right practices that we should look to 646 00:34:41,930 --> 00:34:45,529 S1: and maybe some wrong practices? Uh, any thoughts come to 647 00:34:45,570 --> 00:34:46,170 S1: mind there? 648 00:34:46,770 --> 00:34:52,810 S5: Read, reread and reread and pray and then repeat. Don't 649 00:34:52,810 --> 00:34:57,330 S5: go too fast. Be very slow. Take your time. Read 650 00:34:57,330 --> 00:35:02,089 S5: in the context what comes before. What comes later. Read 651 00:35:02,090 --> 00:35:08,410 S5: in context. Look for cues or signals as to what's 652 00:35:08,410 --> 00:35:13,810 S5: being discussed. Because very often we reread and we slow down. 653 00:35:13,969 --> 00:35:17,069 S5: We find some cues or some signals as to what's 654 00:35:17,070 --> 00:35:22,190 S5: being read. I think particularly about the beginning of Ezekiel, 655 00:35:22,430 --> 00:35:26,310 S5: where he sees a vision of the cherubim and the 656 00:35:26,350 --> 00:35:28,230 S5: wheels within the wheels. 657 00:35:28,270 --> 00:35:28,509 S1: Yeah. 658 00:35:28,550 --> 00:35:31,710 S5: And then he describes the eyes and the wings and 659 00:35:31,790 --> 00:35:35,670 S5: it's like. And in the beginning of Ezekiel, we don't 660 00:35:35,670 --> 00:35:39,030 S5: get an explicit statement about what this is. Keep reading. 661 00:35:39,030 --> 00:35:42,590 S5: Because later he will say he sees this vision again. 662 00:35:42,790 --> 00:35:45,630 S5: And then he calls it the glory of God, which 663 00:35:45,630 --> 00:35:48,910 S5: I saw before. That is that's a vision of the 664 00:35:48,910 --> 00:35:52,989 S5: glory of God. So we will get cues if we 665 00:35:52,989 --> 00:35:55,630 S5: just keep reading and then keep rereading. 666 00:35:56,310 --> 00:35:59,630 S1: What are some errors that people typically make? Probably the 667 00:35:59,670 --> 00:36:02,670 S1: antithesis of what you've just shared here. Not really reading 668 00:36:02,670 --> 00:36:05,950 S1: or reading at a surface level. Maybe going too quickly, 669 00:36:05,950 --> 00:36:09,910 S1: or maybe reading for a conclusion they already have. What 670 00:36:09,910 --> 00:36:12,550 S1: about the idea of ignoring context? I mean, those things 671 00:36:12,550 --> 00:36:14,100 S1: all lead to error, do they not? 672 00:36:14,140 --> 00:36:17,660 S5: Yes, absolutely. Every time we ignore context, every time we 673 00:36:17,820 --> 00:36:21,379 S5: don't look for definitions within the text itself, every time 674 00:36:21,380 --> 00:36:25,620 S5: we're going too fast. Every time we draw conclusions which 675 00:36:25,660 --> 00:36:28,980 S5: kind of fit our presuppositions, we run the risk. We 676 00:36:28,980 --> 00:36:32,060 S5: run the risk of reaching conclusions that are not helpful 677 00:36:32,060 --> 00:36:33,460 S5: or maybe just flat wrong. 678 00:36:33,500 --> 00:36:37,060 S1: Yeah. Well, this has been a great segment and very, 679 00:36:37,060 --> 00:36:39,700 S1: very practical, and I hope you've enjoyed it as well. 680 00:36:39,860 --> 00:36:41,500 S1: And again, if you've got a question you'd like to 681 00:36:41,500 --> 00:36:44,780 S1: get to Doctor Petermann, it's welcome anytime at the land 682 00:36:44,780 --> 00:36:49,060 S1: and the book at Moody's. We got one more segment 683 00:36:49,060 --> 00:36:51,300 S1: to go. And for many people it's their favorite. Every 684 00:36:51,300 --> 00:37:07,780 S1: week it's Charlie Dyer's devotional. It's next right here. From 685 00:37:07,780 --> 00:37:10,580 S1: Moody Radio. This is the land and the book. I'm 686 00:37:10,580 --> 00:37:12,730 S1: John Gager, and if you've ever been on a Charlie 687 00:37:12,730 --> 00:37:16,450 S1: Dyer tour of Israel, you know his very favorite spots. 688 00:37:16,610 --> 00:37:19,250 S1: One of them has to be Charlie. I'll let you share. 689 00:37:19,410 --> 00:37:22,690 S2: Uh, the Judean wilderness. My absolute number one place. 690 00:37:22,890 --> 00:37:25,890 S1: I love it, too. And, uh, you just don't get 691 00:37:25,890 --> 00:37:29,050 S1: a sense of wilderness until you take that look, until 692 00:37:29,050 --> 00:37:31,970 S1: you climb up that incline and stare into the vast 693 00:37:31,969 --> 00:37:35,210 S1: nothingness that is still there today. I'll let you get 694 00:37:35,210 --> 00:37:37,969 S1: to your devotional after we pause for a quick testimony 695 00:37:37,969 --> 00:37:41,210 S1: from someone who has actually seen that spot and many, 696 00:37:41,210 --> 00:37:43,650 S1: many others as they've traveled Israel, but they wanted to 697 00:37:43,650 --> 00:37:44,690 S1: share this with us. 698 00:37:49,010 --> 00:37:51,610 S6: One of the many reasons why I love traveling to 699 00:37:51,650 --> 00:37:54,330 S6: Israel and the Holy Land was not only because I 700 00:37:54,370 --> 00:37:58,130 S6: saw sites where Bible history took place, but seeing modern 701 00:37:58,130 --> 00:38:03,050 S6: day Israel, seeing prophecies of the Jewish people coming back 702 00:38:03,050 --> 00:38:06,489 S6: to the land and the desert blooming was amazing. I 703 00:38:06,489 --> 00:38:11,680 S6: saw fields of fruit and flowers in the Israeli irrigation system. 704 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:15,319 S6: But I think the thing that made all of the 705 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:18,239 S6: land so special to me was seeing the places where 706 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:21,920 S6: prophecy will be fulfilled. The Mount of Olives, where Jesus 707 00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:25,120 S6: will return in Jerusalem, where he will reign, and the 708 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:29,640 S6: valley of Jezreel, Megiddo, Armageddon, the place where the armies 709 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:33,120 S6: of the nations will gather to march on to Jerusalem. 710 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:37,719 S6: Israel is the place where we can actually go and 711 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:43,560 S6: see where Bible history happened, and where prophecies will be fulfilled. 712 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:47,560 S1: All right, Charlie, we'll let you get at your devotional 713 00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:50,680 S1: for today, The God of Impossibilities. I'm looking forward to this. 714 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:53,960 S2: Ah, thanks. Well, in the book of Ecclesiastes, an older 715 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:57,480 S2: but wiser King Solomon wrote about life in all its stark, 716 00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:02,520 S2: unvarnished reality, in a profound and in fact troubling observation. 717 00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:06,279 S2: He noted that what is twisted cannot be straightened. Whether 718 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:08,680 S2: it's a bent paper clip or a crumpled fender on 719 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:12,270 S2: your car, Something that has become twisted and changed can't 720 00:39:12,270 --> 00:39:16,469 S2: be completely restored to its original shape. You can get close, 721 00:39:16,469 --> 00:39:19,550 S2: but it's never quite the same. What's true of paper 722 00:39:19,550 --> 00:39:22,470 S2: clips also seems to be true of life. The innocence 723 00:39:22,469 --> 00:39:26,110 S2: of youth all too often becomes jaded, hardened, and scarred 724 00:39:26,110 --> 00:39:29,590 S2: by the harsh, abrasive realities of the world around us. 725 00:39:29,950 --> 00:39:34,509 S2: Poor choices in life shape, destiny, and direction. The chasms 726 00:39:34,510 --> 00:39:39,190 S2: and valleys of anger, depression, disappointment and loneliness carve their 727 00:39:39,190 --> 00:39:42,270 S2: way into our very souls and leave us marked for life. 728 00:39:42,270 --> 00:39:44,989 S2: Or so it seems. That must be how the people 729 00:39:44,989 --> 00:39:49,750 S2: of Judah felt almost 25 centuries ago. Their rejection of God, 730 00:39:49,790 --> 00:39:52,990 S2: their pursuit of pleasure, their callous disregard for the needs 731 00:39:52,989 --> 00:39:57,390 S2: of others left deep marks on the nation. Eventually, their selfish, 732 00:39:57,430 --> 00:40:01,110 S2: sinful choices cost them everything that mattered in life. The 733 00:40:01,110 --> 00:40:06,230 S2: nation of Babylon invaded Judah, captured, looted, and then destroyed Jerusalem, 734 00:40:06,230 --> 00:40:09,220 S2: and killed or carried into exile the people of the land. 735 00:40:09,660 --> 00:40:11,819 S2: Only when it was too late did the people see 736 00:40:11,820 --> 00:40:17,060 S2: the awful consequences of their actions. Pain, anguish, suffering, loneliness, 737 00:40:17,060 --> 00:40:21,540 S2: depression and hopelessness cut into their very souls. They felt 738 00:40:21,580 --> 00:40:25,259 S2: trapped with no hope of escape. But the answer to 739 00:40:25,300 --> 00:40:28,940 S2: Judah's feelings of discouragement lay just beyond the summit of 740 00:40:28,940 --> 00:40:32,260 S2: the Mount of Olives, in the barren hills between Jerusalem 741 00:40:32,260 --> 00:40:37,100 S2: and Jericho. This harsh land, marked by deep serpentine valleys, 742 00:40:37,100 --> 00:40:41,259 S2: jagged cliffs and high hills laced with knife edged flint, 743 00:40:41,460 --> 00:40:44,779 S2: held God's message of hope for his people in their 744 00:40:44,780 --> 00:40:48,299 S2: time of desperate need. Starting on the eastern slopes of 745 00:40:48,300 --> 00:40:51,140 S2: the Mount of Olives, this wilderness twists its way down 746 00:40:51,140 --> 00:40:54,339 S2: into the Jordan Valley, running along the entire length of 747 00:40:54,340 --> 00:40:57,540 S2: the Dead Sea. This is not a wilderness of sand 748 00:40:57,540 --> 00:41:00,180 S2: like the Sahara Desert, nor is it a flat, empty 749 00:41:00,180 --> 00:41:04,379 S2: expanse that stretches off into the horizon like some other deserts. 750 00:41:04,660 --> 00:41:08,290 S2: This Judean wilderness is rough and rugged, a land of deep, 751 00:41:08,330 --> 00:41:15,090 S2: twisting gorges carved into chalky limestone. The ground is hard, harsh, unyielding. 752 00:41:15,370 --> 00:41:18,969 S2: Patches of brown and black flint sprinkled across the surface 753 00:41:19,010 --> 00:41:22,490 S2: seemed to provide the only variations in color. The Judean 754 00:41:22,489 --> 00:41:26,489 S2: wilderness exists as a stark metaphor of permanence. Its foreboding 755 00:41:26,489 --> 00:41:30,529 S2: hills stood guard when Abraham first entered the land. The 756 00:41:30,530 --> 00:41:33,610 S2: same hills watched Joshua lead his army on a daring 757 00:41:33,610 --> 00:41:37,089 S2: night march from Jericho to Gibeon. They saw David flee 758 00:41:37,090 --> 00:41:40,290 S2: from Jerusalem toward the Jordan River to escape the evil 759 00:41:40,290 --> 00:41:43,969 S2: plans of his own son, Absalom. And they watched Satan 760 00:41:44,170 --> 00:41:46,370 S2: tempt Jesus as he enticed the Son of God to 761 00:41:46,410 --> 00:41:50,250 S2: turn the ever present stones into loaves of bread. The 762 00:41:50,250 --> 00:41:54,730 S2: wilderness never seemed to change. The Jewish captives in Babylon 763 00:41:54,730 --> 00:41:58,250 S2: felt that their spiritual condition matched the physical condition of 764 00:41:58,250 --> 00:42:01,850 S2: the wilderness. It was a picture of the nation's collective soul. 765 00:42:02,050 --> 00:42:06,160 S2: They were spiritually dry, exiled from God's source of blessing 766 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:09,839 S2: and surrounded by deep chasms of trouble and difficulty that 767 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:13,759 S2: seem to make any restoration impossible. And just as that 768 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:18,200 S2: barren wilderness never changed, so it seemed that their heartache, sadness, 769 00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:22,600 S2: and separation from God would also never change. Sins erosion 770 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:27,040 S2: had carved deep fracturing and scarring their lives. Solomon's words 771 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:30,920 S2: must have haunted them. What is twisted cannot be straightened, 772 00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:35,040 S2: at least not by mere human effort. Now imagine the 773 00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:38,439 S2: impact the words of Isaiah 40 had on these people. 774 00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:42,799 S2: People living in depression, seeing no hope. Every valley shall 775 00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:46,000 S2: be raised up. Every mountain and hill made low. The 776 00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:49,799 S2: rough ground shall become level. The rugged places a plain. 777 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:54,359 S2: The God of impossibilities used this very wilderness as an 778 00:42:54,360 --> 00:42:57,759 S2: object lesson for the people of Judah. Isaiah pictured a 779 00:42:57,760 --> 00:43:02,319 S2: day when God would turn desolation into delight, heartache into happiness, 780 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:06,180 S2: pain into pleasure. What seemed to be permanent was only 781 00:43:06,180 --> 00:43:09,859 S2: temporary to an all powerful God. But Isaiah was not 782 00:43:09,860 --> 00:43:13,219 S2: just speaking about physical hills and valleys. The God who 783 00:43:13,219 --> 00:43:16,100 S2: can reverse the ravages of nature is the God who 784 00:43:16,100 --> 00:43:19,500 S2: can also heal the scars in a human heart. Isaiah 785 00:43:19,540 --> 00:43:22,859 S2: boldly announced that when God comes to rescue his people, 786 00:43:22,860 --> 00:43:26,140 S2: no obstacle will stand in his way. What appears to 787 00:43:26,140 --> 00:43:29,060 S2: be a problem for us is not a problem for him. 788 00:43:29,380 --> 00:43:34,060 S2: God specializes in eliminating every valley and every mountain, including 789 00:43:34,060 --> 00:43:37,620 S2: those that seem so powerful or permanent. We can't even 790 00:43:37,620 --> 00:43:41,220 S2: begin to imagine how they can be overcome. The prophet 791 00:43:41,219 --> 00:43:45,219 S2: looked beyond Judah's temporary troubles to see God's ultimate triumph, 792 00:43:45,420 --> 00:43:47,620 S2: and the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and 793 00:43:47,620 --> 00:43:50,259 S2: all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of 794 00:43:50,260 --> 00:43:54,620 S2: the Lord has spoken. Isaiah offered comfort through the promise 795 00:43:54,620 --> 00:43:57,780 S2: of God's presence. Those who were discouraged could look beyond 796 00:43:57,780 --> 00:44:01,660 S2: their circumstances and focus instead on the reality of God's 797 00:44:01,660 --> 00:44:05,930 S2: comforting presence. He had not abandoned them, and his coming 798 00:44:05,930 --> 00:44:09,490 S2: deliverance was certain because God himself was the one making 799 00:44:09,489 --> 00:44:12,810 S2: the promise. But what do the words of Isaiah 40 800 00:44:12,850 --> 00:44:16,129 S2: have to do with you today? Perhaps you're struggling with 801 00:44:16,130 --> 00:44:19,049 S2: a barrenness in your soul that is just as desolate 802 00:44:19,050 --> 00:44:23,250 S2: and seemingly as permanent as the wilderness of Judah. Just 803 00:44:23,250 --> 00:44:25,729 S2: like the wilderness, you might believe your life has been 804 00:44:25,730 --> 00:44:30,569 S2: permanently scarred by suffering and sadness without any hope of change. 805 00:44:30,969 --> 00:44:35,250 S2: But God specializes in changing the unchangeable. That's the message 806 00:44:35,250 --> 00:44:37,850 S2: he announced to the people of Judah. And the God 807 00:44:37,850 --> 00:44:40,969 S2: who promised to someday fill in every valley, push down 808 00:44:40,969 --> 00:44:44,049 S2: every mountain, and smooth over the rough, rugged land in 809 00:44:44,050 --> 00:44:47,089 S2: the wilderness of Judah. Can also do the same thing 810 00:44:47,090 --> 00:44:51,330 S2: in your heart today. Isaiah began this chapter by offering 811 00:44:51,330 --> 00:44:55,610 S2: comfort to those who were discouraged. Comfort, comfort my people, 812 00:44:55,610 --> 00:44:58,330 S2: says your God. And the God who can accomplish the 813 00:44:58,330 --> 00:45:03,080 S2: impossible also wants to give you that same comfort right now. 814 00:45:03,440 --> 00:45:09,359 S2: He specializes in changing the unchangeable. Pause and pray to 815 00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:12,840 S2: the God who wants to heal your heart. Then, sometime today, 816 00:45:12,880 --> 00:45:18,640 S2: take your Bible and read slowly, carefully and prayerfully. Isaiah 817 00:45:18,680 --> 00:45:22,200 S2: chapter 40. And as you do, let his words of 818 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:24,120 S2: hope comfort you. 819 00:45:24,719 --> 00:45:26,520 S1: You know, Charlie, I'm struck by the fact that as 820 00:45:26,520 --> 00:45:29,280 S1: you share from Isaiah 40 and what a powerful devotional 821 00:45:29,280 --> 00:45:31,600 S1: that was, you're speaking to those of us who know 822 00:45:31,600 --> 00:45:34,759 S1: Christ as Savior already. But there are people listening right 823 00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:37,759 S1: now who maybe don't. And they want this comfort. They 824 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:41,279 S1: sense their their own desert, their own wilderness. What's their 825 00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:43,440 S1: next step, Charlie? To get right with God. 826 00:45:43,760 --> 00:45:47,080 S2: Uh, the first step is to acknowledge their sinful condition. Lord, 827 00:45:47,080 --> 00:45:50,560 S2: I've created this valley. I am in this separation from you, 828 00:45:50,560 --> 00:45:53,640 S2: I need you. And then it's to turn to Jesus 829 00:45:53,640 --> 00:45:56,279 S2: to recognize he was God's son. He came to earth, 830 00:45:56,280 --> 00:45:58,839 S2: lived a perfect life. But then his death on the 831 00:45:58,840 --> 00:46:02,230 S2: cross was designed to pay the penalty for their sin, 832 00:46:02,430 --> 00:46:05,310 S2: and by turning to him, they can experience God's love 833 00:46:05,310 --> 00:46:08,549 S2: and forgiveness in their lives. And that's the first step 834 00:46:08,550 --> 00:46:12,509 S2: toward reaching that time of trust and fulfillment, and experiencing 835 00:46:12,510 --> 00:46:15,190 S2: all the blessings that God has in store for them. 836 00:46:15,350 --> 00:46:17,950 S1: The Bible assures us that whoever calls upon the name 837 00:46:17,950 --> 00:46:21,030 S1: of the Lord will be saved. That's open to you. 838 00:46:21,190 --> 00:46:22,670 S1: And if you'd like a friend to pray with you 839 00:46:22,670 --> 00:46:25,350 S1: and receive Jesus. Now, why don't you talk to a 840 00:46:25,350 --> 00:46:31,109 S1: volunteer at eight, eight, eight? That's 888. Need him. Well, 841 00:46:31,110 --> 00:46:33,029 S1: we've covered lots of ground today. Maybe you'd like to 842 00:46:33,030 --> 00:46:35,710 S1: hear it all again. You can do that. Our podcast 843 00:46:35,710 --> 00:46:38,470 S1: is available at the website. The land and the book. 844 00:46:38,469 --> 00:46:44,270 S1: All the land and the books. Thanks for hanging out 845 00:46:44,270 --> 00:46:46,550 S1: with us today on behalf of our host, Charlie Dyer, 846 00:46:46,590 --> 00:46:50,230 S1: our producer, Dan Anderson, I'm John Geiger, and the land 847 00:46:50,230 --> 00:46:52,710 S1: and the book is a production of Moody Radio, a 848 00:46:52,710 --> 00:46:54,910 S1: ministry of Moody Bible Institute.