S1: Have you got any impossibles in your life? Impossible people,
S1: impossible problems. Impossible finances? Maybe an impossible prodigal. Well, Doctor
S1: Charlie Dyer has some encouragement for you today in a
S1: devotional segment we'll be sharing later on. And before that,
S1: a look at current events from the Middle East, a
S1: conversation about your Bible questions. And we're going to take
S1: a walk on the road to Emmaus. All of that
S1: and more in this broadcast, we call the land and
S1: the book. Our host is Old Testament scholar and author
S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager, and did you know
S1: that most Jewish people have never heard the gospel? Each week,
S1: of course, we talk about Israel and the Jewish people,
S1: and it's important to remember that they, like everyone else,
S1: need to hear the good news.
S2: That's exactly right. And that's why life in Messiah, a
S2: ministry that's been in existence for over 135 years, is
S2: devoted to sharing the gospel with Jewish people around the world.
S2: And now they're offering a gift to moody listeners. This
S2: free e-book, Reaching Jewish People for Messiah, highlights the need
S2: for the gospel among the Jewish people. It will equip
S2: you with practical ways to share the good News with them. Now,
S2: to receive this free e-book, visit Life in Messiah and
S2: click on the Moody Radio logo. Sign up today to
S2: get your copy. That's life in Messiah.
S1: And now let's swing our focus toward events happening in
S1: the Middle East this past week. It has been a
S1: week since President Trump's trip to the Middle East. What
S1: long term impact could that trip have on the region, Charlie?
S2: Well, one person rather breathlessly compared the impact to the
S2: fall of the Berlin Wall, suggesting that an era of
S2: confrontation in the Middle East was about to be replaced
S2: by an era of economic commerce and cooperation. And certainly
S2: the eye watering size of the agreements, estimated in the
S2: hundreds of billions or even trillions of dollars does suggest
S2: that President Trump approached this trip as a mega business deal,
S2: but one fly in the ointment remains Iran. The military
S2: hardware sold to the Gulf states was intended in part
S2: to help protect them against Iranian threats. A reacting to
S2: Trump's visit, Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei said Trump lied when he
S2: made claims about creating peace and that America needed to
S2: be ousted from the region. He was even more vitriolic
S2: in his description of Israel, again calling the Jewish state
S2: a lethal, dangerous cancerous tumor that needed to be eradicated.
S2: Trump presented a proposal to Iran and the two sides
S2: continued their discussion. He called the proposal an olive branch,
S2: but said the offer wouldn't last forever. A key sticking
S2: point is whether Iran will be allowed to enrich its
S2: own uranium, and so far, Iran is refusing to give
S2: up its centrifuges. The Gulf states were effusive in their
S2: praise for President Trump during the meetings. They do see
S2: this as an opportunity to develop stronger economic ties with
S2: the U.S. and to draw the US closer as their
S2: friend and protector. Now, Israel was somewhat concerned about the
S2: meetings since they were excluded from the discussions. Trump's previous
S2: trip produced the Abraham Accords and growing trade between Israel
S2: and several Gulf states, but Saudi Arabia is still not
S2: on board, and they were a central focus in this
S2: most recent visit. One surprising the trip, though, was President
S2: Trump's meeting with the new leader of Syria. Trump dropped
S2: US sanctions on Syria and offered Syria an opportunity to
S2: make peace with Israel and join the Abraham Accords. Now
S2: those negotiations are underway. Trump's grand bargain for the region
S2: envisions greater trade, greater transfer of technology and greater cooperation
S2: among all the different countries. But we need to realize
S2: that this is the Middle East. All of this talk
S2: of peace could quickly collapse to gauge the ultimate success
S2: of this trip. We need to watch to see what
S2: will happen with Iran and Gaza and Syria.
S1: Well, Libya once again finds itself in the news. What
S1: are the details behind all the headlines we're seeing?
S2: Yeah, the most prominent headline was the report that the U.S.
S2: is planning to move a million Palestinians to Libya from Gaza. Now,
S2: it's not clear if this was simply a possible option
S2: being suggested to Libya by the U.S., or if it
S2: was seriously being considered. The State Department denied discussions were underway.
S2: And likely now that that's come out, those discussions, if
S2: they were there, are ended. But under the supposed plan,
S2: Palestinians would be incentivized to leave Gaza with the promise
S2: of a financial stipend and housing in Libya, though it's
S2: not exactly clear where they were going to be settled.
S2: Libya has been used as a route for migrants making
S2: their way from Africa to Europe. So it's likely Europe
S2: would not be in favor of a million Gazans being
S2: sent to Libya. Now, there were other news reports out
S2: of Libya this last week that were likely missed by
S2: most people. We've talked before about Libya being divided into
S2: two warring governments, one based in Tripoli to the west,
S2: the other based in Benghazi to the east. The government
S2: recognized by the U.S. as the one in Tripoli. That
S2: government is supported by different militias, including the 444th Brigade
S2: and stability Support apparatus. Well, 12 days ago, the head
S2: of the stability support apparatus was assassinated by the 444th Brigade.
S2: The Tripoli based Government of National Unity then declared a
S2: state of emergency in an attempt to restore calm. But
S2: a wave of protests against the government erupted, and now
S2: several government ministers have resigned and joined with the protesters
S2: in calling for the prime minister to step down. So
S2: two rival governments, coupled with internal dissent, Libya is still
S2: a country in crisis, and any thought of adding a
S2: million refugees, perhaps including Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, would
S2: only add to the tension and uncertainty in that country.
S1: From Moody Radio. This is the land and the book.
S1: I'm John Geiger, our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, noted Old
S1: Testament scholar, Middle East expert, nearly lost in all the
S1: focus on President Trump's trip to the Middle East was
S1: a report that Israeli police arrested nine Jewish men trying
S1: to smuggle a goat onto the Temple Mount. Why were
S1: they trying to smuggle the animal up there? And what
S1: might have happened had they succeeded?
S2: Yeah. To understand this, we need to begin with a
S2: passage in numbers, chapter nine. Some Israelites during the Exodus
S2: weren't able to celebrate Passover on the 14th day of
S2: the first month because they were ceremonially unclean. They asked
S2: Moses what they were to do. Moses asked the Lord.
S2: And in numbers nine, God instituted what is sometimes called
S2: the second Passover, exactly one month later. And now back
S2: to recent events. On the 14th day of the second
S2: month in the Jewish calendar, this group of nine Jewish
S2: men tried to sneak a baby goat onto the Temple
S2: Mount inside a shopping bag. Their goal was to offer
S2: the animal as a Passover sacrifice in this second Passover
S2: on the Temple Mount. Now, guards are always alert to
S2: such attempts, especially during Passover. But this group hopes security
S2: would be less stringent for the second Passover. Some of
S2: the men, including the one with the goat, managed to
S2: push their way onto the mount. They were met by
S2: Muslim guards there and by the Israeli guards who caught
S2: up with them, and all nine were detained. So was
S2: the goat, by the way, and no sacrifice was offered. Now,
S2: had they succeeded, it likely would have led to rioting
S2: within the Muslim community. This isn't the first time someone's
S2: tried to smuggle an animal onto the Temple Mount for sacrifice. Thankfully,
S2: at least up till now, the Jewish guards at the
S2: gates have been able to block all these attempts.
S1: A study of ancient names suggests the northern Kingdom of
S1: Israel was more cosmopolitan than the southern Kingdom of Judah.
S1: How accurate is this study?
S2: Well, I found this fascinating, but mainly by the way
S2: the study was framed. It claimed the northern kingdom of
S2: Israel was more, quote, worldly, open, cosmopolitan or diverse than
S2: the southern kingdom of Judah, which they described as insular,
S2: a displaying religious centralization and political rigidity. So what was
S2: the study? Well, it applied modern statistical tools to over
S2: a thousand personal names found on seals and jars and
S2: pottery fragments from sites in Israel and Judah. Based on
S2: the names discovered, the researchers concluded the northern Kingdom of
S2: Israel displayed more name diversity than the southern Kingdom of Judah.
S2: One of the lead archaeologists said it showed that, quote,
S2: Israel was more open to the world, while Judah leaned
S2: into internal cohesion and religious uniformity. Now, my problem with
S2: the study is that it was presented in a way
S2: that suggests that this is some new revelation, and it
S2: assumes that the northern kingdom's diversity was superior. But the
S2: study really just confirmed what the Bible already says. The
S2: northern kingdom of Israel departed from God and tried to
S2: become like its neighbors. You see this from Jeroboam setting
S2: up his own false worship centers, to Ahab marrying Jezebel
S2: from Sidon and making Baal the God of Israel. In
S2: the end, Israel was influenced by, in fact, even oppressed
S2: by the Phoenicians and the Syrians and the Assyrians. This
S2: quote cosmopolitan northern kingdom was judged by God and fell
S2: 150 years before the southern kingdom of Judah. Now, in
S2: wanting to be like all the surrounding nations, Israel turned
S2: from God and was judged by him. And the diversity
S2: of names uncovered by these scholars simply Confirms the biblical account.
S2: I would prefer to stick with Judah and stay close
S2: to God.
S1: Charlie, I want to circle back to this Libya story.
S1: Any possibility that at least some Gazans might actually relocate
S1: to Libya or somewhere else? You would think that by now, many,
S1: if not most, would be happy to be anywhere other
S1: than Gaza.
S2: Uh, I think that the State Department has been approaching
S2: many countries, including Libya, to see if they would take
S2: in some of these individuals from Gaza. And certainly many
S2: of the individuals in Gaza would prefer to go somewhere
S2: where there would be peace, stability, food, the opportunity to
S2: make a living. The problem is, most of the countries,
S2: for whatever reason, have refused entry to those individuals except
S2: for small handfuls. And I think that's because they're being
S2: pressured by by other countries not to do that, because
S2: it might be a solution for Israel.
S1: Up next on the land and the book, we're going
S1: to talk about God with us. We're going back to
S1: the road to Emmaus for a conversation with Jesus and
S1: those two who wondered what had happened to him. Don't
S1: miss it. Next on the land and the book. It's
S1: one of the most intriguing moments in the Gospels. The
S1: risen Jesus encounters two travelers on the road to Emmaus.
S1: The two are grief stricken over the death of Christ,
S1: but they don't recognize him when he actually joins their walk. Eventually,
S1: beginning with Moses and all the prophets. Jesus shows them
S1: all the scriptures concerning himself. Boy, if only we had
S1: been there, right? Well, with just a bit of imagination,
S1: we can. Up next, God with us. Bible stories on
S1: the road to Emmaus. This is the land and the book.
S1: I'm John Gager, and before we head off for Emmaus,
S1: let's take a walk with a friend who can help
S1: us more effectively share the love of Christ with a
S1: Jewish friend. Here's an objection you sometimes bump into when
S1: you're sharing Christ with a Jewish friend. Why would I
S1: believe in Jesus when his followers Christians have persecuted Jewish
S1: people for 2000 years? Tough question. Let's ask that of
S1: Levi Hazon, executive director of Life in Messiah.
S3: Well, John, this is really a historical objection that unfortunately
S3: has a lot of truth to it. Just a couple
S3: centuries after the birth of the church, Gentile believers started
S3: to far outnumber Jewish believers. Unfortunately, the Gentile leadership made
S3: a lot of decisions that separated the church from the
S3: Jewish roots of our faith. What started with animosity and
S3: hatred sometimes turned into outright violence. We don't have time
S3: to explore the lengthy history of relations between the church
S3: and the Jewish community right now, but if listeners are
S3: interested in learning more, I encourage them to pick up
S3: a book by Edward Flannery called The Anguish of the
S3: Jews 23 Centuries of Antisemitism. But when addressing this historical objection,
S3: I found the most important things to do are what
S3: I call the three A's. Number one, acknowledge. Acknowledge the
S3: history that it has taken place. Number two, apologize. Apologize
S3: for the terrible treatment that has taken place. There's no
S3: point in trying to defend these actions in the number three. Ask.
S3: Ask if you can share what Jesus actually did and
S3: said about the Jewish people. Jesus loved the Jewish people
S3: and willingly laid down his life for their sins.
S1: Great insights from Levi Hazen, Executive Director of Life in
S1: Messiah here on the land and the book. Matt Mikalatos,
S1: author of God with Us, has been a youth pastor,
S1: missionary with crew, and a clerk at a comic book shop.
S1: He has a master's degree in Biblical and Theological Studies.
S1: Matt is an award winning author who lives with his
S1: wife and three kids in the Portland, Oregon area, along
S1: with their very large rabbit named Peter. No no no no.
S1: I'm sorry. A very large rabbit named Bruce. I had
S1: that wrong. I'm so sorry there, Matt.
S4: Bruce will be fine. All right? He'll be fine.
S1: Uh, let's get started here on this book. God with us.
S1: There are lots of books out there that try to
S1: make the story of Jesus more accessible for children. What
S1: drove you to create this one? How is it different?
S4: You know, there are a lot of really wonderful comic
S4: book Bibles out there, graphic novels that are basically our
S4: illustrated Bibles. And what we wanted to do that was
S4: a little different is take stories from the Bible, but
S4: put them in the context of another story of Jesus
S4: telling the story so that we could see characters interacting
S4: with Bible stories, learning, changing, growing like we all do
S4: when we interact with Scripture. So that's what we did.
S4: That's why we chose the story of Emmaus. Jesus is
S4: telling the story to some of his followers, including in
S4: our imagined version, a couple kids who are walking along
S4: the road with him.
S1: Yeah. So just to frame this correctly, this is a
S1: book that is targeted first at younger readers, but also
S1: adults as well. In my opinion, anybody who likes a great,
S1: great visual approach to the Bible, this is for you too.
S1: Wouldn't you say?
S4: Oh, absolutely. I've already been getting notes from seven year
S4: olds who love it, as well as adults who said
S4: that it really brought to life some things for them
S4: about the connections with the Old Testament stories and how
S4: they reveal the good news of Jesus to us.
S1: All right. We've mentioned, Matt, that you have a master's
S1: degree in biblical and theological studies, and yet you've chosen
S1: to have Jesus be the storyteller throughout God with us.
S1: Did that at any point give you pause for concern,
S1: for example, not wanting to to cross boundaries in telling
S1: the story, putting words in Jesus mouth? It would make
S1: me nervous. I'll just be honest with you.
S4: For sure. Yes. And I think one of the things
S4: that is wonderful, though, if you've ever read the story
S4: of Emmaus, you quoted it already, is that it says
S4: that Jesus begins with Moses and the prophets and tells
S4: them everything concerning himself in Scripture and what that gave
S4: me some confidence that if Jesus was saying these things
S4: and we can look at the teachings of the New Testament,
S4: we can assume, right, that they're building on the things
S4: that Christ was revealing to them. So when we're looking
S4: at the Old Testament and seeing how it reveals Jesus
S4: in God with us, even what we're doing is we're
S4: looking for places that the New Testament has already revealed this.
S4: So the story of Jonah is a great example where
S4: we see in the New Testament it's overtly said. There
S4: are connections between the story of Jonah and the story
S4: of Jesus. So to have Jesus talk about that is
S4: not a stretch at all.
S1: Well, God with us Bible stories on the Road to
S1: Emmaus is what we're talking about today here on the
S1: land and the book. I'm John Gager, joined by our guest,
S1: Matt Michaloudis. And Matt. Like the best of children's books,
S1: this one does appeal to adults. I love the way
S1: that you simplified things without losing a sense of the profound.
S1: I think that's so important. What's your secret here?
S4: You know, my secret was to not try and answer
S4: every question, because I think part of the power of
S4: a book like this is that you want to drive
S4: kids back to Scripture, so when there's something that you
S4: can't explain in two pages, it's okay to make them go,
S4: I want to pick up the Bible and understand what's
S4: happening here, or to go to their parents and say, hey,
S4: what's happening in this story? Can you explain it? So
S4: my hope all along is that this book will push
S4: kids toward deeper spiritual conversations with trusted adults and push
S4: them towards Scripture.
S1: Now, how do you go about doing this? You say,
S1: here's the script, or so to speak, the narrative of
S1: the story. Insert picture of Jesus and or insert, you know, Moses. Uh, here.
S1: How did that flow work?
S4: Yes. So when you're writing a graphic novel, the writer
S4: explains as well as he can, everything possible. Here's what
S4: the picture should look like. Here's the idea. here's the
S4: emotion that should be on the page. And then when
S4: you have a really gifted artist like I did in
S4: this book, David Shepherd, Dave would sometimes not exactly follow
S4: my directions if he could make it better, which he
S4: often did. And I love that. So you have to
S4: trust the people you're collaborating with, that they're also bringing
S4: their skills and abilities and their storytelling sensibilities. So yeah,
S4: it's really fun. It's really fun to get a page
S4: and see. Yeah.
S1: You use the word emotion. Sorry for jumping in there.
S1: You use the word emotion. And I would say the
S1: artwork has a vibe that kind of projects hope and
S1: joy on every page. Tell us more about the the
S1: art and the artist as well.
S4: Yeah. So Dave, one of the things he's really gifted at,
S4: and I told him this many times, is what I
S4: call acting. The characters have so much life and so
S4: much emotion. Even looking at the cover, you see Jesus laughing.
S4: You see these kids smiling and enjoying each other. The
S4: people walking on the road. Dave sadly passed away before
S4: the book was finished completely. But just a gifted artist
S4: who really brought what I love about the book is
S4: you read it and you connect and feel like Jesus
S4: is alive, which we know he is. But I think
S4: seeing it on the page is really beautiful.
S1: Yeah. For sure. Well, what kind of collaboration or conversation
S1: did go on between the two of you at points,
S1: as you said, he he maybe strayed just a little
S1: bit from what you had suggested. So what's the back
S1: and forth like?
S4: Yeah, a lot of that would be done. I would
S4: send Dave, here's the script. He would do a breakdown.
S4: So rough, rough, rough pencil drawings and send those back.
S4: And I would say, okay, I like this. That's not
S4: quite right. And then he would do another, more polished
S4: draft that was closer. And we'd go back and forth
S4: like that, like he would make suggestions. I would take
S4: some of them. Others I'd say, I'm not sure that's right.
S4: And of course, we had editors involved too, who were
S4: coming in and saying, hey, would Jewish people dress that way? Hey,
S4: should this guy have a beard? You know, those sorts
S4: of things. So we had other people helping us too.
S1: Okay, so these are all digital art files, I presume.
S1: Or is he using traditional medium?
S4: He did almost completely digital.
S1: Yeah. Imagine Jesus telling stories about himself in the Old Testament.
S1: That's what we're considering today on the land and the book.
S1: I'm John Gieger. Our guest is Matt Mikalatos. Why did
S1: you feel so committed to a book that would immerse
S1: readers in a realistic first century in Israel kind of setting? Matt.
S4: I think it can be really hard for kids, in particular,
S4: to feel like first century stories have to do with
S4: their life today. And so we really wanted to touch
S4: on that. So there's a chapter, for instance, where the
S4: kids find a toy merchant and all the toys are
S4: first century toys, and there's something exciting about that. Something
S4: I think kids look at that and go like, those
S4: are cool. Some of those toys are toys I would
S4: play with. Yeah. So I wanted kids to feel like
S4: they were in that world and that that world was
S4: real and would matter to them. It's not some distant thing,
S4: but something they could relate to.
S1: Yeah, I'm drawn to that episode in the chosen series
S1: where Jesus is with the children and the toys that
S1: are present there. That's a real connection issue, I think.
S4: Right, absolutely. And I think, you know, kids are so
S4: smart and so insightful. So let's give them a world
S4: where kids are smart and insightful as they interact with
S4: Jesus and have questions and are learning things.
S1: All right. Let's go to the conversations themselves, the words,
S1: the moments that Jesus is sharing as he reveals himself
S1: in the Old Testament. What would you say is one
S1: of your favorite conversations that unfolded?
S4: I really love the story of Moses and the Bronze Serpent.
S4: In this story, Moses raises up a bronze serpent and
S4: anyone who looks to it is healed from being bitten
S4: by serpents. And what happens is Jesus talks about this
S4: story and says in the same way the Son of
S4: Man himself is going to be lifted up, and all
S4: who look to him will be saved. We don't talk
S4: about that a lot in kids books, but it's a
S4: really easy and interesting story to talk about. The good news.
S4: So I love Jesus, who specifically discussed this in the
S4: New Testament, having this conversation with the people with him
S4: on the road in this book.
S1: How about another profound revelation of Christ in the Old
S1: Testament that has struck you in putting the book together?
S4: I really love the story of Jonah, where we talk
S4: about just in the same way that Jonah was in
S4: the belly of the fish for three days. So Jesus
S4: is going to be in the belly of the earth, right?
S4: And then he comes out and speaks true words. The
S4: flood is a fascinating one, where we have the story
S4: of humanity being saved through the water, and then we
S4: see Jesus being baptized. And there's a dove in the
S4: Noah story, and there's a dove in Jesus baptism story.
S4: Like there's amazing connections where God is saying to us throughout,
S4: this is not a new plan. Jesus coming. That has
S4: always been the plan. And let me show you that
S4: I've been talking about it for thousands of years.
S1: You know, I look at some of these stories and
S1: the details associated with them, everything from, as you've pointed out,
S1: Moses and and that bronze serpent being lifted up, Christ
S1: using that same set of words unless I'm lifted up.
S1: That sort of thing. And you think of Jonah in
S1: the belly of that fish. Three days. Three nights. Christ
S1: in the tomb. And I ask, is that, you know,
S1: just sort of a love that God has for artistic
S1: symmetry or is it not? I want to make it really,
S1: really clear in lots and lots of ways that Jesus
S1: really is in the Old Testament. You know, what do
S1: you think?
S4: Yeah. I think there's something beautiful about the way human
S4: beings interact with stories. And God knows that. And God
S4: uses stories throughout human history to say this reveals something
S4: about me. There are historical resonances between these stories, but
S4: I think also God is coming in and saying, let
S4: me tell this story to you in a way that
S4: will help you to understand me better. And I think
S4: that's pretty amazing. God is choosing to communicate with us
S4: in a language that we understand because it resonates with us,
S4: because it draws us to him.
S1: You know, Matt, I wonder sometimes if once we're finally
S1: in heaven and God is, however, he's going to do
S1: it in one great, you know, intellectual blast or layer
S1: by layer like an onion peel things away. When we
S1: finally truly understand all these things, how much more we
S1: will discover in heaven that was revealed of Christ in
S1: the Old Testament, you know?
S4: Oh for sure. I think we're going to be in
S4: heaven forever. And God is an eternal being, which means
S4: the work of eternity will be getting to know God better.
S4: I think we'll never run out of things to learn
S4: about an eternal being, and I think that's amazing. It's exciting.
S1: What would you say is the best way for listeners
S1: to harness the power of this tool? Do you just
S1: hand it to a kid or do you share time
S1: with them? What's the best way to to use this?
S4: Yes, it might depend on your kid, but the beauty
S4: of comic books is that you hand it to a
S4: seven year old and they will read it over and
S4: over and over. That's what I did when I was
S4: a kid. So, yeah, stick it in an Easter basket
S4: or give it to them at the end of school
S4: one day, or give it to them during school if
S4: you're homeschooling. And I think there is value in reading
S4: it together. It's fun.
S1: Yes.
S4: But yeah, I think kids would read it on their own.
S4: And then if you go and read it and say, hey,
S4: let's talk about that book, I really enjoyed it. I
S4: think you'll have some really interesting good conversations.
S1: Well, and let me just encourage you, if you're an adult,
S1: don't steer away and say, well, that's for kids. It's
S1: not for me. I'm an adult, and it's not like
S1: I have a stash of comic book collections at home.
S1: I don't, but boy did I love this book. God
S1: with us. Just the whole idea of of one book
S1: trying to capture the conversation that would have occurred with
S1: Jesus on the road to Emmaus. It really is a beautiful,
S1: beautiful thing and the images are fantastic. I just can't
S1: say enough about it. Matt, thank you so much for
S1: putting it together.
S4: Thank you John. A real pleasure.
S1: That's Matt Mikalatos, and we'll put a link to his
S1: book at our website, The land and the book org.
S1: Up next, your Bible questions and our answers here on
S1: the land and the book. This is the land and
S1: the book. I'm John Gager. And as a regular listener,
S1: you know what's coming up. And if you're not a
S1: regular listener, well, welcome. Anyway, we're so glad you're here,
S1: and we hope you'll become a regular listener. Not just that,
S1: we hope you'll share with your friends the existence of
S1: this thing we call the land and the book, which also,
S1: by the way, conveniently enough, is available in a podcast
S1: at our website, the land and the book. Org. You've
S1: got friends who don't live anywhere near a radio station
S1: that might carry the program, but they can hear it
S1: if you'll share the land and the book with them.
S1: Thank you for doing that. That said, let me point
S1: out the fact that most Jewish people have never heard
S1: the gospel. Each week we talk about Israel and the
S1: Jewish people for sure, and it's important to remember that they,
S1: like everybody else, need to hear the good news.
S5: Life in Messiah, a ministry in existence for over 135 years,
S5: is devoted to sharing the gospel with Jewish people around
S5: the world. Now they're offering a gift to moody listeners
S5: this free e-book. Reaching Jewish People for Messiah highlights the
S5: need for the gospel among the Jewish people, and will
S5: equip you with a practical ways to share the good
S5: News with them. To receive this free e-book, visit Life
S5: in Messiah. Click on the Moody Radio logo and sign
S5: up to get your copy today.
S1: All right. This segment is all about your questions as
S1: you read through Scripture. We'll get right to Ron and
S1: his question. He says I was reading first Samuel 16
S1: verses 17 and 18, where it talks about King Saul
S1: being tormented by an evil spirit. A servant suggests music
S1: so the king will feel better. And then one of
S1: the young men said, hey, I've seen a son of Jesse,
S1: the Bethlehemite, who was a skilled musician, a mighty man
S1: of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a
S1: handsome man. And the Lord is with him. So here's
S1: Ron's question. If David is perhaps in his teens or
S1: maybe early 20s and has never been in battle, how
S1: could he have a reputation as a mighty man of
S1: valor and a warrior no less?
S5: Oh, it is a wonderful question. Now, we should keep
S5: in mind something important. This comment about David comes from
S5: one of Saul's young men. It doesn't actually come as
S5: a comment from God. It comes from one of Saul's
S5: young men. Now, how did he get this idea? Where
S5: did this comment come from? Huh? I think there's a
S5: couple of possible ways where this young man thought this. First,
S5: David comes from a family with a very strong reputation.
S5: He's got lots of older brothers, and they are courageous
S5: and they are strong and they are hard working. They
S5: are warriors. So I think the young man is assuming
S5: if David is anything like his older brothers, right. He's
S5: going to be courageous and strong. Secondly, when David volunteered
S5: to fight Goliath, Saul objected, saying David was too young
S5: and he had no experience. Do you remember what David said? Oh,
S5: this is really fun. This is first Samuel 17, verses
S5: 34 to 37. David said to Saul, your servant used
S5: to keep sheep for his father. And when there was
S5: a lion or a bear, and it took a lamb
S5: from the flock, I went after him and struck him,
S5: and delivered it from his mouth. If he arose against me,
S5: I caught him by his beard and struck him and
S5: killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears,
S5: and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them.
S5: So David has experience in battle with the animals threatening
S5: his flock. I think that those victories out in the field,
S5: people were talking about them. Yeah. And so he was
S5: a warrior.
S1: Okay. I want to ask a timeline question related to
S1: David now. And this particular incident seems to me this
S1: has to happen before David going to fight Goliath because he's, quote,
S1: being introduced to Saul in this setting. Is that is
S1: that fair chronology?
S5: Yes, exactly. Right. Exactly right.
S1: Yeah. Okay. So David would have been known first as
S1: the harpist.
S5: Yes.
S1: And then the giant slayer.
S5: Mhm.
S1: Okay.
S5: And I think people grow up a little bit faster
S5: in the ancient world than they do these days. Yeah.
S5: He could have been a teenager who was very strong
S5: and courageous.
S1: Altus question do you think that God taught Adam and
S1: Eve to read and write when he taught them to speak.
S1: It would make more sense, she feels, than the oral
S1: tradition theory. I mean, Moses compiled all the writings into
S1: one narrative. What do you think?
S5: This is amazing. You know, I had never thought about this,
S5: but it's a really good question. On the one hand,
S5: it seems to be natural that God would create Adam
S5: and Eve as fully fluent. Obviously he can speak to them.
S5: Obviously they can understand him. But did that include being
S5: able to read and write? I'm sorry. There's just no
S5: Old Testament evidence where I can say yes or no.
S5: So I have to say, I'm sorry, I don't know.
S1: Yeah. Okay. And I don't know, is is a legitimate
S1: answer to a lot of questions that come our way.
S1: It's an honest answer. But if you've got a question
S1: that you'd like to send our way, you can email
S1: Doctor Peterman anytime in care of the land and the
S1: book at the land and the book at Eric says,
S1: I've been thinking about Psalm 46 verse ten. God says,
S1: be still and know that I am God. So here's
S1: his question how can I become still and know God?
S1: Is this just through prayer? I was wondering exactly how
S1: this is done.
S5: Oh, thanks Eric so much for the question. The psalm
S5: begins and ends talking about God as our refuge, God
S5: as our stronghold. He is the place where we go,
S5: where we can find safety. So therefore Psalm 46 verse
S5: two says, therefore we will not be afraid, though the
S5: earth should change. And though the mountains shake into the
S5: heart of the sea. So in other words, when the
S5: world seems like it's in serious trouble, God is the
S5: place we can go for safety. Now back to verse ten.
S5: This verse in particular. Be still and know that I
S5: am God. I've gone there many times. Like I feel sick.
S5: Like there's relationships in my family that don't seem right.
S5: Like the world seems to me like a crazy place.
S5: Like I feel stressed because I'm working too hard And
S5: now I'm all in a turmoil in my heart and mind.
S5: I can just feel it. And then this verse speaks
S5: to me. Be still, that is. Don't think that you're
S5: in control. Don't think that you have to fix this.
S5: Don't think this is all about you. Folks, this is
S5: a place where we sometimes go. We think it's all
S5: about us. We have to fix it. But I can
S5: be still. I can say, all right, I'm going to
S5: be okay. And then know. He says, know that I
S5: am God. He's the one who's in control, not I.
S5: So I'm encouraging Eric to take all his troubles to
S5: God and just lay him at his feet. As Peter says,
S5: cast all your cares upon him. He cares for you.
S5: And just let him be the God who's in control.
S1: You know, the language used here is so dramatic. Some
S1: would say, you know, over the top hyperbole. Though the
S1: earth give way, though the mountains fall into the heart
S1: of the sea. I don't think God is exaggerating. He
S1: is speaking the truth. It's it's that dramatic, that frightening.
S1: And we can still be still. That's the wonder of it.
S1: Not just minor troubles that we know, but.
S5: Oh, yes.
S1: Extreme.
S5: Stuff. Extreme troubles are a place where we can go
S5: and we can trust God.
S1: Yeah, well, that's that's reassuring, isn't it?
S5: He's that big. Very reassuring.
S1: Joanna asks if God is omniscient, then how can we
S1: have free will? I'm a Christian, but I really struggle
S1: with this. Any thoughts?
S5: Well, I can see how we struggle with this. And, uh,
S5: years ago I've pondered it and struggled with it myself.
S5: It was extremely hard. This is an important question. If
S5: God is omniscient, then he knows the future. If he
S5: knows the future, then does this mean the future has
S5: already been established? Does this mean my choices don't matter?
S5: Does this mean I'm not making real choices? My response
S5: is no. Let's make sure we affirm two things. First,
S5: God is omniscient and God is sovereign. God will accomplish
S5: his will. The psalmist says, Our God is in the heavens.
S5: He does whatever pleases him. Psalm 115, verse 33.
S1: I want to ask you a moment, a couple of
S1: questions about principles for unpacking prophecy. You know, you you
S1: come to Scripture. There's a whole lot of of imagery
S1: in Daniel and revelation in particular that are exclusively prophetic.
S1: What are some right practices that we should look to
S1: and maybe some wrong practices? Uh, any thoughts come to
S1: mind there?
S5: Read, reread and reread and pray and then repeat. Don't
S5: go too fast. Be very slow. Take your time. Read
S5: in the context what comes before. What comes later. Read
S5: in context. Look for cues or signals as to what's
S5: being discussed. Because very often we reread and we slow down.
S5: We find some cues or some signals as to what's
S5: being read. I think particularly about the beginning of Ezekiel,
S5: where he sees a vision of the cherubim and the
S5: wheels within the wheels.
S1: Yeah.
S5: And then he describes the eyes and the wings and
S5: it's like. And in the beginning of Ezekiel, we don't
S5: get an explicit statement about what this is. Keep reading.
S5: Because later he will say he sees this vision again.
S5: And then he calls it the glory of God, which
S5: I saw before. That is that's a vision of the
S5: glory of God. So we will get cues if we
S5: just keep reading and then keep rereading.
S1: What are some errors that people typically make? Probably the
S1: antithesis of what you've just shared here. Not really reading
S1: or reading at a surface level. Maybe going too quickly,
S1: or maybe reading for a conclusion they already have. What
S1: about the idea of ignoring context? I mean, those things
S1: all lead to error, do they not?
S5: Yes, absolutely. Every time we ignore context, every time we
S5: don't look for definitions within the text itself, every time
S5: we're going too fast. Every time we draw conclusions which
S5: kind of fit our presuppositions, we run the risk. We
S5: run the risk of reaching conclusions that are not helpful
S5: or maybe just flat wrong.
S1: Yeah. Well, this has been a great segment and very,
S1: very practical, and I hope you've enjoyed it as well.
S1: And again, if you've got a question you'd like to
S1: get to Doctor Petermann, it's welcome anytime at the land
S1: and the book at Moody's. We got one more segment
S1: to go. And for many people it's their favorite. Every
S1: week it's Charlie Dyer's devotional. It's next right here. From
S1: Moody Radio. This is the land and the book. I'm
S1: John Gager, and if you've ever been on a Charlie
S1: Dyer tour of Israel, you know his very favorite spots.
S1: One of them has to be Charlie. I'll let you share.
S2: Uh, the Judean wilderness. My absolute number one place.
S1: I love it, too. And, uh, you just don't get
S1: a sense of wilderness until you take that look, until
S1: you climb up that incline and stare into the vast
S1: nothingness that is still there today. I'll let you get
S1: to your devotional after we pause for a quick testimony
S1: from someone who has actually seen that spot and many,
S1: many others as they've traveled Israel, but they wanted to
S1: share this with us.
S6: One of the many reasons why I love traveling to
S6: Israel and the Holy Land was not only because I
S6: saw sites where Bible history took place, but seeing modern
S6: day Israel, seeing prophecies of the Jewish people coming back
S6: to the land and the desert blooming was amazing. I
S6: saw fields of fruit and flowers in the Israeli irrigation system.
S6: But I think the thing that made all of the
S6: land so special to me was seeing the places where
S6: prophecy will be fulfilled. The Mount of Olives, where Jesus
S6: will return in Jerusalem, where he will reign, and the
S6: valley of Jezreel, Megiddo, Armageddon, the place where the armies
S6: of the nations will gather to march on to Jerusalem.
S6: Israel is the place where we can actually go and
S6: see where Bible history happened, and where prophecies will be fulfilled.
S1: All right, Charlie, we'll let you get at your devotional
S1: for today, The God of Impossibilities. I'm looking forward to this.
S2: Ah, thanks. Well, in the book of Ecclesiastes, an older
S2: but wiser King Solomon wrote about life in all its stark,
S2: unvarnished reality, in a profound and in fact troubling observation.
S2: He noted that what is twisted cannot be straightened. Whether
S2: it's a bent paper clip or a crumpled fender on
S2: your car, Something that has become twisted and changed can't
S2: be completely restored to its original shape. You can get close,
S2: but it's never quite the same. What's true of paper
S2: clips also seems to be true of life. The innocence
S2: of youth all too often becomes jaded, hardened, and scarred
S2: by the harsh, abrasive realities of the world around us.
S2: Poor choices in life shape, destiny, and direction. The chasms
S2: and valleys of anger, depression, disappointment and loneliness carve their
S2: way into our very souls and leave us marked for life.
S2: Or so it seems. That must be how the people
S2: of Judah felt almost 25 centuries ago. Their rejection of God,
S2: their pursuit of pleasure, their callous disregard for the needs
S2: of others left deep marks on the nation. Eventually, their selfish,
S2: sinful choices cost them everything that mattered in life. The
S2: nation of Babylon invaded Judah, captured, looted, and then destroyed Jerusalem,
S2: and killed or carried into exile the people of the land.
S2: Only when it was too late did the people see
S2: the awful consequences of their actions. Pain, anguish, suffering, loneliness,
S2: depression and hopelessness cut into their very souls. They felt
S2: trapped with no hope of escape. But the answer to
S2: Judah's feelings of discouragement lay just beyond the summit of
S2: the Mount of Olives, in the barren hills between Jerusalem
S2: and Jericho. This harsh land, marked by deep serpentine valleys,
S2: jagged cliffs and high hills laced with knife edged flint,
S2: held God's message of hope for his people in their
S2: time of desperate need. Starting on the eastern slopes of
S2: the Mount of Olives, this wilderness twists its way down
S2: into the Jordan Valley, running along the entire length of
S2: the Dead Sea. This is not a wilderness of sand
S2: like the Sahara Desert, nor is it a flat, empty
S2: expanse that stretches off into the horizon like some other deserts.
S2: This Judean wilderness is rough and rugged, a land of deep,
S2: twisting gorges carved into chalky limestone. The ground is hard, harsh, unyielding.
S2: Patches of brown and black flint sprinkled across the surface
S2: seemed to provide the only variations in color. The Judean
S2: wilderness exists as a stark metaphor of permanence. Its foreboding
S2: hills stood guard when Abraham first entered the land. The
S2: same hills watched Joshua lead his army on a daring
S2: night march from Jericho to Gibeon. They saw David flee
S2: from Jerusalem toward the Jordan River to escape the evil
S2: plans of his own son, Absalom. And they watched Satan
S2: tempt Jesus as he enticed the Son of God to
S2: turn the ever present stones into loaves of bread. The
S2: wilderness never seemed to change. The Jewish captives in Babylon
S2: felt that their spiritual condition matched the physical condition of
S2: the wilderness. It was a picture of the nation's collective soul.
S2: They were spiritually dry, exiled from God's source of blessing
S2: and surrounded by deep chasms of trouble and difficulty that
S2: seem to make any restoration impossible. And just as that
S2: barren wilderness never changed, so it seemed that their heartache, sadness,
S2: and separation from God would also never change. Sins erosion
S2: had carved deep fracturing and scarring their lives. Solomon's words
S2: must have haunted them. What is twisted cannot be straightened,
S2: at least not by mere human effort. Now imagine the
S2: impact the words of Isaiah 40 had on these people.
S2: People living in depression, seeing no hope. Every valley shall
S2: be raised up. Every mountain and hill made low. The
S2: rough ground shall become level. The rugged places a plain.
S2: The God of impossibilities used this very wilderness as an
S2: object lesson for the people of Judah. Isaiah pictured a
S2: day when God would turn desolation into delight, heartache into happiness,
S2: pain into pleasure. What seemed to be permanent was only
S2: temporary to an all powerful God. But Isaiah was not
S2: just speaking about physical hills and valleys. The God who
S2: can reverse the ravages of nature is the God who
S2: can also heal the scars in a human heart. Isaiah
S2: boldly announced that when God comes to rescue his people,
S2: no obstacle will stand in his way. What appears to
S2: be a problem for us is not a problem for him.
S2: God specializes in eliminating every valley and every mountain, including
S2: those that seem so powerful or permanent. We can't even
S2: begin to imagine how they can be overcome. The prophet
S2: looked beyond Judah's temporary troubles to see God's ultimate triumph,
S2: and the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and
S2: all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of
S2: the Lord has spoken. Isaiah offered comfort through the promise
S2: of God's presence. Those who were discouraged could look beyond
S2: their circumstances and focus instead on the reality of God's
S2: comforting presence. He had not abandoned them, and his coming
S2: deliverance was certain because God himself was the one making
S2: the promise. But what do the words of Isaiah 40
S2: have to do with you today? Perhaps you're struggling with
S2: a barrenness in your soul that is just as desolate
S2: and seemingly as permanent as the wilderness of Judah. Just
S2: like the wilderness, you might believe your life has been
S2: permanently scarred by suffering and sadness without any hope of change.
S2: But God specializes in changing the unchangeable. That's the message
S2: he announced to the people of Judah. And the God
S2: who promised to someday fill in every valley, push down
S2: every mountain, and smooth over the rough, rugged land in
S2: the wilderness of Judah. Can also do the same thing
S2: in your heart today. Isaiah began this chapter by offering
S2: comfort to those who were discouraged. Comfort, comfort my people,
S2: says your God. And the God who can accomplish the
S2: impossible also wants to give you that same comfort right now.
S2: He specializes in changing the unchangeable. Pause and pray to
S2: the God who wants to heal your heart. Then, sometime today,
S2: take your Bible and read slowly, carefully and prayerfully. Isaiah
S2: chapter 40. And as you do, let his words of
S2: hope comfort you.
S1: You know, Charlie, I'm struck by the fact that as
S1: you share from Isaiah 40 and what a powerful devotional
S1: that was, you're speaking to those of us who know
S1: Christ as Savior already. But there are people listening right
S1: now who maybe don't. And they want this comfort. They
S1: sense their their own desert, their own wilderness. What's their
S1: next step, Charlie? To get right with God.
S2: Uh, the first step is to acknowledge their sinful condition. Lord,
S2: I've created this valley. I am in this separation from you,
S2: I need you. And then it's to turn to Jesus
S2: to recognize he was God's son. He came to earth,
S2: lived a perfect life. But then his death on the
S2: cross was designed to pay the penalty for their sin,
S2: and by turning to him, they can experience God's love
S2: and forgiveness in their lives. And that's the first step
S2: toward reaching that time of trust and fulfillment, and experiencing
S2: all the blessings that God has in store for them.
S1: The Bible assures us that whoever calls upon the name
S1: of the Lord will be saved. That's open to you.
S1: And if you'd like a friend to pray with you
S1: and receive Jesus. Now, why don't you talk to a
S1: volunteer at eight, eight, eight? That's 888. Need him. Well,
S1: we've covered lots of ground today. Maybe you'd like to
S1: hear it all again. You can do that. Our podcast
S1: is available at the website. The land and the book.
S1: All the land and the books. Thanks for hanging out
S1: with us today on behalf of our host, Charlie Dyer,
S1: our producer, Dan Anderson, I'm John Geiger, and the land
S1: and the book is a production of Moody Radio, a
S1: ministry of Moody Bible Institute.