1
00:00:07,910 --> 00:00:11,900
S1: What's your unique purpose? There's no better place to understand

2
00:00:11,900 --> 00:00:15,020
S1: your calling than by studying the life of Esther, who

3
00:00:15,020 --> 00:00:18,770
S1: lived out her purpose with conviction and faith. Coming up,

4
00:00:18,770 --> 00:00:22,340
S1: special guest Dannah Gresh has an encouraging word for you

5
00:00:22,370 --> 00:00:24,350
S1: as you join us for this week's edition of The

6
00:00:24,350 --> 00:00:27,680
S1: Land and the book, a welcome to our weekly flyover

7
00:00:27,710 --> 00:00:30,530
S1: of the Middle East. Our pilot is Doctor Charlie Dyer,

8
00:00:30,530 --> 00:00:34,250
S1: and I'm John Gager strapped in right next to him. Charlie.

9
00:00:34,250 --> 00:00:36,890
S1: Last week we launched one of our famous book blasts.

10
00:00:36,890 --> 00:00:39,620
S1: Five books were giving away, and it looks like Angela

11
00:00:39,620 --> 00:00:42,110
S1: from Grand Rapids is our winner. Tell me, what did

12
00:00:42,110 --> 00:00:44,390
S1: she have to say in her email? Charlie? Yeah, she.

13
00:00:44,390 --> 00:00:46,820
S2: Wrote. I love listening to the land in the book.

14
00:00:46,850 --> 00:00:50,150
S2: I especially enjoy and grow from hearing how modern day

15
00:00:50,180 --> 00:00:53,000
S2: events are connected to the Bible. The land in the

16
00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,550
S2: book is very informative and I feel like I gain

17
00:00:55,550 --> 00:00:57,470
S2: knowledge each time I listen.

18
00:00:57,500 --> 00:01:00,560
S1: Well, that's a neat note from Angela. Congratulations. And those

19
00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:02,690
S1: books are headed out to you. And if you didn't

20
00:01:02,690 --> 00:01:05,090
S1: win this time, well, you'll have an opportunity in the

21
00:01:05,090 --> 00:01:07,429
S1: near future, I promise. And thank you, by the way,

22
00:01:07,430 --> 00:01:09,860
S1: for writing to let us know how the land and

23
00:01:09,860 --> 00:01:12,979
S1: the book connects with you. Well, Charlie, as the end

24
00:01:12,980 --> 00:01:15,410
S1: of the year approaches, many world events have left us

25
00:01:15,410 --> 00:01:19,130
S1: wondering what God's plan is for the future, especially when

26
00:01:19,130 --> 00:01:22,310
S1: it comes to Israel. Despite its small size, boy, people

27
00:01:22,310 --> 00:01:25,580
S1: around the world are focused, right? There are today's headlines

28
00:01:25,580 --> 00:01:28,819
S1: connected in any way with the prophecies in the Bible.

29
00:01:28,850 --> 00:01:32,480
S1: How should followers of Jesus interpret current events as we

30
00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:33,860
S1: await his second coming?

31
00:01:33,890 --> 00:01:37,010
S2: Well, to help answer those crucial questions, our friends at

32
00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:41,240
S2: Life and Messiah urge you to check out their book, God, Israel,

33
00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:45,020
S2: and Bible Prophecy with Scripture as its foundation. This book

34
00:01:45,020 --> 00:01:47,179
S2: will take you on a journey into what God has

35
00:01:47,180 --> 00:01:50,330
S2: in store for the Jewish people and the nations. The

36
00:01:50,330 --> 00:01:53,120
S2: book is for anyone who wants to explore where modern

37
00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,510
S2: day events fit on God's grand timeline. And if that's

38
00:01:56,510 --> 00:01:59,130
S2: you or someone you know, this would be a great

39
00:01:59,130 --> 00:02:03,270
S2: resource or gift. Visit Life in Messiah org and click

40
00:02:03,270 --> 00:02:05,460
S2: on the Moody Radio button to find out how you

41
00:02:05,460 --> 00:02:09,630
S2: can receive your copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy.

42
00:02:09,630 --> 00:02:12,390
S2: That's life in messiah.org.

43
00:02:12,780 --> 00:02:15,300
S1: Well, our elections are now in the rear view mirror,

44
00:02:15,300 --> 00:02:17,820
S1: but the results are just starting to be felt in

45
00:02:17,820 --> 00:02:21,540
S1: the Middle East as we open up this current events segment. Charlie,

46
00:02:21,540 --> 00:02:25,109
S1: what impact could this election of President Trump have on

47
00:02:25,110 --> 00:02:28,200
S1: Israel's conflicts with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran?

48
00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,990
S2: Well, in one sense, President Trump can't do anything for

49
00:02:30,990 --> 00:02:34,619
S2: the next two months until he's inaugurated in January. But

50
00:02:34,620 --> 00:02:38,459
S2: his influence is already being felt in both Israel and Iran.

51
00:02:38,460 --> 00:02:40,799
S2: And I think it will eventually be the other countries

52
00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,590
S2: there in the Middle East. The US Department of Justice

53
00:02:43,590 --> 00:02:47,370
S2: charged Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps with a plot to kill

54
00:02:47,370 --> 00:02:51,630
S2: Trump back in September. Iran has denied the accusation, but

55
00:02:51,630 --> 00:02:55,320
S2: this immediately put Iran on notice. The Biden administration said

56
00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:57,980
S2: any attempt to harm Trump would be considered an act

57
00:02:57,980 --> 00:03:01,160
S2: of war on the part of Iran. When Trump was president,

58
00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,329
S2: before he scuttled the nuclear agreement with Iran, reimposed economic

59
00:03:05,330 --> 00:03:08,930
S2: sanctions and ordered a drone strike that killed Iranian Guard

60
00:03:08,930 --> 00:03:12,649
S2: Corps leader Soleimani. Look for Trump to exert more pressure

61
00:03:12,650 --> 00:03:17,090
S2: on Iran economically, politically and militarily when he takes office.

62
00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:20,510
S2: This is already causing concern in Tehran. In fact, the

63
00:03:20,510 --> 00:03:23,810
S2: value of their rial is dropping since he's been elected.

64
00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,020
S2: Trump has voiced strong support for Israel, and he's backing

65
00:03:27,020 --> 00:03:29,960
S2: up his verbal support by naming strong supporters of Israel

66
00:03:29,990 --> 00:03:33,350
S2: to his cabinet. The impact of the election extends beyond

67
00:03:33,350 --> 00:03:37,160
S2: just Israel and Iran. In response to pressure from the U.S.,

68
00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:41,480
S2: Qatar has supposedly agreed to oust Hamas's political leadership from

69
00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,020
S2: their country, though this is still uncertain. What they have

70
00:03:45,020 --> 00:03:47,450
S2: said is that they'll cease trying to mediate a hostage

71
00:03:47,450 --> 00:03:51,140
S2: deal between Israel and Hamas. Many look for Trump to

72
00:03:51,170 --> 00:03:54,650
S2: try to re-energize the Abraham Accords, pushing for a deal

73
00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,230
S2: between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Trump comes into office with

74
00:03:58,230 --> 00:04:01,770
S2: past experience and with fresh ideas on how to move forward.

75
00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,130
S2: The man who finally moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem

76
00:04:05,130 --> 00:04:09,780
S2: is certain to have other surprises up his sleeve come January. Certainly,

77
00:04:09,780 --> 00:04:13,440
S2: nominating Mike Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel is just

78
00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:15,030
S2: one of those surprises.

79
00:04:15,060 --> 00:04:18,539
S1: Well, in spite of the change in Washington, Russia's President

80
00:04:18,540 --> 00:04:21,750
S1: Putin is still pushing forward with his own vision for

81
00:04:21,750 --> 00:04:24,779
S1: a new Middle East. How could that plan unfold?

82
00:04:24,779 --> 00:04:27,810
S2: It could unfold as part of Putin's larger strategy to

83
00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:31,290
S2: develop a new world order to counter the West. Trump's

84
00:04:31,290 --> 00:04:34,440
S2: election will cause some concern, though it won't change Putin's

85
00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,500
S2: fundamental goals. In fact, it might provide a way for

86
00:04:37,500 --> 00:04:39,989
S2: him to end the war in Ukraine while holding on

87
00:04:40,020 --> 00:04:42,330
S2: to some of his gains. But in terms of his

88
00:04:42,330 --> 00:04:45,990
S2: larger vision, Putin wants to expand BRICs. That's the alliance

89
00:04:45,990 --> 00:04:50,159
S2: of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to include

90
00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,909
S2: other countries willing to join this non-Western bloc of states.

91
00:04:53,940 --> 00:04:57,279
S2: A major part of the alliance will be economic, providing

92
00:04:57,310 --> 00:05:00,460
S2: access to trade and goods to countries restricted in some

93
00:05:00,460 --> 00:05:03,760
S2: manner by the West. This week, Russia and Iran linked

94
00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:07,299
S2: their banking systems to overcome Western sanctions, and they plan

95
00:05:07,300 --> 00:05:10,420
S2: to expand their system to other countries as well. But

96
00:05:10,420 --> 00:05:15,279
S2: Putin is looking beyond just economic cooperation to include defense cooperation.

97
00:05:15,310 --> 00:05:18,849
S2: Russia is preparing to sign a comprehensive treaty with Iran

98
00:05:18,850 --> 00:05:22,690
S2: that will include closer defense ties. Iran and North Korea

99
00:05:22,690 --> 00:05:25,630
S2: have been providing Russia with drones and shells for its

100
00:05:25,660 --> 00:05:29,080
S2: war in Ukraine, and now North Korea is sending troops

101
00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:32,560
S2: to bolster Russia's forces there. In return, Russia is supplying

102
00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,500
S2: North Korea with food aid and both North Korea and

103
00:05:35,500 --> 00:05:38,890
S2: Iran with technology. Lurking on the edge of all this

104
00:05:38,890 --> 00:05:42,159
S2: is Turkey. They're connected to the West through NATO and

105
00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,520
S2: through trade. But Turkey also shares common interests in the

106
00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:48,820
S2: Middle East with both Russia and Iran. Now, watch to

107
00:05:48,820 --> 00:05:52,029
S2: see if Turkey can put aside some very real differences

108
00:05:52,029 --> 00:05:55,300
S2: to align with Russia and Iran and other countries, and

109
00:05:55,300 --> 00:05:57,760
S2: watch to see if the United States puts pressure on

110
00:05:57,790 --> 00:06:01,659
S2: Turkey to choose between supporting NATO or supporting Russia and

111
00:06:01,660 --> 00:06:03,070
S2: Iran and Hamas.

112
00:06:03,100 --> 00:06:06,220
S1: Interesting. And I also noted that President Erdogan, you know,

113
00:06:06,250 --> 00:06:10,480
S1: offered a call of congratulations to President Trump, maybe merely symbolic,

114
00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:12,820
S1: but that was an interesting gesture. I thought it.

115
00:06:12,820 --> 00:06:15,070
S2: Was. And yet, at the same week, he also broke off,

116
00:06:15,070 --> 00:06:17,980
S2: he said, ties with Israel. So he's trying to play

117
00:06:17,980 --> 00:06:20,470
S2: both sides. And that gap is going to continue getting

118
00:06:20,470 --> 00:06:21,969
S2: wider and wider for him.

119
00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,250
S1: You're listening to a current events segment as we open

120
00:06:24,250 --> 00:06:26,200
S1: up here on the land and the book. Our host,

121
00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:30,130
S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer. Middle East expert, I'm John Gager. Well,

122
00:06:30,130 --> 00:06:34,030
S1: the attacks by Iran and her proxies against Israel have

123
00:06:34,029 --> 00:06:38,440
S1: included missiles, rockets and drones as Israel's high tech defenses

124
00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:42,039
S1: continue to evolve to face these attacks. What lessons can

125
00:06:42,070 --> 00:06:44,590
S1: the West learn from Israel's response?

126
00:06:44,620 --> 00:06:47,380
S2: Yeah, we all know about the success of Israel's Iron

127
00:06:47,410 --> 00:06:51,010
S2: Dome system, and the current conflict also showcased the success

128
00:06:51,010 --> 00:06:53,830
S2: of its longer range systems like David's Sling and the

129
00:06:53,830 --> 00:06:57,640
S2: arrow system, which have. Taken down longer range ballistic missiles,

130
00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:00,520
S2: but Iran and its proxies developed. Tactics to test the

131
00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:04,360
S2: limitations of all these systems. And they did find some weaknesses.

132
00:07:04,540 --> 00:07:08,020
S2: One weakness is cost. The cost to shoot down rockets

133
00:07:08,020 --> 00:07:11,410
S2: and missiles is high. And. Israel has experienced times when

134
00:07:11,410 --> 00:07:14,980
S2: its supply of interceptors has dwindled. It costs far less

135
00:07:14,980 --> 00:07:17,560
S2: to produce the drones and rockets than it does for

136
00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:20,260
S2: Israel to. Defend against them. And they've also been able

137
00:07:20,260 --> 00:07:24,670
S2: to overwhelm Israel's defenses by. Launching scores of rockets simultaneously,

138
00:07:24,670 --> 00:07:28,060
S2: allowing some to make it through. Drones have proven to

139
00:07:28,090 --> 00:07:32,170
S2: be even more effective. Israel has had less success locating

140
00:07:32,170 --> 00:07:35,110
S2: in shooting down drones since they fly so close to

141
00:07:35,140 --> 00:07:38,620
S2: the ground, evading radar. The drone that hit the Prime

142
00:07:38,620 --> 00:07:42,490
S2: Minister's home in Caesarea is just one example. More soldiers

143
00:07:42,490 --> 00:07:45,730
S2: have been killed by drones than by rockets. So what

144
00:07:45,730 --> 00:07:48,130
S2: are some of the lessons Israel has learned? Well, they

145
00:07:48,130 --> 00:07:50,170
S2: learned they need to have a system that uses more

146
00:07:50,170 --> 00:07:53,560
S2: than just radar to detect drones. They're now developing a

147
00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:58,240
S2: system that uses wireless technology, deep signal processing, and machine

148
00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:01,720
S2: learning to detect and intercept them. They've also learned not

149
00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,480
S2: to focus on just the missiles and drones, but the

150
00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:08,740
S2: infrastructure behind them. They destroyed the factories in Iran, making

151
00:08:08,740 --> 00:08:12,370
S2: the solid rocket propellant for missiles in Lebanon. They focused

152
00:08:12,370 --> 00:08:17,200
S2: on the drone operators firing positions, assembly sites, underground bases

153
00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:22,090
S2: and storage centers. Now, this required solid intelligence gathering. Finally,

154
00:08:22,090 --> 00:08:25,780
S2: they learned to push for new, lower cost defensive alternatives.

155
00:08:25,780 --> 00:08:28,210
S2: They hope to have their ion beam system up and

156
00:08:28,210 --> 00:08:30,940
S2: running next year, as well as what they're calling the

157
00:08:30,940 --> 00:08:35,260
S2: Light Beam Short Range Laser system to protect vehicles from

158
00:08:35,260 --> 00:08:38,830
S2: drones and mortars. The operational cost for these new systems

159
00:08:38,830 --> 00:08:41,680
S2: will actually be less than the cost of the drones

160
00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:44,140
S2: used by the enemy. The key lessons in all this

161
00:08:44,140 --> 00:08:47,410
S2: for the West are these don't depend on just expensive

162
00:08:47,410 --> 00:08:52,300
S2: high tech systems. develop a multi-layered defense and be prepared

163
00:08:52,300 --> 00:08:55,300
S2: to respond to changing tactics, and look for ways to

164
00:08:55,330 --> 00:08:58,780
S2: leverage technology to make it all as low cost and

165
00:08:58,780 --> 00:09:00,610
S2: cost effective as possible.

166
00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:04,000
S1: Well, it sounds like good wisdom to me. Samaritan's purse

167
00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:08,050
S1: continues to offer practical ministry help to the people of Israel.

168
00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,470
S1: Describe the impact that Franklin Graham and his organization have

169
00:09:11,470 --> 00:09:14,380
S1: had on Israel over the past year. Yeah.

170
00:09:14,380 --> 00:09:17,410
S2: When Israel was attacked on October 7th, two results immediately

171
00:09:17,410 --> 00:09:20,020
S2: became apparent here in the U.S. the first was the

172
00:09:20,020 --> 00:09:23,650
S2: rise in anti-Semitism. Israel was shocked to see the hatred

173
00:09:23,650 --> 00:09:27,730
S2: and hostility that spread across our country. The second result

174
00:09:27,730 --> 00:09:30,939
S2: was the willingness of evangelical Christians to take a stand

175
00:09:30,940 --> 00:09:33,340
S2: for Israel and come to her aid in her hour

176
00:09:33,370 --> 00:09:36,220
S2: of need. One of the greatest examples of this was

177
00:09:36,220 --> 00:09:39,550
S2: Franklin Graham and Samaritan's Purse. Within days, they sent an

178
00:09:39,550 --> 00:09:41,860
S2: advance team to see what they could do to offer

179
00:09:41,860 --> 00:09:44,500
S2: practical help. You know, when we were there back in March,

180
00:09:44,500 --> 00:09:47,110
S2: we met with two of those team leaders, including one

181
00:09:47,110 --> 00:09:50,800
S2: who's a graduate of Moody Bible Institute. Samaritan's purse quickly

182
00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:53,470
S2: seized on the need to replace the ambulances that were

183
00:09:53,470 --> 00:09:56,170
S2: destroyed on October 7th. We were there just a few

184
00:09:56,170 --> 00:10:00,460
S2: weeks after Samaritan's Purse dedicated the 14 fully equipped ambulances

185
00:10:00,460 --> 00:10:03,550
S2: they had sent. They've since committed to provide an additional

186
00:10:03,580 --> 00:10:07,450
S2: 28 armored ambulances, which are now starting to arrive. Those

187
00:10:07,450 --> 00:10:10,000
S2: are better prepared to operate in areas like the border

188
00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,690
S2: communities that have been attacked. Samaritan's purse also committed to

189
00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:16,750
S2: establish two new ambulance centers near the border with both

190
00:10:16,750 --> 00:10:20,470
S2: Gaza and Lebanon. Two realities emerge from all these donations.

191
00:10:20,470 --> 00:10:24,069
S2: The first is that Israel recognizes that evangelical believers do

192
00:10:24,100 --> 00:10:27,250
S2: care for them. The second is that Samaritan's Purse is

193
00:10:27,250 --> 00:10:30,700
S2: working with both Jewish and Arab believers while they're there.

194
00:10:30,730 --> 00:10:33,670
S2: These practical displays of love and support have opened doors

195
00:10:33,670 --> 00:10:36,640
S2: for local believers there to share their faith in very

196
00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:37,929
S2: practical ways.

197
00:10:37,929 --> 00:10:41,050
S1: Thank you Charlie. Well, a full program today. Coming up,

198
00:10:41,050 --> 00:10:44,140
S1: a conversation with Dana Gresh about the life of Esther.

199
00:10:44,170 --> 00:10:47,890
S1: Then it's Bible questions and answers and Charlie's devotional, so

200
00:10:47,890 --> 00:10:49,600
S1: don't miss any of it. As you stay with us

201
00:10:49,600 --> 00:11:06,880
S1: here for Moody Radio's The Land and the book. What's

202
00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:10,179
S1: your unique purpose? I mean, you weren't exactly born with

203
00:11:10,179 --> 00:11:13,000
S1: an instruction tag, right? But if you're a Christian, the

204
00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,780
S1: Bible offers an entire book of instructions. And there's no

205
00:11:16,780 --> 00:11:20,230
S1: better place to understand your calling than by studying the

206
00:11:20,230 --> 00:11:23,890
S1: life of Esther, who lived out her purpose pretty well.

207
00:11:23,890 --> 00:11:26,770
S1: This is the land and the book. I'm John Gager,

208
00:11:26,770 --> 00:11:30,069
S1: and before we join our special guest, Dannah Gresh, let's

209
00:11:30,070 --> 00:11:32,559
S1: focus our thoughts for a moment on being more effective

210
00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:37,480
S1: in loving our Jewish friends and neighbors for Christ. Sometimes

211
00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:39,640
S1: you and I are reluctant to engage a Jewish friend

212
00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:42,880
S1: in conversation, because we presume that they know more about

213
00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:46,350
S1: the Bible than us. Should we think that way? And

214
00:11:46,350 --> 00:11:49,020
S1: if we do, are we right or wrong? Gregg Savitt,

215
00:11:49,050 --> 00:11:49,890
S1: your thoughts?

216
00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:53,340
S3: Well, that's a common misconception that Jewish people are people

217
00:11:53,340 --> 00:11:56,610
S3: of the book. People that know the New Testament and

218
00:11:56,610 --> 00:12:02,069
S3: love Jesus. There's over 880 allusions to the Old Testament

219
00:12:02,070 --> 00:12:08,220
S3: and 250 direct quotations. So Christian, just by their faith

220
00:12:08,220 --> 00:12:11,550
S3: in the New Testament, know so much more about the

221
00:12:11,550 --> 00:12:15,900
S3: Old Testament than Jewish people. Jon, I can't tell you

222
00:12:15,900 --> 00:12:19,530
S3: how many hundreds of times Gentiles have told me that

223
00:12:19,530 --> 00:12:23,130
S3: when they witness to their Jewish friends who are not believers,

224
00:12:23,130 --> 00:12:27,570
S3: they say, you know so much more about my Bible,

225
00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:31,620
S3: about Jewish holidays than I do. How can you do that? And,

226
00:12:31,650 --> 00:12:35,610
S3: you know, Paul talks about making somebody being jealous. You know,

227
00:12:35,610 --> 00:12:38,550
S3: and I think that's highly a Jewish thing, is that

228
00:12:38,550 --> 00:12:41,220
S3: you know their religion better than they do.

229
00:12:41,550 --> 00:12:45,030
S1: That's Gregg Savitt, who serves with Rock of Israel Ministries

230
00:12:45,030 --> 00:12:49,440
S1: joining us on the land and the book Dannah Gresh

231
00:12:49,470 --> 00:12:52,680
S1: is a best selling author and the founder of True Girl,

232
00:12:52,710 --> 00:12:56,790
S1: a ministry just for tween girls and their moms. One

233
00:12:56,790 --> 00:12:59,880
S1: of Dana's latest books in the True Girls series is

234
00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:03,900
S1: Esther Becoming a Girl of Purpose from Moody Publishers. Hey,

235
00:13:03,900 --> 00:13:06,420
S1: welcome back to the land and the book, Dana.

236
00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:09,750
S4: Oh, I'm so thrilled to be back. Thanks for having me.

237
00:13:09,780 --> 00:13:11,010
S1: You know, I got to say, right off the bat,

238
00:13:11,010 --> 00:13:13,380
S1: it's a shame. This is just radio. No pictures. Because

239
00:13:13,380 --> 00:13:17,520
S1: I love, really love the colorful design of the pages

240
00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:21,750
S1: in this book, generously splashed with images and illustrations. It

241
00:13:21,750 --> 00:13:24,270
S1: seems to me, in a visually oriented culture like ours,

242
00:13:24,270 --> 00:13:28,410
S1: that communicates something to kids these days. Something good. Your thoughts?

243
00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:32,340
S4: Yeah, that's really important. You know, with the attention span

244
00:13:32,340 --> 00:13:36,120
S4: that they have, um, they need that. And when we

245
00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:40,140
S4: started designing things for True Girl, we went to the

246
00:13:40,140 --> 00:13:45,120
S4: bookstore and we said, who is attracting these girls. And

247
00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,689
S4: it was the American girls line, and they just set

248
00:13:48,690 --> 00:13:51,630
S4: the standard for how things look. And yet they don't

249
00:13:51,630 --> 00:13:54,780
S4: always have content that leads you to biblical truth. Right.

250
00:13:54,809 --> 00:13:59,010
S4: And so we wanted to create something that would sit

251
00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:02,490
S4: on a shelf in a bookstore next to an American

252
00:14:02,490 --> 00:14:08,309
S4: Girl product and compete visually and quality wise, but attract

253
00:14:08,309 --> 00:14:12,150
S4: them because there is biblical truth in it. So that's

254
00:14:12,150 --> 00:14:14,040
S4: really important to us, and we're proud of that.

255
00:14:14,070 --> 00:14:17,819
S1: All right. Beyond the obvious visual appeal, we crack open

256
00:14:17,820 --> 00:14:21,060
S1: the book itself. And there you write. God's story and

257
00:14:21,060 --> 00:14:25,140
S1: purpose isn't complete yet, and it's continuing with you. It

258
00:14:25,140 --> 00:14:27,570
S1: seems to me that's a message that every girl and

259
00:14:27,570 --> 00:14:30,480
S1: boy and adult needs to hear. How would we live

260
00:14:30,510 --> 00:14:33,180
S1: differently if we really believed that, Dana?

261
00:14:33,540 --> 00:14:37,800
S4: Mhm. We would definitely live differently. You know, Esther was

262
00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:42,960
S4: a girl who didn't live for her own Satisfaction. I mean,

263
00:14:42,990 --> 00:14:45,840
S4: we're reading a story about a teen girl who gets

264
00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:51,180
S4: taken away. She is trafficked, essentially, and yet she walks

265
00:14:51,180 --> 00:14:54,990
S4: with dignity and grace on the pages of Scripture and

266
00:14:54,990 --> 00:14:57,989
S4: fulfills the purpose of God's big plan. When she went

267
00:14:57,990 --> 00:15:02,729
S4: before King Xerxes and risked her life. She was laying

268
00:15:02,730 --> 00:15:05,460
S4: her life down for the bigger plan of God's purpose

269
00:15:05,460 --> 00:15:08,310
S4: and will. And that's what we exist for. We exist

270
00:15:08,340 --> 00:15:13,290
S4: to glorify him, to serve him, to enjoy him, and

271
00:15:13,290 --> 00:15:15,990
S4: to be enjoyed by him. And she gets that. Esther

272
00:15:16,020 --> 00:15:19,800
S4: got that. And I am so excited about taking tween

273
00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:21,989
S4: girls and their moms into the pages of Esther to

274
00:15:22,020 --> 00:15:25,080
S4: have new eyes, to see how that might work in

275
00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:26,010
S4: our lives.

276
00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:30,420
S1: You outline your Bible study around four z words, and

277
00:15:30,450 --> 00:15:32,910
S1: though you've intended this for kids, I think we adults

278
00:15:32,940 --> 00:15:35,729
S1: could benefit from these as well. Let's look at each one,

279
00:15:35,730 --> 00:15:39,000
S1: starting with zoom in. What do you intend for us

280
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:40,320
S1: at this stage, Dana?

281
00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:40,320
S5: It.

282
00:15:40,410 --> 00:15:43,229
S4: Yeah. The four Z method of Bible study. This is

283
00:15:43,230 --> 00:15:46,890
S4: a true girl signature, but not really because it's just

284
00:15:46,890 --> 00:15:50,880
S4: a simplified, inductive Bible study method. But it's a whole

285
00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:54,450
S4: lot more graspable for the 8 to 12 year old

286
00:15:54,450 --> 00:15:56,820
S4: mind when we say, hey, you got to zoom in,

287
00:15:56,850 --> 00:15:58,710
S4: you got to zoom out, you got to zero in,

288
00:15:58,740 --> 00:16:01,350
S4: you got to zip it up. And they remember that.

289
00:16:01,350 --> 00:16:06,870
S4: So zooming in this is zooming into the details, the particulars. Like,

290
00:16:06,900 --> 00:16:10,410
S4: you know, this morning I was meditating on Psalm 92

291
00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:13,980
S4: verse 12. And the word flourished really stuck out to me.

292
00:16:13,980 --> 00:16:15,720
S4: So I was like, what does flourish mean? Let's look

293
00:16:15,750 --> 00:16:18,630
S4: at what the Hebrew word for flourish was, and then

294
00:16:18,630 --> 00:16:20,970
S4: let's look at the dictionary. What does the dictionary say

295
00:16:20,970 --> 00:16:23,040
S4: about this word and stuff like that. So that's really

296
00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:27,240
S4: just becoming familiar with maybe one word or maybe one character.

297
00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:29,880
S4: So maybe just getting to know who was Mordecai. What

298
00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:32,760
S4: would we know about Jewish men in that day and age?

299
00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:35,730
S4: What would we know about Jewish men living in that time,

300
00:16:35,730 --> 00:16:38,250
S4: living in that city in that day and age? And

301
00:16:38,250 --> 00:16:40,800
S4: you just really take one word and you become super

302
00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,560
S4: familiar with it. And that's a whole lot easier if

303
00:16:43,590 --> 00:16:46,020
S4: you zoom out. So that's the second you can zoom

304
00:16:46,020 --> 00:16:50,160
S4: in or zoom out first. But zooming out then is like, okay,

305
00:16:50,190 --> 00:16:53,820
S4: the city of Susa, what do we know? Well, we

306
00:16:53,820 --> 00:16:57,810
S4: know that being Jewish in that day and age was

307
00:16:57,810 --> 00:17:01,620
S4: a great risk. It's much like being Jewish or being

308
00:17:01,620 --> 00:17:03,630
S4: a believer in the Middle East is today. It's a

309
00:17:03,630 --> 00:17:07,229
S4: great risk to be a Christian in Iran, where Susa

310
00:17:07,230 --> 00:17:10,860
S4: would have been. It's a great recipe. Jewish in Iran,

311
00:17:10,859 --> 00:17:12,840
S4: where Susa would have been. And so you start to

312
00:17:12,869 --> 00:17:16,050
S4: get the broad view of the stuff that I'm reading

313
00:17:16,050 --> 00:17:18,090
S4: have to do. And when you do those two things,

314
00:17:18,090 --> 00:17:21,750
S4: you start to really understand something about the Scripture, at

315
00:17:21,780 --> 00:17:25,440
S4: least for that time and that area. So zoom in,

316
00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:29,520
S4: zoom out, and then zero in. Now we're starting to say,

317
00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,550
S4: what does this mean for me today? So when a

318
00:17:32,550 --> 00:17:37,109
S4: little girl learns that Esther is not considering her own life,

319
00:17:37,109 --> 00:17:40,560
S4: but she's laying it down. We can go to Scripture

320
00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:43,320
S4: that teaches us in the New Testament that we're supposed

321
00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:46,169
S4: to be laying our lives down for others, to that

322
00:17:46,170 --> 00:17:49,980
S4: we're supposed to be emulating the sacrificial life of Christ

323
00:17:50,010 --> 00:17:53,970
S4: and then zip it up. That's what we do. We

324
00:17:53,970 --> 00:17:56,490
S4: talk to God in prayer. We zip all of our

325
00:17:56,490 --> 00:18:01,080
S4: zooming and zeroing up in prayer to God. And we say, Lord,

326
00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:03,900
S4: help me to live like Esther. Help me to live

327
00:18:03,930 --> 00:18:07,350
S4: not full of and consumed by my own passions and

328
00:18:07,350 --> 00:18:09,660
S4: my own wills. But what is your will for my life?

329
00:18:09,660 --> 00:18:11,640
S4: And what do you want me to do for such

330
00:18:11,670 --> 00:18:14,459
S4: a time as this, in this culture? So that's the

331
00:18:14,460 --> 00:18:15,720
S4: Fawzi method of Bible study.

332
00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:18,900
S1: Pretty simple if you just dropped into our conversation. Our

333
00:18:18,900 --> 00:18:21,929
S1: guest today on the land and the book is Dannah Gresh.

334
00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:24,629
S1: We're exploring the life of Esther as we hit the

335
00:18:24,630 --> 00:18:28,110
S1: highlights in her new Moody Publishers book. You write that

336
00:18:28,109 --> 00:18:32,070
S1: nothing and no one can stop God's purpose for your life. Well,

337
00:18:32,070 --> 00:18:34,859
S1: that is so empowering. Where do you think that message

338
00:18:34,890 --> 00:18:37,139
S1: ought to land with girls who are reading this book.

339
00:18:37,170 --> 00:18:38,610
S1: And what's your hope there?

340
00:18:39,180 --> 00:18:41,790
S4: Well, so this is a really big piece of the

341
00:18:41,790 --> 00:18:45,270
S4: book of Esther, right? Because we have Haman, the bad guy,

342
00:18:45,300 --> 00:18:48,510
S4: coming into the picture, and he is determined to wipe

343
00:18:48,510 --> 00:18:51,990
S4: out the Jewish people, which wouldn't be the first or

344
00:18:51,990 --> 00:18:55,230
S4: last time that somebody wanted to wipe out the special

345
00:18:55,230 --> 00:18:59,820
S4: chosen people of God. But where Esther, the protagonist, is

346
00:18:59,820 --> 00:19:03,600
S4: in an impossible situation where there's absolutely there are laws

347
00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:08,100
S4: on the books to where Xerxes giving Haman that permission

348
00:19:08,100 --> 00:19:13,050
S4: can't be overridden like it is impossible. Nothing could possibly

349
00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:17,280
S4: save the Jewish people. And yet the Jewish people are saved.

350
00:19:17,490 --> 00:19:21,660
S4: King Xerxes thinks of a loophole and he says, you know,

351
00:19:21,690 --> 00:19:24,210
S4: we're going to do it this way. And in doing so,

352
00:19:24,210 --> 00:19:27,450
S4: he allows the Jewish people to rise up to protect themselves.

353
00:19:27,450 --> 00:19:31,740
S4: And he can't override the decree he's already signed. But

354
00:19:31,740 --> 00:19:35,609
S4: because of Esther's courage and because she stepped into the

355
00:19:35,609 --> 00:19:39,210
S4: plan and the purpose that God appointed her to. He

356
00:19:39,210 --> 00:19:42,210
S4: is able to override that law and the Jewish people

357
00:19:42,210 --> 00:19:45,720
S4: instead of looking back with mourning and like we do

358
00:19:45,750 --> 00:19:48,899
S4: on nine over 11, instead of looking back on what

359
00:19:48,930 --> 00:19:54,330
S4: Sousa could have meant had Haman been successful, they throw

360
00:19:54,330 --> 00:19:57,720
S4: a party called Purim, which is a party that's still

361
00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:01,679
S4: celebrated today. They still make these triangular shaped, jelly filled

362
00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:05,670
S4: cookies that Jewish families grow up loving. But they have

363
00:20:05,670 --> 00:20:08,400
S4: meaning in those cookies. Those cookies have purpose because they're

364
00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:11,850
S4: reminding them God delivered us when it looked like we

365
00:20:11,850 --> 00:20:16,350
S4: could not be saved. He used Queen Esther to keep

366
00:20:16,350 --> 00:20:18,870
S4: the Jewish line alive and well. And it's just a

367
00:20:18,869 --> 00:20:23,310
S4: beautiful reminder to all of us that when everything looks dark, despondent,

368
00:20:23,310 --> 00:20:27,810
S4: and hopeless, our circumstances don't get the last say. God

369
00:20:27,810 --> 00:20:30,869
S4: gets the last say in our lives. His plan cannot

370
00:20:30,869 --> 00:20:31,859
S4: be thwarted.

371
00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:35,600
S1: So, Dana, what is the most important idea that you

372
00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:38,570
S1: want girls to hang on to once they've studied the

373
00:20:38,570 --> 00:20:39,590
S1: life of Esther?

374
00:20:40,100 --> 00:20:43,820
S4: That God will invite them into his purpose and plan.

375
00:20:43,820 --> 00:20:47,090
S4: And that's kind of what happened to Esther. I'm burdened

376
00:20:47,090 --> 00:20:52,460
S4: right now that we really are seeing such complacency in

377
00:20:52,460 --> 00:20:56,690
S4: young adults and teenagers in terms of meaning and purpose.

378
00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:59,990
S4: You know, we really are seeing them not being called

379
00:20:59,990 --> 00:21:03,500
S4: to rise up to something beyond themselves, but they want

380
00:21:03,530 --> 00:21:07,070
S4: to do kind of what they feel like doing and

381
00:21:07,070 --> 00:21:10,850
S4: not necessarily hard things. And yet in the book of Esther,

382
00:21:10,850 --> 00:21:14,570
S4: we see Esther being invited by God into his big

383
00:21:14,570 --> 00:21:19,760
S4: plan and sacrificially serving in that spot. And so I

384
00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:23,119
S4: guess for those times when your teenage daughter or your

385
00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:26,330
S4: college daughter or your young adult daughter doesn't have an

386
00:21:26,330 --> 00:21:29,750
S4: Etsy page that is exploding, or she isn't an influencer

387
00:21:29,750 --> 00:21:32,210
S4: on social media or all these other things she's comparing

388
00:21:32,210 --> 00:21:34,970
S4: yourself to. And she's like, I don't know. I'm not

389
00:21:34,970 --> 00:21:37,550
S4: doing big things, so maybe I don't have a purpose.

390
00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,220
S4: That's not true. That's a lie from the pit of hell.

391
00:21:40,250 --> 00:21:43,820
S4: God has created her with purpose. It is to glorify

392
00:21:43,820 --> 00:21:47,060
S4: him and to enjoy him forever. And he is going

393
00:21:47,060 --> 00:21:50,270
S4: to invite her into that purpose in the perfect time

394
00:21:50,270 --> 00:21:52,939
S4: and the perfect way, in a way that honors and

395
00:21:52,940 --> 00:21:55,159
S4: glorifies him. And she is going to enjoy it, and

396
00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:56,330
S4: she is going to love it.

397
00:21:56,540 --> 00:21:59,540
S1: That's Dannah Gresh, who is a bestselling author and the

398
00:21:59,540 --> 00:22:03,050
S1: founder of True Girl, a ministry just for tween girls

399
00:22:03,050 --> 00:22:05,210
S1: and their moms. It's an honor to have her with

400
00:22:05,210 --> 00:22:07,730
S1: us today on the land and the book. I'm curious,

401
00:22:07,730 --> 00:22:11,840
S1: any reaction to this series so far? Or maybe this

402
00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:13,790
S1: book in particular, the True Girl series?

403
00:22:14,420 --> 00:22:17,240
S4: Oh, moms love it. We actually have an online Bible

404
00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:21,800
S4: study we do every fall based on one character of

405
00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:25,700
S4: the Bible, Miriam. Ruth. This fall, it's Esther. It starts

406
00:22:25,700 --> 00:22:28,640
S4: in two weeks. You can learn about that at my gurl.com.

407
00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:31,850
S4: And moms can really just take girls through this Bible

408
00:22:31,850 --> 00:22:35,449
S4: study on their own, or they can join us for

409
00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:37,850
S4: that online Bible study. And we kind of facilitated to

410
00:22:37,850 --> 00:22:40,340
S4: make it fun for them. They get to interact with

411
00:22:40,340 --> 00:22:42,470
S4: some of the other girls around the nation and the

412
00:22:42,470 --> 00:22:45,560
S4: world who are learning the Fawzi method of Bible study.

413
00:22:45,590 --> 00:22:48,350
S4: We have thousands of moms go through these studies with

414
00:22:48,350 --> 00:22:52,369
S4: us every year, and what we hear is two things.

415
00:22:52,369 --> 00:22:58,130
S4: One is girls discover that the Lord really does speak

416
00:22:58,130 --> 00:23:01,340
S4: to them through Scripture, not through their pastor, not through

417
00:23:01,340 --> 00:23:04,160
S4: their Sunday school teacher, not through a Bible teacher, or

418
00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,490
S4: not even their parents. The Lord speaks to them through

419
00:23:07,490 --> 00:23:10,609
S4: the scriptures when they learn the Fawzi method of Bible study.

420
00:23:10,609 --> 00:23:12,920
S4: And the other thing I love hearing this is so

421
00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:16,070
S4: cool is that when moms take our Bible studies, especially

422
00:23:16,070 --> 00:23:19,340
S4: our online version, they say, oh, this is amazing, but

423
00:23:19,340 --> 00:23:20,960
S4: I've been in my Bible. I've been reading it, but

424
00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,629
S4: I wasn't studying it. Even learning this Fawzi method of

425
00:23:23,630 --> 00:23:27,169
S4: Bible study, I am seeing scripture with new eyes and

426
00:23:27,170 --> 00:23:30,290
S4: I think I'm handling it with more accuracy. So we

427
00:23:30,290 --> 00:23:32,960
S4: love hearing that. We love hearing that there's growth in

428
00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:35,480
S4: these girls and growth in the moms, too. As we

429
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:36,650
S4: study God's Word together.

430
00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:39,919
S1: Hey, what's one aspect of the character of Esther that

431
00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:44,060
S1: maybe you never really saw before you created this Bible study?

432
00:23:44,060 --> 00:23:46,100
S1: Anything that caught you by surprise? Dana.

433
00:23:46,130 --> 00:23:48,710
S4: Okay, so it's not even a biblical thing, but it's super.

434
00:23:48,740 --> 00:23:51,020
S4: It's an archaeological thing. And I think you geek out

435
00:23:51,020 --> 00:23:52,580
S4: on archaeology. So can we geek out?

436
00:23:52,609 --> 00:23:53,480
S6: Go for it.

437
00:23:53,630 --> 00:23:57,649
S4: Way back in the 1800s, some French archaeologists did some

438
00:23:57,650 --> 00:24:01,879
S4: serious digging in Iran, and they uncovered the ancient city

439
00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:05,210
S4: of Susa. It is one of the few places in

440
00:24:05,210 --> 00:24:08,810
S4: the world where we can go and stand in the

441
00:24:08,810 --> 00:24:12,470
S4: exact spot where Esther would have been risking her life,

442
00:24:12,470 --> 00:24:16,429
S4: and Xerxes extended the scepter to her, the exact spot

443
00:24:16,460 --> 00:24:20,479
S4: where Queen Vashti was banished. Because we know where the

444
00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:24,290
S4: ballroom was, we know the spot where Mordecai stood. And

445
00:24:24,290 --> 00:24:27,440
S4: what's really interesting to me is not only do we

446
00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:31,109
S4: have this archaeological dig. But the Book of Esther, it's

447
00:24:31,109 --> 00:24:33,900
S4: almost like God knew. You're going to find this place

448
00:24:33,900 --> 00:24:36,480
S4: one day, and I want you to be sure that

449
00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:39,540
S4: this is it. So the book of Esther gives so

450
00:24:39,540 --> 00:24:42,780
S4: many details, like that Queen Esther stepped out of her

451
00:24:42,780 --> 00:24:46,920
S4: chamber and turned, and she went into the King's chamber. Well,

452
00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:49,500
S4: when we dug up Susa, we found the. Would have

453
00:24:49,500 --> 00:24:53,130
S4: been the Harem's chamber, the concubines chamber. And there was

454
00:24:53,130 --> 00:24:55,800
S4: a private throne room that the king had for like

455
00:24:55,830 --> 00:25:00,060
S4: closer extended family and friends, not the big throne room,

456
00:25:00,060 --> 00:25:02,550
S4: which would have been in the palace. And the Book

457
00:25:02,550 --> 00:25:04,980
S4: of Esther just describes exactly how she would have stepped

458
00:25:04,980 --> 00:25:08,040
S4: out of it, stood and turned. And there she is.

459
00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,770
S4: So it gives me chills. And it's not that we

460
00:25:10,770 --> 00:25:14,250
S4: need archaeology to prove the Bible, but every now and

461
00:25:14,250 --> 00:25:17,850
S4: then we have these wonderful glimpses of this book can

462
00:25:17,850 --> 00:25:20,790
S4: be trusted because we dug this place up, and it's

463
00:25:20,790 --> 00:25:23,609
S4: laid out exactly as described in the Book of Esther.

464
00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:25,560
S4: That just gives me chills.

465
00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:27,980
S1: I love it, I love it too, and I really

466
00:25:27,980 --> 00:25:30,260
S1: appreciate you bringing those details to our attention. I had

467
00:25:30,260 --> 00:25:33,170
S1: no idea. Hey, if you're a parent, you're a grandparent.

468
00:25:33,170 --> 00:25:35,960
S1: You got tween girls in your life. You need this book.

469
00:25:35,990 --> 00:25:38,360
S1: Esther becoming a girl of purpose. It's in the True

470
00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:41,570
S1: Girls series from Dannah Gresh and Moody Publishers. A link

471
00:25:41,570 --> 00:25:45,470
S1: is at our website. The land and the book. Org. Dana,

472
00:25:45,470 --> 00:25:48,200
S1: thank you as always for your time. Appreciate your insights.

473
00:25:48,230 --> 00:25:50,030
S7: My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

474
00:25:50,060 --> 00:25:52,399
S1: All right. Looking forward to Charlie Dyer rejoining us at

475
00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:55,820
S1: the microphone for his answers to your Bible questions next.

476
00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:08,960
S1: Hope you're having a great day. This is the land

477
00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:12,020
S1: and the book from Moody Radio. I'm John Gager, our host,

478
00:26:12,020 --> 00:26:16,399
S1: as always, the cheery Charlie Dyer. He's got his Bible open. Why, Charlie?

479
00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:17,780
S1: Why is that Bible open?

480
00:26:17,900 --> 00:26:20,300
S2: Uh, because people have questions about the Bible. And when

481
00:26:20,300 --> 00:26:21,920
S2: they have questions, we want to have answers.

482
00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:24,980
S1: That's right. Well, here's a thought to process as the

483
00:26:24,980 --> 00:26:28,160
S1: end of this year approaches, many world events have left

484
00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:31,550
S1: us wondering what God's plan is for the future, and

485
00:26:31,550 --> 00:26:34,310
S1: this is especially true when it comes to Israel. Despite

486
00:26:34,310 --> 00:26:37,850
S1: its small size, people around the world are intensely focused

487
00:26:37,850 --> 00:26:41,479
S1: on what takes place there. So are today's headlines somehow

488
00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:45,080
S1: connected with prophecies in the Bible? How should followers of

489
00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:49,280
S1: Jesus interpret current events as we await his second coming? Charlie.

490
00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:51,919
S2: Well, that's a great question. And to help provide answers

491
00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,920
S2: to that question, our friends at Life and Messiah encourage

492
00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:57,830
S2: you to check out their book, God, Israel, and Bible

493
00:26:57,830 --> 00:27:01,730
S2: Prophecy with Scripture as its foundation. This book will take

494
00:27:01,730 --> 00:27:04,340
S2: you on a journey into what God has in store

495
00:27:04,340 --> 00:27:07,429
S2: for the Jewish people and the nations. The book is

496
00:27:07,430 --> 00:27:10,640
S2: for anyone who wants to explore where modern day events

497
00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:14,689
S2: fit on God's grand timeline. If that's you or someone

498
00:27:14,690 --> 00:27:17,990
S2: you know, this would be a great resource or gift.

499
00:27:17,990 --> 00:27:21,410
S2: Visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody

500
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,440
S2: Radio button to find out how you can receive your

501
00:27:24,470 --> 00:27:30,590
S2: copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org.

502
00:27:30,740 --> 00:27:33,710
S1: All right. Question number one for today comes from Todd.

503
00:27:33,710 --> 00:27:37,010
S1: He says, can you provide any insight on Jeremiah 12

504
00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:39,800
S1: verse two? Charlie, I know you love the prophet Jeremiah.

505
00:27:39,830 --> 00:27:42,170
S2: Oh, I do, and I see Jeremiah 12 in light

506
00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:44,900
S2: of what took place, actually in the first 11 chapters,

507
00:27:44,900 --> 00:27:48,800
S2: in chapters 1 to 10. Jeremiah's basic message was repent

508
00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:52,460
S2: or else. Chapter 11 then parallels the revival under King

509
00:27:52,460 --> 00:27:56,119
S2: Josiah in second Kings 22 and 23, the book of

510
00:27:56,119 --> 00:27:59,060
S2: the law was discovered in the temple. Josiah held a

511
00:27:59,060 --> 00:28:02,750
S2: public covenant renewal ceremony. Now to Jeremiah, it looked as

512
00:28:02,750 --> 00:28:05,390
S2: if his years of ministry to that point were finally

513
00:28:05,390 --> 00:28:08,000
S2: starting to pay off, as he now called on the

514
00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,060
S2: people to listen to the words of this covenant. But

515
00:28:11,060 --> 00:28:13,700
S2: then in chapter 11, verses 18 to 21, he was

516
00:28:13,700 --> 00:28:17,240
S2: confronted with the reality that the people weren't going to repent. Instead,

517
00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:19,520
S2: they planned to kill him. And all of that then

518
00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:22,790
S2: leads to Jeremiah's realization and his complaint to God in

519
00:28:22,790 --> 00:28:25,840
S2: chapter 12. In fact, Jeremiah began by bringing a court

520
00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:29,530
S2: case against God, and he specifically focused on God's justice

521
00:28:29,530 --> 00:28:33,790
S2: or from Jeremiah's perspective, God's apparent lack of justice. He

522
00:28:33,790 --> 00:28:36,129
S2: asks in verse one why the way of the wicked

523
00:28:36,130 --> 00:28:38,500
S2: seems to prosper. And then here comes that verse in

524
00:28:38,500 --> 00:28:42,070
S2: verse two without waiting for God to answer, Jeremiah supplies

525
00:28:42,070 --> 00:28:44,920
S2: what looks to him like the obvious answer it's God's fault.

526
00:28:44,950 --> 00:28:48,070
S2: He says, you planted them and they've taken root. In

527
00:28:48,070 --> 00:28:52,420
S2: other words, Jeremiah is accusing God of mismanagement from his perspective.

528
00:28:52,450 --> 00:28:55,450
S2: God's listening to the words these people are speaking and

529
00:28:55,450 --> 00:28:59,680
S2: overlooking their evil character. In verse three, Jeremiah tells God

530
00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:02,440
S2: what he ought to be doing. In such cases, he says,

531
00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:06,610
S2: drag him off like sheep to be butchered. Jeremiah, in effect,

532
00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:09,580
S2: rests his case by calling on God to judge the

533
00:29:09,580 --> 00:29:12,100
S2: wicked people who threaten to kill him. It's as if

534
00:29:12,100 --> 00:29:15,340
S2: Jeremiah is viewing God as his own personal attack dog,

535
00:29:15,340 --> 00:29:18,370
S2: and he finally says to God, sic em! Now some

536
00:29:18,370 --> 00:29:21,340
S2: are shocked when they read that, but actually, I personally

537
00:29:21,370 --> 00:29:25,000
S2: find it incredibly refreshing because it shows Jeremiah was just

538
00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,060
S2: like us in his personal struggles and as he's so

539
00:29:28,060 --> 00:29:30,550
S2: open and honest with God. Well, God responds the same

540
00:29:30,550 --> 00:29:33,130
S2: way to him. God's answer is in chapter 12, and

541
00:29:33,130 --> 00:29:35,590
S2: it's classic. He says, if you're raised with men on

542
00:29:35,590 --> 00:29:37,720
S2: foot and they've worn you out, how are you? Compete

543
00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:40,900
S2: with horses. If you stumble in safe country, how will

544
00:29:40,900 --> 00:29:43,600
S2: you manage in the thickets by the Jordan? In other words,

545
00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:45,580
S2: he says, hey Jeremiah, I never said it was going

546
00:29:45,610 --> 00:29:48,010
S2: to be easy. In fact, in chapter one, when he

547
00:29:48,010 --> 00:29:50,020
S2: called him, he already told Jeremiah how tough it was

548
00:29:50,020 --> 00:29:52,300
S2: going to be. He says, if you're having troubles already,

549
00:29:52,300 --> 00:29:54,670
S2: you know, running this Boston Marathon, what are you going

550
00:29:54,700 --> 00:29:56,980
S2: to do when I have you run in the Kentucky Derby?

551
00:29:57,010 --> 00:29:59,680
S2: If you're struggling here in the safe country of the hills,

552
00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:00,910
S2: what are you going to do when I have you

553
00:30:00,940 --> 00:30:04,570
S2: hack your way through the Jordan Valley? That's the dire translation,

554
00:30:04,570 --> 00:30:07,000
S2: by the way. But I think what Jeremiah asks a

555
00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,610
S2: hard question, at least what he thinks is a hard question.

556
00:30:09,610 --> 00:30:12,700
S2: And God provides a very honest and refreshing answer.

557
00:30:12,730 --> 00:30:16,150
S1: Jerry says, we've been studying Ezekiel and the Millennial Temple,

558
00:30:16,150 --> 00:30:18,940
S1: and I'd like to know where are the raptured Christians

559
00:30:18,940 --> 00:30:22,030
S1: at this time? I know God's glory appears in this temple,

560
00:30:22,030 --> 00:30:24,250
S1: but where is Jesus and where are we?

561
00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:26,560
S2: Well, we know at the time of the rapture, Christians

562
00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:29,170
S2: are taken to heaven to be with the Lord. The

563
00:30:29,170 --> 00:30:32,020
S2: dead in Christ also receive their glorified bodies at that

564
00:30:32,020 --> 00:30:34,840
S2: same time. When Jesus then returns to earth at the

565
00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:37,810
S2: end of the tribulation period. I believe we also return

566
00:30:37,810 --> 00:30:40,900
S2: to earth with him in two Timothy 212. We're told

567
00:30:40,900 --> 00:30:43,450
S2: if we endure with him, we will also reign with him.

568
00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:45,610
S2: And I take that to mean we'll have positions of

569
00:30:45,610 --> 00:30:49,240
S2: authority in the Millennial Kingdom. So during the millennium, we're

570
00:30:49,270 --> 00:30:52,240
S2: citizens of the New Jerusalem. That's the dwelling place that

571
00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:55,870
S2: Christ prepared for us, according to John 14. But we'll

572
00:30:55,870 --> 00:30:58,630
S2: also be directly connected to Christ's reign here on earth

573
00:30:58,630 --> 00:31:01,810
S2: and have positions of authority during that time. And while

574
00:31:01,810 --> 00:31:04,570
S2: we're not told all the details of how that works,

575
00:31:04,570 --> 00:31:07,000
S2: I'm sure it's going to make perfect sense at that time.

576
00:31:07,030 --> 00:31:10,960
S1: Second question on Ezekiel from Vernon in chapter nine, verse four,

577
00:31:10,990 --> 00:31:13,270
S1: a mark was put on the foreheads of the men

578
00:31:13,300 --> 00:31:17,170
S1: who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed.

579
00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:19,510
S1: Does this mean that they were given a soft heart

580
00:31:19,510 --> 00:31:21,850
S1: in place of a stony heart to believe.

581
00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:24,490
S2: Well, the mark isn't the imparting of a new heart

582
00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:27,490
S2: on those who are grieving and lamenting. Their attitudes suggest

583
00:31:27,490 --> 00:31:30,340
S2: they were people who were already sorrowing over the evil

584
00:31:30,370 --> 00:31:33,940
S2: being done in Jerusalem. I suspect Jeremiah, the prophet who

585
00:31:33,940 --> 00:31:36,250
S2: lived in Jerusalem at this time, would have been one

586
00:31:36,250 --> 00:31:38,380
S2: of those who received the mark on that day. And

587
00:31:38,380 --> 00:31:40,300
S2: by the way, that mark was visible to God and

588
00:31:40,300 --> 00:31:43,360
S2: his angels, but it wasn't visible to anybody living in

589
00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:45,790
S2: Jerusalem at the time. So the point of the vision

590
00:31:45,790 --> 00:31:48,070
S2: is to show that God knew those who belonged to

591
00:31:48,070 --> 00:31:51,160
S2: him and was marking them for his protection in the

592
00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:53,320
S2: coming destruction of Jerusalem.

593
00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:56,980
S1: Vernon takes us to the Book of Ezekiel and points

594
00:31:56,980 --> 00:31:59,140
S1: out that in chapter three, verse six, it states that

595
00:31:59,140 --> 00:32:01,570
S1: the prophet will be speaking to a people who will

596
00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:04,780
S1: be able to understand, but will not listen. But had

597
00:32:04,780 --> 00:32:07,210
S1: the message been given to the people with a hard language,

598
00:32:07,210 --> 00:32:09,760
S1: would they have listened? Does this mean if they heard,

599
00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,190
S1: they would believe unto salvation? Well, I.

600
00:32:12,190 --> 00:32:14,770
S2: Think we need to take verses 4 to 6 actually

601
00:32:14,770 --> 00:32:17,890
S2: together there in chapter three. God is sending Ezekiel to

602
00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:20,890
S2: speak to the house of Israel. He says he's in captivity.

603
00:32:20,890 --> 00:32:23,500
S2: So the group he's speaking to are those who've already

604
00:32:23,500 --> 00:32:26,770
S2: been taken into captivity in Babylon. And God makes this

605
00:32:26,770 --> 00:32:28,960
S2: clear in verse 11 where he says to him, go

606
00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:31,870
S2: now to your own countrymen in exile, and speak to them.

607
00:32:31,900 --> 00:32:34,510
S2: God's point in these verses is that those who should

608
00:32:34,540 --> 00:32:37,570
S2: understand the message God is about to have him deliver,

609
00:32:37,660 --> 00:32:40,900
S2: because they have no language barrier. They'll be the ones

610
00:32:40,900 --> 00:32:43,150
S2: who will refuse to accept it. And I think the

611
00:32:43,150 --> 00:32:46,300
S2: point of comparison is that the pagan Babylonians would have

612
00:32:46,300 --> 00:32:49,210
S2: been more receptive to the message than his own fellow

613
00:32:49,210 --> 00:32:51,490
S2: countrymen to whom God was sending him.

614
00:32:52,150 --> 00:32:54,400
S1: Our question now from Sadie here on the land and

615
00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:57,640
S1: the book where we're taking questions from listeners, by the way,

616
00:32:57,640 --> 00:32:59,650
S1: I'll share our email address later. That's how you get

617
00:32:59,650 --> 00:33:03,070
S1: your question to us. She takes us to Proverbs 626,

618
00:33:03,070 --> 00:33:06,370
S1: pointing out that translators and scholars are divided on how

619
00:33:06,370 --> 00:33:09,820
S1: to translate and interpret it. Some scholars even claim that

620
00:33:09,820 --> 00:33:13,210
S1: the verse proves that visiting a prostitute was permitted for

621
00:33:13,210 --> 00:33:15,670
S1: a season. I know that the Lord and the Apostle

622
00:33:15,670 --> 00:33:17,770
S1: Paul would forbid this, but that's in the New Testament.

623
00:33:17,770 --> 00:33:22,270
S1: I'm asking specifically what was permitted in the Old Testament.

624
00:33:22,300 --> 00:33:26,440
S2: Yeah. And this is an interesting verse. It's incredibly difficult

625
00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:29,710
S2: to translate, which is why translations differ so much. And

626
00:33:29,710 --> 00:33:31,660
S2: I think the best approach here, though, is to look

627
00:33:31,660 --> 00:33:35,050
S2: at the larger context and see if it offers some help. Now,

628
00:33:35,050 --> 00:33:37,780
S2: some things left out in verse 26 that the writer

629
00:33:37,780 --> 00:33:41,890
S2: intends for us to supply. The verse literally says, because

630
00:33:41,890 --> 00:33:44,140
S2: the price of a woman or harlot as a loaf

631
00:33:44,140 --> 00:33:47,650
S2: of bread and a wife, a man's precious soul hunts.

632
00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:50,470
S2: Now something obviously needs to be added to have that

633
00:33:50,470 --> 00:33:53,830
S2: comparison he's giving there. Makes sense. Here's what I think

634
00:33:53,860 --> 00:33:55,989
S2: needs to be added. The first line, I believe, is

635
00:33:55,990 --> 00:33:58,480
S2: suggesting that it can appear to a naive man that

636
00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:02,890
S2: adultery is a relatively inexpensive thrill for very little commitment

637
00:34:02,890 --> 00:34:06,730
S2: or expense. He can experience the sexual benefits of another,

638
00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:09,669
S2: either a prostitute or, more likely, I actually think of

639
00:34:09,670 --> 00:34:12,790
S2: another man's wife. But then the second line focuses on

640
00:34:12,790 --> 00:34:15,310
S2: the real results. He might think he only had to

641
00:34:15,310 --> 00:34:19,030
S2: pay a small price for that sexual encounter. But in reality,

642
00:34:19,030 --> 00:34:22,390
S2: the woman was seeking to trap his very life. Here's

643
00:34:22,390 --> 00:34:25,090
S2: why I think that might be the better translation. The

644
00:34:25,090 --> 00:34:28,930
S2: overall context is a parent's instructions to their naive son,

645
00:34:28,930 --> 00:34:31,480
S2: and the focus is on helping the young man avoid

646
00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:34,600
S2: the temptation of the evil woman who's an adulteress. That's

647
00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:38,290
S2: verse 24. The temptation starts when the young man desires

648
00:34:38,290 --> 00:34:41,350
S2: her beauty in his heart. Verse 25, the first part,

649
00:34:41,350 --> 00:34:44,319
S2: and it's fed by her attempts to lure him into

650
00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:47,439
S2: a relationship. The last part of verse 25. Then after

651
00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:50,380
S2: verse 26, the verse in question. Here the writer goes

652
00:34:50,380 --> 00:34:53,500
S2: on to share the real consequences of falling into this trap.

653
00:34:53,500 --> 00:34:57,129
S2: In the end, it'll burn. The individual verses 27 and 28.

654
00:34:57,130 --> 00:34:59,740
S2: And then he writes in verse 29, so is the

655
00:34:59,739 --> 00:35:02,710
S2: one who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches

656
00:35:02,710 --> 00:35:05,410
S2: her will not go unpunished. Now, when I put verse

657
00:35:05,410 --> 00:35:08,920
S2: 26 in that larger context, I don't see anything here

658
00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:12,489
S2: that speaks to or permits a man visiting some prostitute

659
00:35:12,489 --> 00:35:15,240
S2: for a season. I believe the context is warning a

660
00:35:15,239 --> 00:35:18,029
S2: naive young man and telling him that what might look

661
00:35:18,030 --> 00:35:21,000
S2: like an easy good time, possibly with the wife of

662
00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:24,149
S2: another man who is herself trying to seduce him, will

663
00:35:24,180 --> 00:35:26,879
S2: in the end cost the young man his reputation and

664
00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:30,480
S2: perhaps even his most important possession, his own life.

665
00:35:30,510 --> 00:35:33,000
S1: Mary wants to know, is there any Scripture at all

666
00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:37,589
S1: that says we're escorted by angels to heaven? A broadcaster

667
00:35:37,590 --> 00:35:40,110
S1: on the radio says they do. Thanks for your help.

668
00:35:40,140 --> 00:35:42,840
S2: Yeah, I think the broadcaster was probably referring to the

669
00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:45,960
S2: story of the rich man and Lazarus told by Jesus

670
00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:49,380
S2: in Luke chapter 16. In verse 22 of that chapter,

671
00:35:49,380 --> 00:35:52,589
S2: Jesus describes the death of the poor beggar Lazarus. This

672
00:35:52,590 --> 00:35:55,319
S2: way the time came when the beggar died and the

673
00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,980
S2: angels carried him to Abraham's side. That's the only reference

674
00:35:58,980 --> 00:36:00,870
S2: I know of. And it was part of a story

675
00:36:00,870 --> 00:36:03,750
S2: or a parable told by Jesus. But I also believe

676
00:36:03,780 --> 00:36:07,320
S2: Jesus wouldn't have shared something that wasn't true. And Jesus

677
00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:10,200
S2: does say he was carried by the angels into glory.

678
00:36:10,380 --> 00:36:13,440
S1: And as always, if you didn't hear your question, Well,

679
00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:15,630
S1: stick around if you've emailed it to us, it's coming

680
00:36:15,630 --> 00:36:18,180
S1: on a future broadcast. But if you'd like to send

681
00:36:18,180 --> 00:36:20,940
S1: in a question that's welcome to here's how You connect

682
00:36:20,940 --> 00:36:27,120
S1: with Charlie Dyer. The land and the book@moody.edu the land

683
00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:30,750
S1: and the book at Moody dot. Edu. Charlie, how long

684
00:36:30,750 --> 00:36:32,490
S1: does it take to answer those questions?

685
00:36:32,489 --> 00:36:34,320
S2: Well, I try and answer within a day or two.

686
00:36:34,350 --> 00:36:36,540
S2: And then. Then, of course, it takes a little longer

687
00:36:36,540 --> 00:36:38,670
S2: to get it here on the air. But my goal

688
00:36:38,670 --> 00:36:40,739
S2: is to try and respond as quickly as possible.

689
00:36:40,770 --> 00:36:43,410
S1: All right. So you'll get great service as you email

690
00:36:43,410 --> 00:36:47,790
S1: us at the land and the book@moody.edu. And I'm looking

691
00:36:47,790 --> 00:36:50,850
S1: forward to Charlie's devotional. It's next right here on Moody

692
00:36:50,880 --> 00:37:06,930
S1: Radio's The Land and the book. Welcome back to the

693
00:37:06,930 --> 00:37:09,870
S1: land and the book. I'm John Gager, and you know,

694
00:37:09,870 --> 00:37:12,509
S1: when it comes to clothing and fashion, I have a very,

695
00:37:12,540 --> 00:37:15,089
S1: let's just say, low level goal. I'm trying to just

696
00:37:15,090 --> 00:37:18,900
S1: stay one step ahead of nerd, and I rarely succeed

697
00:37:18,900 --> 00:37:21,330
S1: even at that. If I ever look halfway decent, it's

698
00:37:21,330 --> 00:37:23,820
S1: because of something my wife got me. Charlie, you have

699
00:37:23,820 --> 00:37:26,640
S1: a clothing item. Focus in your devotional today, though.

700
00:37:26,670 --> 00:37:29,250
S2: I do, and it's going to take people by surprise.

701
00:37:29,250 --> 00:37:31,140
S2: We're going to talk about how to ruin a girdle.

702
00:37:31,170 --> 00:37:32,040
S8: Okay.

703
00:37:32,370 --> 00:37:34,950
S1: I'm intrigued. And that's going to take us to Jeremiah

704
00:37:34,950 --> 00:37:37,860
S1: chapter 13. We'll get to that, though, after we pause

705
00:37:37,890 --> 00:37:40,859
S1: for this Holy Land experience. I love these stories.

706
00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:48,210
S9: I went to the Holy Land when I was about

707
00:37:48,210 --> 00:37:51,270
S9: 25 years old. It was at a point where I

708
00:37:51,270 --> 00:37:55,230
S9: was studying the Bible and I went to church, but

709
00:37:55,260 --> 00:37:57,930
S9: up till that point I felt like I was a churchgoer.

710
00:37:57,930 --> 00:38:00,390
S9: But faith wasn't part of my life. The trip to

711
00:38:00,390 --> 00:38:04,260
S9: the Holy Land allowed me to see every single story

712
00:38:04,260 --> 00:38:07,109
S9: from the Bible as if it were real. And not

713
00:38:07,110 --> 00:38:11,400
S9: only that, I also gained a historical perspective because the

714
00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:14,400
S9: current events suddenly made so much more sense because of

715
00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:18,270
S9: the rooting in history. It was devastating to see how

716
00:38:18,270 --> 00:38:22,440
S9: many centuries people have not been able to resolve their

717
00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:25,620
S9: view of the Lord. But what I kept with me

718
00:38:25,650 --> 00:38:30,060
S9: for the next 30 years has been that our Christ

719
00:38:30,090 --> 00:38:34,860
S9: walked those streets in Jerusalem, and I felt like every

720
00:38:34,860 --> 00:38:38,339
S9: single thing that I tried to wonder and believe in,

721
00:38:38,370 --> 00:38:40,890
S9: that is, in God's Word. I go back to the

722
00:38:40,890 --> 00:38:45,540
S9: fact that, well, Jesus was real and his world was real,

723
00:38:45,540 --> 00:38:48,420
S9: and these messages from God in the Bible are real

724
00:38:48,420 --> 00:38:49,290
S9: for me too.

725
00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:53,430
S1: Charlie, I've never thought of you as a fashion expert,

726
00:38:53,430 --> 00:38:55,739
S1: but I think I'm about to be corrected. Take it away.

727
00:38:56,040 --> 00:38:59,040
S2: My wife would say I'm not a fashionista by any means,

728
00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:01,170
S2: but this is the second of two weeks we're spending

729
00:39:01,170 --> 00:39:04,530
S2: in my favorite part of Israel, the Judean wilderness. And

730
00:39:04,530 --> 00:39:06,600
S2: just as I did last week, I want to illustrate

731
00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:09,750
S2: today's devotional by including some photos on our land in

732
00:39:09,750 --> 00:39:12,570
S2: the book Facebook page. So go there and you'll see

733
00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:16,260
S2: exactly what I'll be describing. Leading groups to Israel for

734
00:39:16,260 --> 00:39:18,840
S2: more than 40 years has taught me one important lesson.

735
00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:21,390
S2: I'm not as young as I used to be. In

736
00:39:21,390 --> 00:39:24,299
S2: my younger days, I liked passages like Psalm 18. He

737
00:39:24,300 --> 00:39:26,910
S2: makes my feet like hinds feet and sets me upon

738
00:39:26,910 --> 00:39:29,609
S2: high places. I have my share of photos standing on

739
00:39:29,610 --> 00:39:33,690
S2: the edge of cliffs and scampering up and down steep inclines. Now,

740
00:39:33,690 --> 00:39:37,500
S2: following knee replacement surgery and more than my share of bumps, bruises,

741
00:39:37,530 --> 00:39:40,590
S2: twists and falls, I think the passage I resonate with

742
00:39:40,590 --> 00:39:45,330
S2: today comes from Ecclesiastes 12. The grasshopper drags himself along.

743
00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:48,750
S2: The hills appear steeper, the ground seems rockier, and my

744
00:39:48,750 --> 00:39:51,750
S2: legs are definitely not as spry or as sturdy as

745
00:39:51,750 --> 00:39:54,420
S2: they once were. On my very first trip to Israel,

746
00:39:54,450 --> 00:39:56,790
S2: the teacher at the school I was attending offered to

747
00:39:56,820 --> 00:40:00,330
S2: take us on optional trips during our free days. I

748
00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:03,090
S2: signed up for every single one, and one of those

749
00:40:03,090 --> 00:40:05,640
S2: turned out to be the most difficult hike I ever took.

750
00:40:05,670 --> 00:40:07,980
S2: I know I wouldn't be able to do it today.

751
00:40:07,980 --> 00:40:10,620
S2: And the crazy part is, it sounded so simple when

752
00:40:10,620 --> 00:40:12,960
S2: he first announced it. We would be going on a

753
00:40:12,989 --> 00:40:16,560
S2: Jebba to Micmac hike. I see those blank looks on

754
00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:19,650
S2: everyone's faces, so stay with me here. Jebba and Micmac

755
00:40:19,650 --> 00:40:21,990
S2: are only about a mile and a half apart. If

756
00:40:22,020 --> 00:40:24,930
S2: you remember the story of Jonathan and his armorbearer defeating

757
00:40:24,930 --> 00:40:28,230
S2: the Philistine army. They started out in Jebba and defeated

758
00:40:28,230 --> 00:40:31,529
S2: the Philistine garrison near Michmash. So the walk had some

759
00:40:31,530 --> 00:40:35,009
S2: great biblical significance. Now, what the leader didn't tell us

760
00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:37,710
S2: is that we would start at Gaba, head toward Michmash,

761
00:40:37,710 --> 00:40:41,190
S2: then turn and walk nearly halfway to Jericho before heading

762
00:40:41,190 --> 00:40:43,980
S2: back by way of another canyon and then climbing up

763
00:40:43,980 --> 00:40:47,310
S2: a cliff near the hometown of Jeremiah the prophet. It

764
00:40:47,310 --> 00:40:50,700
S2: was an all day hike. The day began with an

765
00:40:50,700 --> 00:40:54,060
S2: aha moment, as I understood how Jonathan and his armorbearer

766
00:40:54,090 --> 00:40:56,880
S2: were able to rout the Philistines, though that's a story

767
00:40:56,880 --> 00:40:59,040
S2: for another day. But I ended the day with a

768
00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:02,100
S2: second aha moment that actually became a chapter in my

769
00:41:02,100 --> 00:41:04,830
S2: doctoral dissertation. And that's the story I want to share

770
00:41:04,830 --> 00:41:08,440
S2: with you. It's found in Jeremiah 13, where the prophet

771
00:41:08,440 --> 00:41:11,530
S2: from the nearby village of Anathoth explains how to ruin

772
00:41:11,530 --> 00:41:14,530
S2: a girdle. Actually, this is a place in the Bible

773
00:41:14,530 --> 00:41:17,469
S2: where growing up with the King James Version wasn't too helpful.

774
00:41:17,500 --> 00:41:19,690
S2: As a kid, I somehow knew what a girdle was,

775
00:41:19,690 --> 00:41:22,960
S2: but it wasn't an article of clothing associated with a man.

776
00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:26,290
S2: And yet in Jeremiah 13 one, God told the prophet

777
00:41:26,290 --> 00:41:29,169
S2: to go and get thee a linen girdle and put

778
00:41:29,170 --> 00:41:32,080
S2: it upon thy loins. In this case, a more modern

779
00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:37,180
S2: translation definitely helps most translate the word as waistband or belt.

780
00:41:37,210 --> 00:41:40,240
S2: It actually refers to a linen sash or belt that

781
00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:43,060
S2: someone would tie around his waist to help hold his

782
00:41:43,060 --> 00:41:46,359
S2: garment in place. Jeremiah was sharing a message in story

783
00:41:46,390 --> 00:41:48,880
S2: form with the people, just as the priests wore a

784
00:41:48,910 --> 00:41:52,419
S2: linen belt or sash when ministering before the Lord. So

785
00:41:52,420 --> 00:41:55,450
S2: now Jeremiah was wearing a similar sash, but in this

786
00:41:55,450 --> 00:41:58,479
S2: case he was representing the Lord, and the sash was

787
00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:01,450
S2: representing Israel. He was told to keep it around his

788
00:42:01,480 --> 00:42:04,420
S2: waist and to not let it touch water. It was

789
00:42:04,420 --> 00:42:07,859
S2: to stay permanently close to him. Jeremiah did this for

790
00:42:07,860 --> 00:42:10,590
S2: some time until God came to him again with another

791
00:42:10,590 --> 00:42:13,560
S2: command take the belt you bought and are wearing around

792
00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:16,020
S2: your waist, and go now to Pirot and hide it

793
00:42:16,020 --> 00:42:19,620
S2: there in a crevice of the rocks. Literally, God told

794
00:42:19,620 --> 00:42:22,110
S2: Jeremiah to go to Pirot and hide the belt. Now

795
00:42:22,110 --> 00:42:25,440
S2: the word Pirot is the Hebrew word for Euphrates, and

796
00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:29,070
S2: we picture Jeremiah walking nearly 300 miles to reach the

797
00:42:29,070 --> 00:42:32,880
S2: nearest branch of the Euphrates River. But if that's the case,

798
00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:35,730
S2: then most of his audience would have no idea what

799
00:42:35,730 --> 00:42:39,630
S2: he was doing because few, if any, would follow him there.

800
00:42:39,660 --> 00:42:41,700
S2: This was always a puzzle to me until that all

801
00:42:41,700 --> 00:42:44,759
S2: day hike we ended up at a natural spring called

802
00:42:44,760 --> 00:42:48,990
S2: Ein Porat, literally the Euphrates Spring, and it was just

803
00:42:48,989 --> 00:42:54,180
S2: over two miles from Jeremiah's hometown and five miles from Jerusalem.

804
00:42:54,210 --> 00:42:57,150
S2: This had to be the place Jeremiah went to bury

805
00:42:57,180 --> 00:43:00,510
S2: his linen sash. The spring of Porat is in a deep,

806
00:43:00,510 --> 00:43:04,250
S2: rocky gorge just on the edge of the Judean Wilderness

807
00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:07,850
S2: access is easier today, but back then we ended up

808
00:43:07,850 --> 00:43:10,130
S2: climbing out of the gorge, up the side of a

809
00:43:10,130 --> 00:43:13,129
S2: very steep cliff. As you can see in the pictures

810
00:43:13,130 --> 00:43:16,460
S2: I took, it was a rough and rugged area, but

811
00:43:16,460 --> 00:43:20,779
S2: Jeremiah's actions now made perfect sense. He was delivering the

812
00:43:20,810 --> 00:43:24,020
S2: same message as the previous 12 chapters, but now it

813
00:43:24,020 --> 00:43:26,840
S2: was being acted out in a far more dramatic way

814
00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:31,160
S2: because of the nation's unbelief. Jeremiah represented God in this

815
00:43:31,160 --> 00:43:35,240
S2: extended pantomime, and the linen belt or sash represented Israel.

816
00:43:35,270 --> 00:43:38,510
S2: As long as Israel remained close to God, they were safe.

817
00:43:38,510 --> 00:43:42,110
S2: But then Jeremiah took the sash to this rugged gorge

818
00:43:42,110 --> 00:43:45,049
S2: to hide in a crevice of the rock. No doubt

819
00:43:45,050 --> 00:43:48,200
S2: some of those from Jerusalem and his hometown followed Jeremiah

820
00:43:48,200 --> 00:43:51,530
S2: to see what he was doing. Sometime later, God sent

821
00:43:51,530 --> 00:43:54,920
S2: Jeremiah back to the gorge to retrieve the sash. So

822
00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:57,020
S2: I went to Pirot and dug up the belt and

823
00:43:57,020 --> 00:43:59,359
S2: took it from the place where I'd hidden it, but

824
00:43:59,360 --> 00:44:04,010
S2: now it was ruined and completely useless. The water, dampness

825
00:44:04,010 --> 00:44:06,770
S2: and dirt at the spring had caused the linen sash

826
00:44:06,770 --> 00:44:10,759
S2: to rot and decay. It was worthless. God then had

827
00:44:10,760 --> 00:44:13,910
S2: Jeremiah explain the point of the story. These wicked people

828
00:44:13,940 --> 00:44:16,489
S2: who refused to listen to my words, who followed the

829
00:44:16,489 --> 00:44:19,310
S2: stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to

830
00:44:19,340 --> 00:44:23,509
S2: serve and worship them, will be like this belt completely useless,

831
00:44:23,510 --> 00:44:25,910
S2: for as a belt is bound around a man's waist.

832
00:44:25,910 --> 00:44:28,280
S2: So I bound the whole house of Israel, and the

833
00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:30,920
S2: whole house of Judah to me, declares the Lord, to

834
00:44:30,950 --> 00:44:34,009
S2: be my people for my renown and praise and honor.

835
00:44:34,010 --> 00:44:37,219
S2: But they have not listened. And there's one more key

836
00:44:37,250 --> 00:44:41,570
S2: detail Jeremiah doesn't explain, but that the people would have understood.

837
00:44:41,570 --> 00:44:45,620
S2: What did God use to destroy this sash that represented them?

838
00:44:45,680 --> 00:44:49,940
S2: It was parrot. The Euphrates. God would send the Babylonians

839
00:44:49,940 --> 00:44:53,480
S2: from the region of the Euphrates River to destroy the nation,

840
00:44:53,480 --> 00:44:57,590
S2: unless they missed the point. God has Jeremiah emphasize how

841
00:44:57,590 --> 00:45:00,620
S2: the belt was hidden in the crevice of the rock.

842
00:45:00,620 --> 00:45:04,489
S2: Why is that significant? Back in chapter four, verse 29,

843
00:45:04,489 --> 00:45:07,160
S2: God described how the people will scramble to get away

844
00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:10,520
S2: when the invaders arrive at the sound of horsemen and archers.

845
00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:13,610
S2: Every town takes to flight. Some go to the thickets,

846
00:45:13,640 --> 00:45:16,970
S2: some climb up among the rocks, and then later in

847
00:45:16,969 --> 00:45:20,120
S2: chapter 16, God described how he would send the invading

848
00:45:20,120 --> 00:45:22,520
S2: army to search out the people. I will send for

849
00:45:22,520 --> 00:45:24,649
S2: many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every

850
00:45:24,650 --> 00:45:28,219
S2: mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks.

851
00:45:28,219 --> 00:45:31,100
S2: When Israel stopped clinging to God, there was no other

852
00:45:31,100 --> 00:45:33,680
S2: place of safety. Even if they tried to hide in

853
00:45:33,680 --> 00:45:36,799
S2: the rocky crevices and cracks in the wilderness, God would

854
00:45:36,800 --> 00:45:41,720
S2: make sure the Babylonians, those from the Euphrates, would find them.

855
00:45:41,719 --> 00:45:44,600
S2: Before we walk up the steep but more modern roadway

856
00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:47,270
S2: to leave the spring of parrot, what lesson can we

857
00:45:47,270 --> 00:45:50,660
S2: take with us from Jeremiah 13 and his instructions on

858
00:45:50,660 --> 00:45:53,750
S2: how to ruin a girdle? How about this somber warning?

859
00:45:53,750 --> 00:45:56,960
S2: The only way we can experience true security is to

860
00:45:56,989 --> 00:45:59,600
S2: cling tightly to God the moment we let go of

861
00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:03,169
S2: him and turn to someone or something else for our security.

862
00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:06,500
S2: We're setting ourselves up for failure. The words of the

863
00:46:06,500 --> 00:46:10,100
S2: chorus by Mildred Lightner Dillon are a good reminder of

864
00:46:10,100 --> 00:46:13,010
S2: the place we need to go to find our safety

865
00:46:13,010 --> 00:46:16,850
S2: and security. Safe. Am I safe? Am I in the

866
00:46:16,850 --> 00:46:20,600
S2: hollow of his hand? Sheltered or sheltered or with his

867
00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:24,770
S2: love forevermore. No ill can harm me. No foe alarm me.

868
00:46:24,770 --> 00:46:28,910
S2: For he keeps both day and night safe. Am I safe?

869
00:46:28,940 --> 00:46:32,420
S2: Am I in the hollow of his hand?

870
00:46:32,480 --> 00:46:35,540
S1: Thank you Charlie, I love that old chorus. Brings back

871
00:46:35,570 --> 00:46:38,629
S1: a lot of great memories. We should sing that one. Well,

872
00:46:38,630 --> 00:46:40,670
S1: we're singing your praises for hanging out with us at

873
00:46:40,670 --> 00:46:42,680
S1: the land of the book. Thanks for your company today.

874
00:46:42,710 --> 00:46:46,400
S1: Our website is The Land and the book. Org. Thank

875
00:46:46,430 --> 00:46:48,800
S1: you to our host, Charlie Dyer, our producer, Dan Anderson.

876
00:46:48,800 --> 00:46:51,110
S1: I'm John Gager the land and the book is a

877
00:46:51,110 --> 00:46:54,950
S1: production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.