1 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:12,080 S1: You can read about history. You can lecture about history. 2 00:00:12,110 --> 00:00:15,170 S1: What if you could drive through history, go to the 3 00:00:15,170 --> 00:00:18,830 S1: actual places where all the cool stuff took place? Well, 4 00:00:18,860 --> 00:00:21,560 S1: fasten your seat belt. We're heading for a drive through 5 00:00:21,590 --> 00:00:24,439 S1: history adventures along the way. We're going to make a 6 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:26,390 S1: quick stop for a look at current events from the 7 00:00:26,390 --> 00:00:30,560 S1: Middle East. Plus, answer your Bible questions so strap yourself 8 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:34,460 S1: in for the land and the book. Welcome! I'm John Gager, 9 00:00:34,490 --> 00:00:38,540 S1: our host and tour guide par excellence is Doctor Charlie Dyer, 10 00:00:38,570 --> 00:00:41,960 S1: the guy that students and scholars alike turn to for 11 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,590 S1: reliable perspectives on the Middle East. Good to be with you, Charlie. 12 00:00:45,620 --> 00:00:47,510 S2: John, it's always great to be with you. 13 00:00:47,540 --> 00:00:51,320 S1: Well, fall is officially sort of here, and that means 14 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,860 S1: the Jewish High Holidays are right around the corner. These 15 00:00:54,860 --> 00:00:57,950 S1: biblical feasts have been celebrated for thousands of years, but 16 00:00:57,950 --> 00:01:00,980 S1: this year, I think, has added weight and significance as 17 00:01:00,980 --> 00:01:04,430 S1: Jewish people around the world mark the one year anniversary 18 00:01:04,430 --> 00:01:07,430 S1: of the brutal attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists. 19 00:01:07,459 --> 00:01:09,530 S2: Yeah, and that's why our friends at Life and Messiah 20 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,260 S2: want to help you learn more about the fall feasts, 21 00:01:12,260 --> 00:01:15,110 S2: the significance they have for us as believers in Jesus, 22 00:01:15,110 --> 00:01:18,110 S2: and how to stand with Jewish people during this time. 23 00:01:18,140 --> 00:01:21,920 S2: They're offering a live zoom teaching session, where their knowledgeable 24 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,340 S2: field staff will walk you through the history and significance 25 00:01:25,340 --> 00:01:28,010 S2: of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and 26 00:01:28,010 --> 00:01:31,100 S2: the Feast of Tabernacles. You'll also hear how you can 27 00:01:31,100 --> 00:01:33,830 S2: use these holidays as a point of connection with your 28 00:01:33,830 --> 00:01:37,160 S2: Jewish friends and neighbors, to show and share the love 29 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:40,220 S2: of Jesus with them. To sign up for this free teaching, 30 00:01:40,220 --> 00:01:43,520 S2: all you have to do is visit Life in Messiah org. 31 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,550 S2: Click on the Moody Radio logo and sign up. Be 32 00:01:46,550 --> 00:01:50,060 S2: sure to sign up today to discover the fascinating connections 33 00:01:50,060 --> 00:01:55,040 S2: between these feasts and Jesus at Life in messiah.org. 34 00:01:55,550 --> 00:01:57,710 S1: And as we always do on the land of the book, 35 00:01:57,710 --> 00:02:00,600 S1: we open up with a look at current events. Let's 36 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,140 S1: do that now. Charlie, the war with Hamas continues to 37 00:02:04,170 --> 00:02:09,389 S1: drive a wedge within Israel as protests erupted nationwide, blaming 38 00:02:09,389 --> 00:02:13,440 S1: Prime Minister Netanyahu for the recent deaths of six hostages. 39 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:16,200 S1: Which was just a horrible thing, of course. But why 40 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:19,140 S1: is there such division within Israel, since Hamas is the 41 00:02:19,139 --> 00:02:22,740 S1: group who started the war and actually murdered these hostages? 42 00:02:22,770 --> 00:02:24,960 S2: Yeah, and that's an important point to remember. You know, 43 00:02:24,990 --> 00:02:28,860 S2: secular Israelis have opposed Prime Minister Netanyahu and the current 44 00:02:28,860 --> 00:02:32,340 S2: government since it was formed. They believe he's responsible for 45 00:02:32,340 --> 00:02:35,100 S2: the death of the hostages, because he refused to agree 46 00:02:35,100 --> 00:02:38,310 S2: to all of Hamas's demands for a deal. Even before 47 00:02:38,340 --> 00:02:41,820 S2: October 7th, there were mass protests against the proposed changes 48 00:02:41,820 --> 00:02:45,300 S2: in the judiciary, with thousands of Israelis saying they wouldn't 49 00:02:45,300 --> 00:02:48,630 S2: fulfill their reserve duty in the army to protest the government. 50 00:02:48,660 --> 00:02:51,600 S2: Now Israel's enemies took note. They saw that as proof 51 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,930 S2: that Israel was imploding internally. And that wasn't the sole 52 00:02:54,930 --> 00:02:58,790 S2: cause for the October 7th attack. but it was a factor. 53 00:02:58,820 --> 00:03:03,230 S2: Israel temporarily came together to stand against Hamas. Their goals 54 00:03:03,230 --> 00:03:06,679 S2: were to defeat Hamas and to retrieve the hostages. The 55 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,910 S2: problem is that these two goals became mutually exclusive. Defeating 56 00:03:10,910 --> 00:03:15,020 S2: Hamas meant conquering Gaza, eliminating the battalions of fighters and 57 00:03:15,020 --> 00:03:18,109 S2: choking off the supply of weapons coming in from Egypt. 58 00:03:18,139 --> 00:03:21,950 S2: Getting the hostages back meant negotiating with Hamas and giving 59 00:03:21,950 --> 00:03:25,250 S2: in to their demands, which included a total Israeli withdrawal 60 00:03:25,250 --> 00:03:28,850 S2: from Gaza and the release of thousands of Hamas prisoners. 61 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,389 S2: Prime Minister Netanyahu was willing to agree to some demands, 62 00:03:32,389 --> 00:03:35,150 S2: but he refused to give up the Philadelphi corridor, the 63 00:03:35,150 --> 00:03:39,920 S2: narrow boundary between Gaza and Egypt over the past 17 years. 64 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:42,950 S2: This is the place where Hamas used tunnels and the 65 00:03:42,950 --> 00:03:47,450 S2: above ground crossing points to bring in weapons, supplies, ammunition 66 00:03:47,450 --> 00:03:50,330 S2: and all the other items it used to attack Israel. 67 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:54,800 S2: Compounding all this is the total disunity in Israel. Opposition 68 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,940 S2: lawmakers have portrayed Netanyahu as an opportunist whose only goal 69 00:03:58,940 --> 00:04:02,360 S2: is his survival. Every decision he makes is second guessed 70 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:06,320 S2: until there's virtually no level of trust. Here's my perspective. 71 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:10,070 S2: John Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, was convicted of murder 72 00:04:10,070 --> 00:04:14,060 S2: by Israel back in 1989 and given four life sentences. 73 00:04:14,060 --> 00:04:17,390 S2: He spent 22 years in prison until he was released 74 00:04:17,390 --> 00:04:20,510 S2: with over a thousand others in a prisoner exchange for 75 00:04:20,510 --> 00:04:24,260 S2: one captured Israeli soldier. Wow. Was Israel happy to have 76 00:04:24,260 --> 00:04:27,289 S2: that soldier back? Yes they were, but at the time, 77 00:04:27,290 --> 00:04:29,930 S2: they failed to see that the release of Sinwar and 78 00:04:29,930 --> 00:04:32,810 S2: a thousand others would eventually result in the loss of 79 00:04:32,810 --> 00:04:37,760 S2: over 1200 Israeli lives and the capture of 250 hostages. 80 00:04:37,790 --> 00:04:41,090 S2: 13 years later, now, I believe Netanyahu dug in his 81 00:04:41,089 --> 00:04:44,539 S2: heels on the Philadelphi corridor because he knows Hamas needs 82 00:04:44,540 --> 00:04:47,330 S2: it to remain in power and to rearm. But many 83 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:51,350 S2: Israelis and the US, unfortunately, are pressuring him to do 84 00:04:51,380 --> 00:04:55,260 S2: just that, to get the remaining hostages back. Now. Right now, 85 00:04:55,260 --> 00:04:58,020 S2: it's unclear how long Netanyahu will be able to survive 86 00:04:58,020 --> 00:05:02,130 S2: in office. Israel's fractured politically, and the US is pressuring 87 00:05:02,130 --> 00:05:04,920 S2: him to give in to make a deal. He's facing 88 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,730 S2: life and death decisions that few politicians ever really face. 89 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,390 S2: He really needs our prayers for wisdom. Israel also needs 90 00:05:12,390 --> 00:05:15,359 S2: our prayers. They're deeply divided as a nation. And you know, 91 00:05:15,390 --> 00:05:18,900 S2: as Jesus said, a house divided against itself cannot stand. 92 00:05:19,110 --> 00:05:21,839 S2: We need to be praying that the internal anger and 93 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:24,690 S2: hatred there will be replaced with unity. 94 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:27,060 S1: Lord, we ask even now, as we bring this report, 95 00:05:27,060 --> 00:05:30,539 S1: that you would do this thing in Israel. Give them wisdom. 96 00:05:30,540 --> 00:05:34,170 S1: Deliver them from evil. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. 97 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:34,920 S2: Amen. 98 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,070 S1: Well, within Gaza, Charlie, there are also reports that Hamas 99 00:05:38,070 --> 00:05:42,000 S1: leader Sinwar is encountering growing opposition himself. What obstacles is 100 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:42,840 S1: he facing? 101 00:05:42,870 --> 00:05:46,230 S2: Well, the US charged Sinwar and other Hamas leaders with terrorism, 102 00:05:46,230 --> 00:05:49,350 S2: but that's not really the major concern for him. He's 103 00:05:49,350 --> 00:05:52,260 S2: more concerned about the shrinking territory over which he has 104 00:05:52,260 --> 00:05:55,650 S2: control and the shrinking leadership that he can trust to 105 00:05:55,650 --> 00:05:58,680 S2: help rule it. In spite of all the dire predictions 106 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,770 S2: of a humanitarian crisis that would take place if Israel 107 00:06:01,770 --> 00:06:06,120 S2: attacked Rafah. While the campaign was successful, Israel defeated Hamas 108 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:10,170 S2: Rafah brigade and destroyed 80% of the border tunnels, choking 109 00:06:10,170 --> 00:06:13,620 S2: off the resupply of weapons and ammunition to Hamas. And 110 00:06:13,620 --> 00:06:16,500 S2: they did it all without causing mass starvation or killing 111 00:06:16,500 --> 00:06:20,279 S2: large numbers of civilians, as the US and others had predicted. 112 00:06:20,310 --> 00:06:23,220 S2: Sinwar is now more concerned about his own survival as 113 00:06:23,220 --> 00:06:27,240 S2: Israel works to track his location and movements. Intelligence sources 114 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,270 S2: report that he's now surrounding himself with at least 20 115 00:06:30,300 --> 00:06:35,370 S2: handcuffed hostages to thwart any Israeli attack. Another problem Sinwar 116 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,250 S2: is facing is with the other terror groups in Gaza, 117 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:41,730 S2: over which he appears to be losing control. These smaller 118 00:06:41,730 --> 00:06:44,700 S2: groups are holding an unknown number of the hostages. They 119 00:06:44,700 --> 00:06:48,660 S2: were upset when Sinwar was focusing on prioritizing the exchange 120 00:06:48,660 --> 00:06:52,350 S2: of hostages for Hamas fighters, not members of their groups. 121 00:06:52,350 --> 00:06:54,359 S2: They want a deal to include the release of all 122 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,599 S2: convicted terrorists, and they oppose the idea that the terrorists 123 00:06:57,630 --> 00:07:01,290 S2: released would be sent somewhere other than Gaza. Apparently, some 124 00:07:01,290 --> 00:07:04,380 S2: of these smaller groups have stopped communicating with Sinwar and 125 00:07:04,380 --> 00:07:07,230 S2: are threatening to kill the hostages they control if their 126 00:07:07,230 --> 00:07:10,020 S2: demands aren't met. So the situation here, John, is just 127 00:07:10,050 --> 00:07:13,230 S2: absolutely complex, and those demanding that Israel give in to 128 00:07:13,260 --> 00:07:16,800 S2: Hamas's demands need to realize that Hamas itself isn't really 129 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,950 S2: in control of all Gaza or of all the hostages. 130 00:07:19,980 --> 00:07:20,700 S2: That's Doctor. 131 00:07:20,700 --> 00:07:22,950 S1: Charlie Dyer. This is the land and the book. We're 132 00:07:22,950 --> 00:07:25,620 S1: looking at current events from the Middle East. Fighting has 133 00:07:25,620 --> 00:07:30,000 S1: also erupted in the West Bank with terrorists attacking Israeli soldiers, 134 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:34,500 S1: police and civilians, and with Israel striking terrorist strongholds. What 135 00:07:34,500 --> 00:07:36,720 S1: exactly is going on and how serious of a threat 136 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:38,520 S1: is this to Israel? 137 00:07:38,550 --> 00:07:40,470 S2: Well, I don't want to minimize this threat, but I 138 00:07:40,470 --> 00:07:42,780 S2: do want to put it in perspective. 20 years ago, 139 00:07:42,780 --> 00:07:45,690 S2: there was a five year uprising by Palestinians called the 140 00:07:45,690 --> 00:07:50,490 S2: second or Al-Aqsa Intifada. It involved suicide bombings in Jerusalem. 141 00:07:50,490 --> 00:07:53,760 S2: and it also included incursions by the Israeli army against 142 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,660 S2: terrorists in West Bank cities. One result of that uprising 143 00:07:57,660 --> 00:08:00,450 S2: was the construction of a barrier by Israel to separate 144 00:08:00,450 --> 00:08:04,800 S2: Palestinian areas from Jewish areas. That separation barrier was built 145 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,770 S2: in response to the terrorist attacks, and it choked off 146 00:08:07,770 --> 00:08:10,980 S2: that conflict. Now the barrier is still in place, and 147 00:08:10,980 --> 00:08:12,900 S2: as a result, I don't believe the same level of 148 00:08:12,900 --> 00:08:16,260 S2: terrorism will be experienced in Israel proper. Most of the 149 00:08:16,260 --> 00:08:19,830 S2: current attacks are taking place against Jewish towns and settlements 150 00:08:19,830 --> 00:08:22,260 S2: in the West Bank, and Israel is taking a very 151 00:08:22,290 --> 00:08:27,090 S2: aggressive role in attacking those terrorist infrastructure positions. Iran has 152 00:08:27,090 --> 00:08:29,820 S2: been trying to smuggle weapons and explosives into the West 153 00:08:29,820 --> 00:08:33,240 S2: Bank to help the terrorists, and Hamas's leadership has called 154 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,930 S2: on Palestinians to resume suicide bombings. Not one danger in 155 00:08:36,929 --> 00:08:39,660 S2: all this is that the fighting, along with the reprisals 156 00:08:39,660 --> 00:08:42,450 S2: by some of the more radical West Bank settlers, could 157 00:08:42,450 --> 00:08:45,690 S2: end up driving Palestinians from the West Bank into Jordan, 158 00:08:45,690 --> 00:08:49,380 S2: creating a refugee crisis there. Iran would love to develop 159 00:08:49,380 --> 00:08:52,110 S2: an armed terror cells in Jordan that could function much 160 00:08:52,110 --> 00:08:54,720 S2: like Hezbollah does in Lebanon, and that would not be 161 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:58,020 S2: good for Jordan or for Israel. The goal should not 162 00:08:58,020 --> 00:09:00,869 S2: be to create a refugee crisis for Jordan, but to 163 00:09:00,900 --> 00:09:05,520 S2: provide peace, security and prosperity for Palestinians in the West Bank. 164 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:08,459 S2: And that's hopefully what's going to be happening as Israel 165 00:09:08,490 --> 00:09:12,030 S2: goes after these terrorists, but not after the population in general. 166 00:09:12,059 --> 00:09:14,010 S1: Charlie, I'm listening to all of these headlines that you're 167 00:09:14,010 --> 00:09:16,830 S1: doing such a great job of reporting. And I suddenly 168 00:09:16,830 --> 00:09:18,959 S1: ask myself, if you zoom out at the 30 zero 169 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:22,290 S1: zero zero foot level, has Israel ever been this much 170 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:26,040 S1: under attack from so many fronts at one time, apart 171 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:27,840 S1: from a couple of wars? No. 172 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,330 S2: That's it. In fact, if we go back to 1973, 173 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:34,679 S2: 1967 and 1948, those are the three times they've had 174 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:38,130 S2: this kind of trouble. In fact, since 1973, Israel has 175 00:09:38,130 --> 00:09:41,280 S2: really been considered the powerhouse in the region. And yet 176 00:09:41,309 --> 00:09:44,460 S2: now to have Iran sponsoring so many terror groups has 177 00:09:44,460 --> 00:09:46,410 S2: really caused a problem for them. 178 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:51,670 S1: Archaeologists discovered a small 2700 year old seal during excavations 179 00:09:51,670 --> 00:09:54,310 S1: in Jerusalem. How significant is the seal and what does 180 00:09:54,309 --> 00:09:57,100 S1: it tell us about Jerusalem at that time? 181 00:09:57,309 --> 00:09:59,740 S2: Well, you know, seals are inscribed pieces of stone that 182 00:09:59,740 --> 00:10:03,040 S2: served as the personal signature of an individual. The seal 183 00:10:03,070 --> 00:10:05,320 S2: could be pressed into clay and it left behind a 184 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:08,920 S2: unique impression. This one's roughly the size of a man's thumbnail, 185 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:11,170 S2: and apparently it was intended to be worn around the 186 00:10:11,170 --> 00:10:13,780 S2: neck because it contained a hole drilled through the piece. 187 00:10:13,809 --> 00:10:16,810 S2: What makes this seal so significant is the image that 188 00:10:16,809 --> 00:10:19,660 S2: was carved on it. It's an Assyrian style figure of 189 00:10:19,660 --> 00:10:22,840 S2: a man standing with an outstretched arm and with wings. Well, 190 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:25,900 S2: they found seals before that had more of an Egyptian influence. 191 00:10:25,900 --> 00:10:28,929 S2: This shows that indeed there was an Assyrian influence at 192 00:10:28,929 --> 00:10:31,690 S2: the time, and that matches what the Bible says. So 193 00:10:31,690 --> 00:10:34,060 S2: the seal is a good reminder that Jerusalem was the 194 00:10:34,059 --> 00:10:37,449 S2: capital of Judah during this period, and a reminder that 195 00:10:37,450 --> 00:10:41,020 S2: there was Egyptian influence and Assyrian influence, just like the 196 00:10:41,020 --> 00:10:43,000 S2: Bible pictures during that time. Is this. 197 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:44,920 S1: Roughly at the time of Isaiah, the prophet. 198 00:10:44,950 --> 00:10:46,360 S2: Isaiah and Hezekiah? 199 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:47,429 S3: Yes. Okay. 200 00:10:47,460 --> 00:10:50,850 S1: Fascinating. Look at current events, Charlie. A great job helping 201 00:10:50,850 --> 00:10:54,120 S1: us understand these very complex issues. Up next on the 202 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:57,480 S1: land in the book, a fascinating conversation with a drive 203 00:10:57,510 --> 00:11:00,929 S1: through history adventure to boot. Stick around for more on 204 00:11:00,929 --> 00:11:18,390 S1: the land and the book. You can read about history. 205 00:11:18,420 --> 00:11:21,240 S1: You can lecture about history. But what if you could 206 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:24,719 S1: drive through history? Go to the actual places where all 207 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:29,130 S1: the cool stuff took place. Well, fasten your seat belt. Sorry, 208 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:31,920 S1: I couldn't resist the pun. We are heading for drive 209 00:11:31,950 --> 00:11:35,430 S1: through history adventures. This is the land and the book. 210 00:11:35,429 --> 00:11:38,610 S1: I'm John Gager hoping you're having a decent day. And 211 00:11:38,610 --> 00:11:41,460 S1: before we head off for faraway adventures, though, let's talk 212 00:11:41,460 --> 00:11:45,540 S1: about the adventure of sharing Christ with your unsaved Jewish friend. 213 00:11:45,570 --> 00:11:49,199 S1: Here's a quick thought. You've been praying for that Jewish friend, 214 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,209 S1: and you know you need to witness to them. But 215 00:11:51,210 --> 00:11:54,570 S1: part of you says, I really can't share Christ with 216 00:11:54,570 --> 00:11:57,600 S1: him or her. I mean, they know more than I do, right? 217 00:11:57,630 --> 00:12:00,270 S1: Is that a safe way to think? Levi Hazen is 218 00:12:00,270 --> 00:12:02,699 S1: executive director of Life in Messiah. I think we do 219 00:12:02,730 --> 00:12:05,700 S1: fall into that thought, which we know is wrong. But 220 00:12:05,700 --> 00:12:06,630 S1: tell us why that's wrong. 221 00:12:06,660 --> 00:12:08,819 S4: Yeah, well, John, I've met quite a few Christians who 222 00:12:08,820 --> 00:12:11,340 S4: believe this lie that they can't share their faith because 223 00:12:11,340 --> 00:12:15,030 S4: they don't possess certain knowledge. As important as having Bible 224 00:12:15,059 --> 00:12:19,349 S4: knowledge is, having faith in God's indwelling spirit is far 225 00:12:19,350 --> 00:12:22,650 S4: superior than knowing all the answers to the Bible questions. 226 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:24,840 S4: Are we to study our Bibles so we can provide 227 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,380 S4: answers to people who ask? Absolutely. Let's study the Bible 228 00:12:28,380 --> 00:12:31,290 S4: every day. But we do not have to be a 229 00:12:31,290 --> 00:12:34,620 S4: greater Bible scholar than somebody else. Or we don't have 230 00:12:34,620 --> 00:12:37,410 S4: to know the biblical languages in order to share the 231 00:12:37,410 --> 00:12:41,010 S4: truth of the simple gospel with our Jewish friends. The 232 00:12:41,010 --> 00:12:43,530 S4: New Testament teaches us that we plant and water in 233 00:12:43,530 --> 00:12:46,890 S4: our ministries, but it's always God who gives the growth. 234 00:12:47,070 --> 00:12:50,730 S4: Even if an individual possessed the right answer for every question, 235 00:12:50,730 --> 00:12:53,819 S4: it still would not be our right answers that saved 236 00:12:53,820 --> 00:12:57,089 S4: a person. It's always God who does the work of saving. 237 00:12:57,090 --> 00:12:59,309 S4: So the next time, if you're hesitant to share your 238 00:12:59,309 --> 00:13:01,920 S4: faith because you're afraid you'll lose a debate or you 239 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:05,189 S4: might not know the answer, just remember it's God working 240 00:13:05,190 --> 00:13:08,069 S4: through the gospel message that has the ability to save, 241 00:13:08,070 --> 00:13:09,060 S4: not us. 242 00:13:09,090 --> 00:13:13,920 S1: Encouragement from Levi Hazen with life in Messiah. Hey, I 243 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:17,130 S1: want you to meet Dave Stotts. He's the slightly wild 244 00:13:17,130 --> 00:13:21,240 S1: and crazy guy behind the wheel at Drive Thru History Adventures. 245 00:13:21,270 --> 00:13:24,870 S1: Dave says of himself, I'm not a historian or scholar. 246 00:13:24,870 --> 00:13:27,870 S1: I'm just a video guy who happens to love history. Oh, 247 00:13:27,870 --> 00:13:30,540 S1: and did I mention that he loves theology too? His 248 00:13:30,540 --> 00:13:34,530 S1: unique series, Drive Thru History, first roared onto the freeway 249 00:13:34,530 --> 00:13:37,890 S1: back in 2003, and he's been at it ever since. 250 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,800 S1: Dave lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife Rebecca, and 251 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:43,380 S1: their two sons. Hey, Dave, I'm glad we could pull 252 00:13:43,380 --> 00:13:45,270 S1: you over to the curb for a minute to stop 253 00:13:45,270 --> 00:13:47,400 S1: and visit here on the land and the book. 254 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:49,320 S5: Thank you. John, it's great to be with you today. 255 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:52,260 S5: You're demonstrating just how easy it is to come up 256 00:13:52,260 --> 00:13:55,500 S5: with driving metaphors and puns. I'll try to steer us 257 00:13:55,500 --> 00:13:56,310 S5: in the right direction. 258 00:13:56,340 --> 00:13:58,679 S1: Yeah, thank you for that. And I'll. I'll not be 259 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:02,550 S1: a backseat driver. But for somebody who's never joined you before, 260 00:14:02,550 --> 00:14:05,400 S1: describe your drive through adventures. 261 00:14:05,610 --> 00:14:10,619 S5: Yeah. Drive Through History is an on location history show 262 00:14:10,650 --> 00:14:15,360 S5: with a driving theme, and we've done about a hundred 263 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:19,230 S5: shows so far, and we take viewers on a journey 264 00:14:19,230 --> 00:14:23,340 S5: to explore the people, places and events of world history. 265 00:14:23,340 --> 00:14:26,220 S5: And the purpose is to highlight what we believe to 266 00:14:26,250 --> 00:14:30,810 S5: be the unmistakable fingerprints of God on earth and in history. 267 00:14:30,810 --> 00:14:34,920 S5: It's his story. So we try to bring the past alive, 268 00:14:34,950 --> 00:14:37,950 S5: give the viewer an epic journey with me to learn 269 00:14:37,950 --> 00:14:40,170 S5: about history as kind of a global tour guide, and 270 00:14:40,170 --> 00:14:43,480 S5: so we really love taking people on location. That's kind 271 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:45,940 S5: of the secret sauce of our of our show is 272 00:14:45,940 --> 00:14:49,660 S5: to kind of remind people that, hey, stories in the Bible, 273 00:14:49,660 --> 00:14:53,050 S5: they actually happened in time, space, history. There's a place 274 00:14:53,050 --> 00:14:56,140 S5: on the map you can go and explore. You know, 275 00:14:56,170 --> 00:14:58,660 S5: where it happened. And so we get to kind of 276 00:14:58,690 --> 00:15:01,870 S5: conjure up that imagination in the viewer and give them 277 00:15:01,870 --> 00:15:06,040 S5: a reminder that the Bible, while it is so much 278 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:09,460 S5: more than a history book, it's certainly no less than 279 00:15:09,460 --> 00:15:11,860 S5: a history book. And it's got reliable stories that you 280 00:15:11,860 --> 00:15:12,850 S5: can bank on. 281 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,850 S1: I'm amazed at the enormous variety in your subject matter. 282 00:15:15,850 --> 00:15:20,260 S1: You've got Bible backroads, the Gospels, Acts to Revelation, and 283 00:15:20,260 --> 00:15:24,820 S1: Bible Unearthed, a series on archaeology. What's your your grid 284 00:15:24,820 --> 00:15:27,190 S1: for selecting a particular series? 285 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:32,470 S5: You know, we look at history as being a linear story, 286 00:15:32,470 --> 00:15:35,770 S5: as having a beginning. It has a middle and it's 287 00:15:35,770 --> 00:15:39,010 S5: going somewhere. It's got a plot and it's got a 288 00:15:39,010 --> 00:15:42,550 S5: main character, if you will. So we're always sort of 289 00:15:42,580 --> 00:15:47,590 S5: gravitating toward the Christian story, the biblical stories, because we 290 00:15:47,590 --> 00:15:51,190 S5: believe that life, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ is the 291 00:15:51,190 --> 00:15:55,870 S5: linchpin on which history turns. And when you look at 292 00:15:55,870 --> 00:15:59,650 S5: it through those lenses, John, we believe that it can 293 00:15:59,650 --> 00:16:03,730 S5: get really exciting to explore history because you like you said, 294 00:16:03,850 --> 00:16:06,820 S5: you sort of bring in theology with it as well, 295 00:16:06,820 --> 00:16:09,820 S5: and you can see yourself as a viewer, as a 296 00:16:09,820 --> 00:16:13,989 S5: participant in this narrative that God is weaving together from 297 00:16:13,990 --> 00:16:15,670 S5: the beginning of time to the end. 298 00:16:15,700 --> 00:16:18,610 S1: You've managed to catch up with Dave Stotz and his 299 00:16:18,610 --> 00:16:22,210 S1: drive through history adventures. I'm John Gager. This is the 300 00:16:22,210 --> 00:16:25,090 S1: land and the book. Having watched some of these videos, 301 00:16:25,090 --> 00:16:28,030 S1: I have to say they're nicely paced. I love the 302 00:16:28,030 --> 00:16:31,330 S1: use of humor, and I think that's important in today's generation. 303 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,390 S1: How did you land on a personality feel for this? 304 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,450 S5: Well, actually, you know, when we travel, that's just sort 305 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:42,490 S5: of my personality. I'm sure you've done your share of traveling. 306 00:16:42,550 --> 00:16:47,200 S5: It's not always glamorous. In case you haven't noticed, it's 307 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:49,930 S5: kind of a pain. Sometimes. I love the quote from 308 00:16:49,930 --> 00:16:53,080 S5: Bob Hope. I think he said something like, I love 309 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:56,020 S5: international travel. I've been to almost as many places as 310 00:16:56,020 --> 00:16:57,010 S5: my luggage. 311 00:16:57,610 --> 00:16:58,180 S1: You know. 312 00:16:58,210 --> 00:16:59,950 S5: You get kind of tired of it, so you have 313 00:16:59,950 --> 00:17:03,640 S5: to joke around and have fun. And that's kind of 314 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,570 S5: our approach. Have fun. And we've never thought that education 315 00:17:07,570 --> 00:17:12,430 S5: and entertainment are mutually exclusive. I think we can have 316 00:17:12,430 --> 00:17:16,330 S5: fun while you learn. And regularly. The feedback we get 317 00:17:16,330 --> 00:17:19,150 S5: from our audience is that, you know, the humor, even 318 00:17:19,180 --> 00:17:21,760 S5: though it's not wall to wall, we're not filling it 319 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:25,240 S5: up with gratuitous jokes all the time. Just a sprinkle 320 00:17:25,270 --> 00:17:28,810 S5: here and there, right enough to give people this thought that, hey, 321 00:17:28,810 --> 00:17:31,389 S5: what zany thing is he going to do next? You know, 322 00:17:31,420 --> 00:17:35,109 S5: I'm not a I'm not an academic. I'm not an intellectual. 323 00:17:35,350 --> 00:17:37,720 S5: I know just enough to be dangerous. But I do 324 00:17:37,730 --> 00:17:41,060 S5: love history. And, uh, I'd like to have fun when I, 325 00:17:41,090 --> 00:17:43,250 S5: when I travel and and when we go on these trips. 326 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,100 S5: And so hopefully a lot of that comes across on screen. 327 00:17:46,250 --> 00:17:50,240 S1: I love watching the disclaimer on the screen. At the 328 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:52,010 S1: end of one of the video segments, it says, this 329 00:17:52,010 --> 00:17:55,369 S1: video is intended to help you understand the Gospels, but 330 00:17:55,369 --> 00:17:59,210 S1: there is no substitute for reading them yourself. I was 331 00:17:59,210 --> 00:18:01,939 S1: grateful that you pushed people to the Bible itself. 332 00:18:01,970 --> 00:18:05,389 S5: Yes, that was very important to us, because we certainly 333 00:18:05,390 --> 00:18:09,260 S5: are not trying to give people an alternative to reading 334 00:18:09,260 --> 00:18:11,690 S5: the Bible. That's the whole point, is we're trying to 335 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:15,560 S5: point people to the Bible and hold it up as 336 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:19,939 S5: being the priceless treasure that it is. And we think, 337 00:18:19,970 --> 00:18:22,910 S5: you know, our little lane that we try to stay in. 338 00:18:22,940 --> 00:18:27,440 S5: To use another driving metaphor, is to really highlight the 339 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:30,890 S5: historicity of the stories in the Bible. And I think 340 00:18:30,890 --> 00:18:34,459 S5: that could give people confidence when they consider their faith 341 00:18:34,460 --> 00:18:39,340 S5: that it's not just some philosophy that might be an 342 00:18:39,340 --> 00:18:43,119 S5: optional thing on the table in a buffet of options. No, 343 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:46,420 S5: this actually happened in time space, history. You can have 344 00:18:46,420 --> 00:18:51,220 S5: confidence that your faith is grounded in real history, real people, 345 00:18:51,220 --> 00:18:54,730 S5: real places, and real events. And taking people on that 346 00:18:54,730 --> 00:18:58,300 S5: journey to see where they took place is, is an adventure. 347 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:00,730 S5: And we think it really helps people learn and. 348 00:19:00,730 --> 00:19:03,850 S1: You make it fun. Every video series features you driving 349 00:19:03,850 --> 00:19:06,640 S1: in a car of some kind, and that car is 350 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:09,640 S1: from the country where you're shooting the video. But even 351 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:11,920 S1: your choice in vehicles has a bit of significance. Share 352 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:12,760 S1: a bit more. 353 00:19:12,940 --> 00:19:17,560 S5: Yeah. You bet. Whether it's a vintage Alfa Romeo in 354 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,490 S5: Rome or a retro Mini Cooper in the UK, maybe 355 00:19:21,490 --> 00:19:24,760 S5: it's an old Mercedes-Benz in Germany. You can see where 356 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:27,550 S5: I'm going with this. In Eastern Europe we had a 357 00:19:27,550 --> 00:19:31,930 S5: car called a Lada, which is this Eastern European, very 358 00:19:31,930 --> 00:19:35,230 S5: communist bloc. Look about it. In Japan, we drove a 359 00:19:35,260 --> 00:19:39,760 S5: knockoff Corvette Stingray called a rock star. In America, it's 360 00:19:39,790 --> 00:19:42,040 S5: often a Jeep, you know? So we let the car 361 00:19:42,070 --> 00:19:44,350 S5: sort of be a metaphor for the place we're at. 362 00:19:44,350 --> 00:19:47,740 S5: And I'll never forget the Alfa Romeo in Rome. We 363 00:19:47,770 --> 00:19:51,040 S5: were driving around in Italy and we pulled over for gas, 364 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:53,200 S5: and we were pumping gas in the car, and I 365 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,990 S5: was the one holding the gas pump. And I just thought, man, 366 00:19:55,990 --> 00:19:58,360 S5: how big is this fuel tank? It's never filling up. 367 00:19:58,390 --> 00:20:01,810 S5: It just stood there for minutes. And we looked down 368 00:20:01,900 --> 00:20:04,750 S5: and we were all standing in a puddle of gasoline 369 00:20:04,750 --> 00:20:08,200 S5: because the fuel line had ruptured in this old vintage car. 370 00:20:08,350 --> 00:20:12,429 S5: And the vintage cars look really cool on camera, but 371 00:20:12,430 --> 00:20:15,700 S5: it's a mixed bag because you do sometimes break down. 372 00:20:15,730 --> 00:20:17,770 S5: And that's happened on multiple occasions. 373 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:20,080 S1: All right. So we've got listeners here who are very 374 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:23,199 S1: Middle East focused, Israel focused. Talk about some of the 375 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:25,810 S1: things that they will be exposed to as they check 376 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:29,260 S1: out some of your series, From Acts to Revelation, the 377 00:20:29,290 --> 00:20:34,419 S1: gospel's Bible, backroads archeology in particular I thought was fascinating. 378 00:20:34,420 --> 00:20:36,910 S1: You have an archaeologist with you, a pro who does 379 00:20:36,910 --> 00:20:40,600 S1: this for a living, and what can viewers expect? 380 00:20:40,630 --> 00:20:44,710 S5: We traveled to about 50 locations all over Israel, and 381 00:20:44,710 --> 00:20:47,470 S5: it really does sort of change the way you read 382 00:20:47,470 --> 00:20:50,679 S5: the Bible. John, some of the geographical information, even the 383 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:54,010 S5: biographical information sort of leaps off the page because you're like, 384 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:57,129 S5: I've been there. I was at the birthplace of that man. 385 00:20:57,130 --> 00:21:00,310 S5: And so we've been going there many times. We do 386 00:21:00,310 --> 00:21:04,570 S5: have an archaeologist who is usually along with us on 387 00:21:04,570 --> 00:21:08,260 S5: our travels. His name is Titus Kennedy, his friend. He's 388 00:21:08,260 --> 00:21:12,129 S5: written some books. He really has a strong grasp of 389 00:21:12,130 --> 00:21:15,369 S5: archaeology and of history. And, you know, he brings a 390 00:21:15,369 --> 00:21:18,880 S5: lot of academic credibility to the content that you hear 391 00:21:18,910 --> 00:21:21,310 S5: coming out of my mouth. But, you know, if you 392 00:21:21,310 --> 00:21:23,320 S5: want to talk about Bible history, you're going to be 393 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,170 S5: going to Israel quite a lot now. These days, that 394 00:21:26,170 --> 00:21:28,960 S5: travel has slowed down quite a bit for obvious reasons, 395 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:32,020 S5: but we're excited. We'd love to go back at some 396 00:21:32,020 --> 00:21:34,300 S5: point in the not too distant future. But you mentioned 397 00:21:34,330 --> 00:21:37,270 S5: the latest stuff. It's called Bible Backroads. That's mostly a 398 00:21:37,270 --> 00:21:40,119 S5: studio based program that we've been working on for a 399 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:43,300 S5: couple of years, and we sort of take viewers from 400 00:21:43,300 --> 00:21:46,480 S5: the studio out to a lot of the content that 401 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:50,470 S5: we've acquired from Israel and all over the Mediterranean region 402 00:21:50,500 --> 00:21:54,490 S5: on these huge screens behind me, as I'm in the studio, 403 00:21:54,490 --> 00:21:58,330 S5: it's almost like kind of a mr. Rogers, because it's 404 00:21:58,330 --> 00:22:01,270 S5: all it's a garage theme. So I've got my Jeep 405 00:22:01,270 --> 00:22:04,210 S5: in there. I've got all my garage kitsch and all 406 00:22:04,210 --> 00:22:07,570 S5: my paraphernalia that I've acquired over my travels all over 407 00:22:07,570 --> 00:22:11,230 S5: the world. We use that with TV monitors and screens 408 00:22:11,230 --> 00:22:13,960 S5: all over the place to really let this footage and 409 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:17,560 S5: this content we've acquired over the last really 20 years 410 00:22:17,590 --> 00:22:19,720 S5: all over the world, and let that be a way 411 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,390 S5: to introduce people to our stuff that way. 412 00:22:22,420 --> 00:22:25,210 S1: What kind of reactions have you received to these videos? 413 00:22:25,210 --> 00:22:29,350 S1: I'm sure you've got church members, you've got homeschoolers, families, 414 00:22:29,350 --> 00:22:31,960 S1: all kinds of folks who are on board with you. 415 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:35,619 S5: We do. We get a lot of feedback. A lot 416 00:22:35,619 --> 00:22:39,190 S5: of our dialogue and traffic takes place on Facebook, and 417 00:22:39,190 --> 00:22:41,530 S5: that's an easy way for people to kind of engage 418 00:22:41,530 --> 00:22:46,720 S5: with us and get little highlights and updates on what's 419 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:50,320 S5: dropping next. But yes, a lot of our audience are 420 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:52,659 S5: homeschool families, and we didn't even know that at first. 421 00:22:52,690 --> 00:22:56,170 S5: We started really 20 years ago, started making these shows, 422 00:22:56,170 --> 00:23:00,970 S5: and our broadcast partner has been TBN, Trinity Broadcasting, and 423 00:23:00,970 --> 00:23:04,240 S5: we just sort of kept making the shows, assuming that 424 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,880 S5: it was finding an audience out there somewhere. And when 425 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:10,030 S5: we dug in, we realized that a significant percentage of 426 00:23:10,030 --> 00:23:13,540 S5: our audience are homeschool families who use our shows as 427 00:23:13,570 --> 00:23:17,649 S5: sort of a supplement to their history and Bible curriculum. 428 00:23:17,650 --> 00:23:21,850 S5: So we've really had homeschool families sort of living in 429 00:23:21,850 --> 00:23:25,270 S5: our heads rent free for quite a while because we 430 00:23:25,270 --> 00:23:28,149 S5: try to we try to check all the boxes, make 431 00:23:28,150 --> 00:23:31,550 S5: it entertaining and An engaging and something that a young 432 00:23:31,550 --> 00:23:35,300 S5: person would find interesting and entertaining and fun, but at 433 00:23:35,300 --> 00:23:40,969 S5: the same time make it really robust with information and content, 434 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:45,139 S5: rich and dense with history. And what we found is 435 00:23:45,140 --> 00:23:47,330 S5: that a lot of these homeschool families, they watch the 436 00:23:47,330 --> 00:23:50,420 S5: shows multiple times because they hear things they didn't hear 437 00:23:50,420 --> 00:23:51,470 S5: the first time they saw the. 438 00:23:51,470 --> 00:23:54,470 S1: Shows, right? Boy, a lot of good stuff. And there's 439 00:23:54,470 --> 00:23:57,470 S1: so much more to talk about. You'll find it all 440 00:23:57,470 --> 00:24:00,170 S1: at the Drive Through History Adventures website, which we'll link 441 00:24:00,170 --> 00:24:04,850 S1: you to at our website. The land and the book.org. Dave, 442 00:24:04,850 --> 00:24:06,890 S1: what's ahead for you guys? Anything you're looking at that 443 00:24:06,890 --> 00:24:09,379 S1: would be of interest to land and the book listeners. 444 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:14,240 S5: We are really investing in our online platform right now, 445 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:17,750 S5: and it's called Drive Through History Adventures, and it's all 446 00:24:17,750 --> 00:24:21,679 S5: our shows, but they are delivered in the context of 447 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:25,850 S5: curriculum and education. Now, you can watch the shows kind 448 00:24:25,850 --> 00:24:29,150 S5: of on their own, but they're designed to go alongside 449 00:24:29,150 --> 00:24:33,740 S5: with extra readings and footnotes and citations and links to 450 00:24:33,770 --> 00:24:37,340 S5: other things and articles, and it allows you to really 451 00:24:37,340 --> 00:24:41,659 S5: dig deeper into the next level of the context of 452 00:24:41,660 --> 00:24:45,139 S5: these programs. And so we've we've been building an audience 453 00:24:45,140 --> 00:24:49,610 S5: that way and point people to that educational resource and 454 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:54,620 S5: are really excited about how it's growing and finding new audiences. 455 00:24:54,650 --> 00:24:58,580 S5: I mean, the homeschool community is growing by leaps and bounds. 456 00:24:58,609 --> 00:25:01,490 S5: You know, Covid really influenced a lot of families to 457 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:06,260 S5: consider homeschooling. And so we have seen our audience grow, 458 00:25:06,260 --> 00:25:11,540 S5: and we are certainly invested in making more content for that. 459 00:25:11,570 --> 00:25:14,990 S5: We've done a lot on the Bible, so that stuff's 460 00:25:14,990 --> 00:25:16,939 S5: always going to be there. And now we're sort of 461 00:25:16,970 --> 00:25:22,040 S5: considering maybe doing more on how did Christianity influence North 462 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:26,990 S5: America and look at some eras in our own recent history. 463 00:25:27,020 --> 00:25:30,859 S5: And sometimes that's going to be looking at stories involving America, 464 00:25:30,859 --> 00:25:34,219 S5: how it was born, some of the wars. Civil war, 465 00:25:34,250 --> 00:25:37,909 S5: World War two, things like that, that families are interested 466 00:25:37,910 --> 00:25:39,650 S5: in making sure their kids grow. 467 00:25:39,650 --> 00:25:40,699 S6: Up learning about. 468 00:25:40,790 --> 00:25:43,820 S1: Dave starts with drive Through History Adventures, a link to 469 00:25:43,850 --> 00:25:48,350 S1: his website at ours, the land and the book.org. Thanks 470 00:25:48,350 --> 00:25:50,689 S1: for putting the pedal to the metal and making the 471 00:25:50,690 --> 00:25:53,240 S1: drive with us. Charlie Dyer is back in the car 472 00:25:53,240 --> 00:26:07,400 S1: next here on the land and the book. Few things 473 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:11,359 S1: are more satisfying than puzzling over something and finally getting 474 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:14,300 S1: an answer. Well, that's what this next segment is all about. 475 00:26:14,330 --> 00:26:17,180 S1: On the land and the book. Welcome back. Our host, 476 00:26:17,180 --> 00:26:20,419 S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer, has his Bible open a smile on 477 00:26:20,420 --> 00:26:23,570 S1: his face because he loves this. Your questions, no matter 478 00:26:23,570 --> 00:26:27,619 S1: how challenging, don't make him sweat. They make me sweat, though. 479 00:26:27,830 --> 00:26:29,840 S1: All right, before we get to that first question, think 480 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:32,929 S1: about this. Fall is here again. And that means that 481 00:26:32,930 --> 00:26:36,440 S1: the Jewish high Holidays are right around the corner. These 482 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:39,620 S1: biblical feasts have been celebrated for thousands of years, but 483 00:26:39,619 --> 00:26:42,980 S1: this year, boy has added weight and significance as Jewish 484 00:26:42,980 --> 00:26:46,280 S1: people around the world mark one year since the brutal 485 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:49,850 S1: attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists. Boy, lots to think 486 00:26:49,850 --> 00:26:50,869 S1: about there, Charlie. 487 00:26:50,900 --> 00:26:52,939 S2: Yeah, there is John. And our friends at Life and 488 00:26:52,940 --> 00:26:55,610 S2: Messiah want to help you learn more about the fall feasts, 489 00:26:55,609 --> 00:26:58,580 S2: the significance they have for us as believers in Jesus, 490 00:26:58,580 --> 00:27:01,520 S2: and how to stand with Jewish people during this time. 491 00:27:01,550 --> 00:27:05,659 S2: They're offering a live zoom teaching session where their knowledgeable 492 00:27:05,660 --> 00:27:09,409 S2: field staff will walk you through the history and significance 493 00:27:09,410 --> 00:27:12,170 S2: of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and 494 00:27:12,170 --> 00:27:15,080 S2: the Feast of Tabernacles. You'll also hear how you can 495 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,990 S2: use these holidays as a point of connection with your 496 00:27:17,990 --> 00:27:21,290 S2: Jewish neighbors, to show and share the love of Jesus 497 00:27:21,290 --> 00:27:24,169 S2: with them. To sign up for this free teaching, all 498 00:27:24,170 --> 00:27:27,260 S2: you have to do is visit Life in Messiah org, 499 00:27:27,260 --> 00:27:30,170 S2: click on the Moody Radio logo and sign up. Be 500 00:27:30,170 --> 00:27:32,900 S2: sure to sign up today and find out the fascinating 501 00:27:32,900 --> 00:27:38,899 S2: connections between these feasts and Jesus at Life in messiah.org. 502 00:27:38,930 --> 00:27:41,450 S1: I love the fact that Alan's question kicking things off 503 00:27:41,450 --> 00:27:44,600 S1: today points us toward the return of Jesus future events. 504 00:27:44,630 --> 00:27:47,720 S1: That's really where our hearts should be, says Colossians. He 505 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:51,140 S1: takes us, though, to first Thessalonians chapter four, where verses 506 00:27:51,140 --> 00:27:55,129 S1: 13 through 17 say, the dead in Christ will rise first. 507 00:27:55,130 --> 00:27:57,470 S1: And Alan wants to know Charlie, is there an order 508 00:27:57,470 --> 00:28:01,070 S1: dependent in the rapture sequence that anybody who is alive 509 00:28:01,070 --> 00:28:03,470 S1: at the time of the rapture goes to the back 510 00:28:03,470 --> 00:28:05,449 S1: of the line when entering heaven? 511 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:07,760 S2: Yeah. And I need to answer this two ways. First, 512 00:28:07,790 --> 00:28:10,250 S2: there is a specific order given by Paul in first 513 00:28:10,250 --> 00:28:12,949 S2: Thessalonians four. You know when he says, the dead in 514 00:28:12,950 --> 00:28:15,889 S2: Christ will rise first. The words protos, which has the 515 00:28:15,890 --> 00:28:19,010 S2: idea of being first in a succession of items or events. 516 00:28:19,010 --> 00:28:23,689 S2: So in that sense, their resurrection and glorification does happen 517 00:28:23,690 --> 00:28:26,119 S2: prior to the transformation of those of us who are 518 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:29,180 S2: still alive. And Paul says this to support his words 519 00:28:29,180 --> 00:28:31,580 S2: in verse 15, that those of us who are still 520 00:28:31,580 --> 00:28:34,609 S2: alive at that time will in no way take priority 521 00:28:34,609 --> 00:28:37,460 S2: or precede those who have died. Now I need to 522 00:28:37,490 --> 00:28:40,790 S2: balance that, though, in Paul's message to the Corinthians. In 523 00:28:40,790 --> 00:28:44,960 S2: first Corinthians 15, verses 51 and 52, Paul says that 524 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:48,050 S2: entire process, that is, those who are asleep and those 525 00:28:48,050 --> 00:28:50,480 S2: who are still alive, who are caught up to be 526 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:53,210 S2: with Jesus will happen. He says in a moment, in 527 00:28:53,210 --> 00:28:55,490 S2: the twinkling of an eye. Now the word for moment 528 00:28:55,490 --> 00:28:58,790 S2: is the Greek word atomos, which refers to an individual 529 00:28:58,790 --> 00:29:01,070 S2: moment of time that can't be split. We get our 530 00:29:01,070 --> 00:29:04,160 S2: word atom from it, and Paul further describes it as 531 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:06,590 S2: happening in the blink of an eye. So if I 532 00:29:06,620 --> 00:29:09,470 S2: summarize it all, there's an order in the resurrection. But 533 00:29:09,470 --> 00:29:12,140 S2: if we're still alive when it happens, we'll only be 534 00:29:12,170 --> 00:29:15,110 S2: half a blink behind those who have already died. And 535 00:29:15,110 --> 00:29:16,850 S2: I don't think we need to worry about waiting in 536 00:29:16,850 --> 00:29:18,980 S2: line when we arrive. I think God has all those 537 00:29:18,980 --> 00:29:20,630 S2: logistics already worked out. 538 00:29:20,660 --> 00:29:23,900 S1: Chris wants to know, biblically speaking, what's the difference between 539 00:29:23,900 --> 00:29:27,500 S1: being stubborn and having a hardened heart? For Christian, what 540 00:29:27,530 --> 00:29:30,620 S1: are the dangers of being stubborn and and when does 541 00:29:30,620 --> 00:29:33,650 S1: stubbornness turn into a hardened heart? Well, you. 542 00:29:33,650 --> 00:29:36,080 S2: Know, biblically, I think stubbornness and a hardened heart are 543 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:39,050 S2: very similar. You know, I love the prophets. And several 544 00:29:39,050 --> 00:29:42,200 S2: passages there illustrate that, you know, when God called Ezekiel 545 00:29:42,230 --> 00:29:43,850 S2: as a prophet, he said, I want to make your 546 00:29:43,850 --> 00:29:47,300 S2: forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not 547 00:29:47,300 --> 00:29:49,520 S2: be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they 548 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:52,250 S2: are a rebellious house. You know, Ezekiel needed to be 549 00:29:52,250 --> 00:29:56,240 S2: stubborn and persistent, forehead like flint, because he'd be facing 550 00:29:56,270 --> 00:30:00,200 S2: a nation that was absolutely stubborn in its rebellion against God. 551 00:30:00,530 --> 00:30:04,190 S2: So there are times when steadfastness or stubbornness is a 552 00:30:04,190 --> 00:30:06,860 S2: good thing. In describing the servant of the Lord in 553 00:30:06,860 --> 00:30:09,620 S2: Isaiah 50. It's one of the servant songs that point 554 00:30:09,650 --> 00:30:12,410 S2: to the work of Jesus. It says there because the 555 00:30:12,410 --> 00:30:14,990 S2: sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore 556 00:30:15,020 --> 00:30:17,570 S2: I have set my face like flint, and no, I 557 00:30:17,570 --> 00:30:19,820 S2: will not be put to shame. So the servant was 558 00:30:19,820 --> 00:30:23,580 S2: determined to accomplish God's will, even when it involved being 559 00:30:23,580 --> 00:30:26,640 S2: mocked and spit upon. Now. Okay, let me land the 560 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:29,340 S2: plane here. Stubbornness and determination are two sides of the 561 00:30:29,340 --> 00:30:32,220 S2: same coin. It's a commitment to continue in a certain 562 00:30:32,220 --> 00:30:35,910 S2: direction no matter what. Now, ultimately, the force of character 563 00:30:35,910 --> 00:30:38,700 S2: can be either good or bad, depending on the relationship 564 00:30:38,700 --> 00:30:40,800 S2: the person has to God and to his or her 565 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:44,220 S2: willingness to submit to God. So Ezekiel and Jesus were 566 00:30:44,220 --> 00:30:47,520 S2: unwavering in their determination that in spite of pressure, they 567 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:49,800 S2: were going to stick with God and do what God wants. 568 00:30:49,830 --> 00:30:53,070 S2: That's positive. But those who refuse to accept God and 569 00:30:53,070 --> 00:30:55,860 S2: His Word, and the advice of godly people and who 570 00:30:55,860 --> 00:31:00,030 S2: stubbornly follow their own ways, they're foolish. So all that 571 00:31:00,030 --> 00:31:02,340 S2: to say, those who are stubborn and who refuse to 572 00:31:02,370 --> 00:31:04,830 S2: submit their will to that of the Lord do open 573 00:31:04,830 --> 00:31:08,370 S2: themselves up to the results of foolish, sinful choices. 574 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:12,150 S1: Rene's question takes us to geopolitical tensions. She says, I 575 00:31:12,150 --> 00:31:14,700 S1: know you have your sources, but the threats by Hezbollah 576 00:31:14,700 --> 00:31:18,330 S1: and their leader, Nasrallah, make my blood run cold. What 577 00:31:18,330 --> 00:31:19,170 S1: are you hearing? 578 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:21,920 S2: Well, part of what Nasrallah says is a bluff. He's 579 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:25,400 S2: intending to keep Israel from attacking, and that's also true. 580 00:31:25,550 --> 00:31:28,760 S2: He published some drone footage they had taken showing potential 581 00:31:28,790 --> 00:31:31,580 S2: targets in Haifa and Tel Aviv. So if Israel and 582 00:31:31,580 --> 00:31:34,430 S2: Hezbollah do get into an all out war, Hezbollah can 583 00:31:34,430 --> 00:31:38,120 S2: inflict damage on Israel. But Israel will also inflict terrible 584 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:41,660 S2: damage on them and on Lebanon. So one difference between 585 00:31:41,660 --> 00:31:44,510 S2: the war with Hamas and any potential future war with 586 00:31:44,510 --> 00:31:47,810 S2: Hezbollah is that Hamas surprised Israel. They were able to 587 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:52,340 S2: capture hostages. Israel has evacuated tens of thousands of Israelis 588 00:31:52,340 --> 00:31:55,370 S2: from its border with Lebanon to take that option away 589 00:31:55,370 --> 00:31:58,310 S2: from Hezbollah, so they won't be hindered by any worries 590 00:31:58,310 --> 00:32:00,500 S2: over hostages. But now, let me put it all in 591 00:32:00,500 --> 00:32:04,220 S2: a biblical perspective. I go back to some foundational passages 592 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:06,920 S2: in Genesis 12 three. God said he'll bless those who 593 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:10,310 S2: bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. Well, that 594 00:32:10,310 --> 00:32:13,280 S2: tells me where Nasrallah is in relationship to the God 595 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:16,580 S2: of the universe. In Zechariah 12 three, God talked about 596 00:32:16,580 --> 00:32:20,000 S2: what will happen to the nation that threatens Jerusalem in 597 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:22,070 S2: the last days, he said. On that day, when all 598 00:32:22,070 --> 00:32:24,290 S2: the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I 599 00:32:24,290 --> 00:32:27,350 S2: will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. 600 00:32:27,350 --> 00:32:30,500 S2: All who try to move it will injure themselves. Now 601 00:32:30,500 --> 00:32:33,440 S2: that tells me how to put those threats by Nasrallah 602 00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:37,160 S2: and others in perspective. In Psalm 83, the psalmist wrote, 603 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:39,500 S2: O God, do not keep silent. Do not be quiet. 604 00:32:39,530 --> 00:32:42,320 S2: Do not be still. See how your enemies are astir. 605 00:32:42,350 --> 00:32:45,950 S2: Know your foes rear their heads with cunning. They conspire 606 00:32:45,950 --> 00:32:49,700 S2: against your people. They plot against your cherished. Come, they say. 607 00:32:49,700 --> 00:32:52,460 S2: Let's destroy them as a nation. And then, if you 608 00:32:52,460 --> 00:32:54,770 S2: want to keep reading that Psalm 83, just read verses 609 00:32:54,770 --> 00:32:57,410 S2: 13 to 18 and we're told how that story is 610 00:32:57,410 --> 00:32:58,370 S2: going to end. 611 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:01,520 S1: You're listening to The Land and the book from Moody Radio. 612 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:05,030 S1: Questions and answers. Our focus. This segment, Mary, takes us 613 00:33:05,030 --> 00:33:09,590 S1: to Romans 11, explaining Elijah's plea to God against Israel. 614 00:33:09,620 --> 00:33:12,140 S1: But in verse four, God tells Elijah that he has 615 00:33:12,140 --> 00:33:15,920 S1: kept for himself 7000 men who have not bowed down 616 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:18,570 S1: to Baal. What about women, she asks. How were they 617 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:22,020 S1: saved in acts 16? It looks like Lydia wasn't married, 618 00:33:22,020 --> 00:33:24,810 S1: but she wants to be a Christian, and Peter tells 619 00:33:24,810 --> 00:33:27,959 S1: wives how to respect and show love to their unbelieving husbands. 620 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:32,340 S1: So please explain women's accountability to God in terms of salvation, 621 00:33:32,340 --> 00:33:35,340 S1: especially prior to Christ's death and resurrection. 622 00:33:35,370 --> 00:33:37,710 S2: Yeah, and as I started to say, though, some passages 623 00:33:37,710 --> 00:33:40,709 S2: like that Elijah one mentioned men, I believe the entire 624 00:33:40,710 --> 00:33:43,260 S2: message of the Bible is that God's plan of salvation 625 00:33:43,260 --> 00:33:45,840 S2: is for all humanity, male and female. And it's the 626 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:49,350 S2: same when John 316 says, God loved the world, that 627 00:33:49,350 --> 00:33:51,810 S2: he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes 628 00:33:51,810 --> 00:33:54,960 S2: in him should not perish but have eternal life. Those 629 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:57,960 S2: words are intended to be inclusive without regard to gender. Now, 630 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:00,630 S2: it's true that much of the biblical account focuses on 631 00:34:00,630 --> 00:34:03,510 S2: the exploits and faith of men, but it doesn't do 632 00:34:03,510 --> 00:34:06,390 S2: so to the exclusion of women. I love the images 633 00:34:06,390 --> 00:34:10,320 S2: of faith presented by Rahab at Jericho, or by Deborah 634 00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:12,690 S2: in the Book of Judges, by Ruth, and in the 635 00:34:12,690 --> 00:34:15,150 S2: book that has her name and the portrait of a 636 00:34:15,150 --> 00:34:18,660 S2: wife of noble character in Proverbs 31 is remarkable. Now, 637 00:34:18,660 --> 00:34:21,450 S2: in the New Testament, Lydia, as you mentioned, is an 638 00:34:21,450 --> 00:34:24,870 S2: amazing woman who is the first convert to Christianity in Europe. 639 00:34:24,870 --> 00:34:27,960 S2: So whether before or after the death of Christ, faith 640 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,029 S2: came by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. 641 00:34:30,030 --> 00:34:33,600 S2: And both women and men responded to that message. 642 00:34:33,630 --> 00:34:36,570 S1: Romans six verse seven says, for when a person dies, 643 00:34:36,570 --> 00:34:39,120 S1: he's set free from the power of sin. But what 644 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:42,030 S1: about the death of an unbeliever? Death for an unbeliever 645 00:34:42,030 --> 00:34:44,220 S1: wouldn't set them free from the power of sin, if 646 00:34:44,250 --> 00:34:47,190 S1: at death they're separated from God for eternity and they 647 00:34:47,190 --> 00:34:50,250 S1: will exist in eternal torment, so does Romans six, verse 648 00:34:50,250 --> 00:34:53,340 S1: seven refer to the death only of an unbeliever. Yeah. 649 00:34:53,370 --> 00:34:55,950 S2: And the passage really isn't focusing on the death of 650 00:34:55,950 --> 00:34:59,009 S2: an unbeliever. In fact, Paul uses two extended clauses in 651 00:34:59,040 --> 00:35:03,000 S2: that section. The first, it's verses five through seven, explains 652 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,450 S2: the reality of our becoming united with Christ in his death. 653 00:35:06,630 --> 00:35:09,270 S2: It's more properly beginning. In verse five he says, since 654 00:35:09,270 --> 00:35:12,120 S2: we have been united with him like this. And then 655 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:16,960 S2: the second clause begins in verse eight and would be translated, now, 656 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:19,359 S2: since we've died with Christ, we believe that we'll live 657 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:22,210 S2: with him. Now. In that last clause, Paul's describing how 658 00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:25,719 S2: our old self was crucified together with Christ on the cross. 659 00:35:25,930 --> 00:35:28,989 S2: In verse seven, Paul is then continuing his argument. The 660 00:35:28,989 --> 00:35:31,870 S2: word for freed comes from the word meaning to pronounce 661 00:35:31,870 --> 00:35:34,630 S2: righteous or to justify, and the word is in the 662 00:35:34,630 --> 00:35:38,440 S2: perfect tense, describing a past act with continuing results. And 663 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:41,020 S2: his point is that since our old self was crucified 664 00:35:41,020 --> 00:35:43,450 S2: with Christ, we've been freed in the sense of having 665 00:35:43,450 --> 00:35:46,509 S2: been declared righteous because of Christ's death for us. So 666 00:35:46,510 --> 00:35:49,810 S2: it's referring to the continued standing of a believer because 667 00:35:49,810 --> 00:35:52,390 S2: of what Christ's death for us was on the cross. 668 00:35:52,420 --> 00:35:55,450 S1: Mark wants to know what is the High Sabbath referred 669 00:35:55,450 --> 00:35:58,660 S1: to in John 19. This is used so often by 670 00:35:58,660 --> 00:36:02,859 S1: cults to prove Jesus resurrection, along with John 1240, which 671 00:36:02,860 --> 00:36:04,029 S1: was on the Sabbath. 672 00:36:04,180 --> 00:36:08,410 S2: Yeah. Well, John 1931 literally says for great the day 673 00:36:08,410 --> 00:36:11,259 S2: that one of the Sabbath. Or we might smooth it 674 00:36:11,260 --> 00:36:13,650 S2: out to say, for the day of the Sabbath was great. 675 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:17,040 S2: I believe John is simply saying this particular Sabbath was 676 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:20,700 S2: special or great, because it occurred just after Passover. In 677 00:36:20,700 --> 00:36:24,000 S2: response to those who think Jesus was resurrected on the Sabbath. 678 00:36:24,030 --> 00:36:27,390 S2: I think Mark 1542 clearly shows the day of the 679 00:36:27,390 --> 00:36:30,360 S2: crucifixion was the day before the start of the Sabbath, 680 00:36:30,390 --> 00:36:32,880 S2: because it says when evening had come, because it was 681 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:35,489 S2: the preparation day, that is the day before the Sabbath. 682 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:37,890 S2: And then, of course, all four Gospels make it clear 683 00:36:37,890 --> 00:36:40,620 S2: that Jesus was resurrected on Sunday. 684 00:36:40,830 --> 00:36:43,200 S1: Boy, a lot of questions today. Thank you for sending 685 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:48,720 S1: yours in to the land and the book@moody.edu. Stick around. 686 00:37:01,530 --> 00:37:04,470 S1: If you're a horse lover. This next segment is just 687 00:37:04,469 --> 00:37:07,170 S1: for you. Welcome back to the land and the book. 688 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:10,350 S1: I'm John Gager with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. Where 689 00:37:10,350 --> 00:37:12,399 S1: are we going with today's devotional, Charlie. 690 00:37:12,580 --> 00:37:14,950 S2: Uh, John, we're going to visit horse town in Mark 691 00:37:14,950 --> 00:37:15,850 S2: chapter five. 692 00:37:15,850 --> 00:37:18,279 S1: I'm looking forward to that. Before we get there, though, 693 00:37:18,310 --> 00:37:21,010 S1: let's pause and listen to this testimony from somebody who's 694 00:37:21,010 --> 00:37:23,740 S1: traveled to Israel and wants to share this perspective with 695 00:37:23,739 --> 00:37:24,580 S1: you and me. 696 00:37:28,420 --> 00:37:32,140 S7: My name is Elizabeth Lightbody, and my Holy Land experience 697 00:37:32,140 --> 00:37:38,230 S7: was one that I hadn't really anticipated would be so colorful. 698 00:37:38,290 --> 00:37:42,339 S7: I remember so often that Doctor Dyer would say, when 699 00:37:42,340 --> 00:37:45,250 S7: you go to the Holy Land, your scripture goes from 700 00:37:45,250 --> 00:37:48,459 S7: black and white to color, and I really don't think 701 00:37:48,460 --> 00:37:53,230 S7: I believed him as he would say that. But I 702 00:37:53,230 --> 00:37:56,620 S7: must say that as I began to read scripture, my 703 00:37:56,620 --> 00:37:59,530 S7: mind would always go back to those events and where 704 00:37:59,530 --> 00:38:04,930 S7: Jesus had been, the picking up a stone and thinking 705 00:38:04,930 --> 00:38:08,080 S7: that that was the very valley that David had picked 706 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:12,569 S7: up a stone to kill Goliath, but it reminds me 707 00:38:12,570 --> 00:38:18,180 S7: again and again that it was God's hand that gave. 708 00:38:18,210 --> 00:38:23,279 S7: Strength to David as he flung that and killed a giant. 709 00:38:23,310 --> 00:38:27,120 S7: Thinking about giants in my own life, and my allowing 710 00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:31,259 S7: Jesus to be the one that takes the stones that 711 00:38:31,260 --> 00:38:36,000 S7: are around me. His scriptures and slays the the giants 712 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:41,489 S7: that I, I struggle with daily. I highly recommend the 713 00:38:41,489 --> 00:38:44,700 S7: trip to Israel. It will change your life. 714 00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:49,770 S1: All right, horse town. I'm intrigued. Charlie, where are we going? 715 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:52,080 S2: Well, John, we're going to be heading to an ancient 716 00:38:52,110 --> 00:38:55,020 S2: town that had two names. But those two names had 717 00:38:55,020 --> 00:38:58,109 S2: one meaning. Now, that sounds confusing, but if it does, 718 00:38:58,110 --> 00:39:00,419 S2: follow me as we head into one of Israel's newest 719 00:39:00,420 --> 00:39:04,590 S2: national parks. Well, I'm breathing a little heavier after that 720 00:39:04,590 --> 00:39:07,020 S2: uphill walk. It's a good spot right here to stop 721 00:39:07,020 --> 00:39:09,810 S2: and rest. And. And while you're catching your breath. Let 722 00:39:09,810 --> 00:39:13,890 S2: me introduce you to the ancient city of Susita or hippos. 723 00:39:13,890 --> 00:39:18,030 S2: Susita comes from sus, the Hebrew word for horse. And hippos, 724 00:39:18,030 --> 00:39:20,400 S2: of course, is the Greek word for horse. You might 725 00:39:20,430 --> 00:39:23,130 S2: have learned that somewhere back in school, when you learned 726 00:39:23,130 --> 00:39:26,100 S2: about the word hippopotamus. That comes from two Greek words 727 00:39:26,100 --> 00:39:30,330 S2: hippos for horse and potamus for river. But where we're 728 00:39:30,330 --> 00:39:33,030 S2: standing today, it doesn't matter whether you use the Hebrew 729 00:39:33,030 --> 00:39:36,630 S2: name or the Greek name. Either way, this is horse town. 730 00:39:36,660 --> 00:39:39,750 S2: Hippos was one of the group of ten Hellenistic cities 731 00:39:39,750 --> 00:39:42,029 S2: on the eastern end of the Roman Empire. At the 732 00:39:42,030 --> 00:39:45,810 S2: time of the New Testament they were collectively called the Decapolis, 733 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:49,110 S2: which is the Greek meaning ten cities. And no, this 734 00:39:49,110 --> 00:39:52,319 S2: isn't a Greek lesson today. That's the last Greek word 735 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:56,069 S2: I'll use so you can breathe easier. Susita or hippos 736 00:39:56,100 --> 00:39:59,370 S2: is one of the northernmost of the towns in the Decapolis. 737 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:02,370 S2: Look just over to the west and you can see 738 00:40:02,370 --> 00:40:05,610 S2: that this town is sitting almost halfway up the eastern 739 00:40:05,610 --> 00:40:07,950 S2: side of the Sea of Galilee. Now we think of 740 00:40:07,950 --> 00:40:10,020 S2: the Sea of Galilee as being a Jewish area in 741 00:40:10,020 --> 00:40:12,899 S2: the time of Jesus, and much of it was. But 742 00:40:12,900 --> 00:40:15,810 S2: starting here and heading south all the way to modern 743 00:40:15,810 --> 00:40:20,430 S2: day Amman, Jordan, was an area dominated by Greek speaking gentiles. 744 00:40:20,460 --> 00:40:22,560 S2: A ridge of land just to the north of where 745 00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:26,280 S2: we're standing was the dividing line between the Jews and Gentiles. 746 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:29,280 S2: On this side of the lake. As you can see, 747 00:40:29,310 --> 00:40:32,489 S2: hippos provides an impressive view of the Sea of Galilee. 748 00:40:32,520 --> 00:40:35,730 S2: Just across the lake is the city of Tiberius, and 749 00:40:35,730 --> 00:40:38,220 S2: just to the north of Tiberius, you can make out 750 00:40:38,219 --> 00:40:41,100 S2: the silhouette of Mount Arbel, with its steep cliff that 751 00:40:41,100 --> 00:40:44,430 S2: provides a panoramic view of the lake from that side. 752 00:40:44,460 --> 00:40:47,070 S2: Continue north along the lake, and you soon come to 753 00:40:47,100 --> 00:40:50,219 S2: the cities where Jesus spent most of his time. In fact, 754 00:40:50,219 --> 00:40:53,820 S2: most of Jesus's ministry in Galilee focused on the towns 755 00:40:53,820 --> 00:40:57,779 S2: along the northern edge of the lake. Archaeologists excavating here 756 00:40:57,780 --> 00:41:00,630 S2: have discovered the remains of eight different churches from the 757 00:41:00,630 --> 00:41:03,989 S2: Byzantine period. That's a lot of churches for a relatively 758 00:41:03,989 --> 00:41:07,080 S2: small city. They've also uncovered the remains of a theatre 759 00:41:07,080 --> 00:41:09,870 S2: and an odeon, which is a smaller theatre used for 760 00:41:09,870 --> 00:41:13,830 S2: musical performances and poetry readings, and they found remains of 761 00:41:13,830 --> 00:41:16,740 S2: the main street that extended from east to west through 762 00:41:16,739 --> 00:41:20,100 S2: the centre of the town. This was a thoroughly modern town, 763 00:41:20,100 --> 00:41:23,430 S2: but it wasn't perfect. See that row of columns that 764 00:41:23,430 --> 00:41:26,640 S2: are toppled over over there? Much like the larger cities 765 00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:29,700 S2: of Beit She'an and Jerash to the south, Hippus was 766 00:41:29,700 --> 00:41:33,270 S2: destroyed by a massive earthquake that tore through this region 767 00:41:33,270 --> 00:41:36,930 S2: in 749 AD. On the far west side of town 768 00:41:36,930 --> 00:41:39,750 S2: is a church, sometimes called the Burnt Church because it 769 00:41:39,750 --> 00:41:43,080 S2: was destroyed by fire, possibly by the Persians in the 770 00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:46,859 S2: early seventh century. What makes this church so special are 771 00:41:46,860 --> 00:41:50,670 S2: the inscriptions and the mosaics discovered there. But to explain 772 00:41:50,670 --> 00:41:53,489 S2: why these mosaics are so important, I need to share 773 00:41:53,489 --> 00:41:57,330 S2: a second reason. This site is significant. To our north, 774 00:41:57,330 --> 00:42:00,150 S2: in the far northeastern end of the Sea of Galilee, 775 00:42:00,150 --> 00:42:03,660 S2: is where Jesus fed the 5000, and the actual number 776 00:42:03,660 --> 00:42:07,140 S2: fed was much greater. Matthew says there were 5000 men 777 00:42:07,140 --> 00:42:10,320 S2: besides women and children. There could have been as many 778 00:42:10,320 --> 00:42:13,560 S2: as 10,000 who were fed. We don't know the exact 779 00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:16,230 S2: spot where that miracle took place, but we do know 780 00:42:16,260 --> 00:42:19,739 S2: it was somewhere to our north, not very many miles away. 781 00:42:19,770 --> 00:42:21,840 S2: So what does that miracle have to do with this 782 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:25,680 S2: town and more specifically with that particular church? Well, as 783 00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:29,069 S2: the archaeologists began uncovering the mosaics on the floor, they 784 00:42:29,070 --> 00:42:33,810 S2: discovered baskets with something inside. 12 baskets filled with something. 785 00:42:33,810 --> 00:42:37,830 S2: And while some suggest they represent fruit, the archaeologist believes 786 00:42:37,830 --> 00:42:40,500 S2: the number is significant. He thinks they could represent the 787 00:42:40,500 --> 00:42:44,070 S2: 12 baskets of leftover bread that were collected once the 788 00:42:44,070 --> 00:42:47,430 S2: multitude had been fed. But there's a third reason we've 789 00:42:47,430 --> 00:42:49,350 S2: come to this site today, and it might just be 790 00:42:49,350 --> 00:42:51,810 S2: the most important one of all. You see, this is 791 00:42:51,810 --> 00:42:55,469 S2: the hometown of the demon possessed man healed by Jesus. 792 00:42:55,469 --> 00:42:58,529 S2: And from here we can gain new insight into that event. 793 00:42:58,560 --> 00:43:01,770 S2: The gospel accounts record several different names for the place 794 00:43:01,770 --> 00:43:06,069 S2: where Jesus encountered the man possessed by a legion of demons. 795 00:43:06,070 --> 00:43:09,220 S2: Matthew records the exact spot where it happened. While Mark 796 00:43:09,219 --> 00:43:11,710 S2: and Luke record the nearest major town that would have 797 00:43:11,710 --> 00:43:15,250 S2: been known to their Roman and Greek audiences. Matthew places 798 00:43:15,250 --> 00:43:18,580 S2: the event at Gergesa, a seaside village just over the 799 00:43:18,580 --> 00:43:22,090 S2: ridge of land to our north, about four miles away. Now, 800 00:43:22,090 --> 00:43:25,000 S2: you probably remember most of the details from that story. 801 00:43:25,030 --> 00:43:28,209 S2: Jesus encountered the man after arriving on the east side 802 00:43:28,210 --> 00:43:30,670 S2: of the lake. The man was possessed by so many 803 00:43:30,700 --> 00:43:33,700 S2: demons that he was known as Legion, and he lived 804 00:43:33,700 --> 00:43:36,430 S2: in the tombs cut into the hillside by the town. 805 00:43:36,460 --> 00:43:39,340 S2: When Jesus commanded the demons to depart, they asked to 806 00:43:39,370 --> 00:43:42,880 S2: be sent into a herd of swine on a nearby hillside. 807 00:43:42,910 --> 00:43:46,120 S2: Jesus granted the request, and the demons entered the swine, 808 00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:49,930 S2: who rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned. 809 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:53,770 S2: All well and good. But the story raises two questions. First, 810 00:43:53,800 --> 00:43:57,250 S2: what were pigs doing in a story about the Jewish Messiah? 811 00:43:57,280 --> 00:44:01,180 S2: After all, pigs were considered unclean to the Jews. But again, 812 00:44:01,180 --> 00:44:04,089 S2: look at the hillside just to our north. That's the 813 00:44:04,090 --> 00:44:07,540 S2: border between the Jewish region where Jesus landed and the 814 00:44:07,540 --> 00:44:11,290 S2: Gentile region where we're now standing. The pigs were grazing 815 00:44:11,290 --> 00:44:13,990 S2: on that hill right on the border, but they belonged 816 00:44:13,989 --> 00:44:16,630 S2: to the Gentiles living on this side of the hill, 817 00:44:16,780 --> 00:44:19,720 S2: likely from the people who lived in this very town. 818 00:44:19,719 --> 00:44:22,989 S2: And that leads to the second question. Does the town 819 00:44:22,989 --> 00:44:26,500 S2: where we're now standing play any role in the story? Now, 820 00:44:26,500 --> 00:44:29,830 S2: it's not the place where Jesus encountered the demon possessed man, 821 00:44:29,830 --> 00:44:32,950 S2: but it does play a role. Listen to the final 822 00:44:32,950 --> 00:44:35,920 S2: verses in Mark's account of the event in Mark five, 823 00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:39,700 S2: verses 18 to 20. As Jesus was getting into the boat, 824 00:44:39,700 --> 00:44:42,069 S2: the man who had been demon possessed begged to go 825 00:44:42,100 --> 00:44:45,040 S2: with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, go 826 00:44:45,040 --> 00:44:47,440 S2: home to your family and tell them how much the 827 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:49,660 S2: Lord has done for you and how he has had 828 00:44:49,660 --> 00:44:52,360 S2: mercy on you. So the man went away and began 829 00:44:52,360 --> 00:44:55,450 S2: to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done 830 00:44:55,450 --> 00:44:58,870 S2: for him. And all the people were amazed. Where was 831 00:44:58,870 --> 00:45:02,680 S2: this man from? He's from the region of the Decapolis, 832 00:45:02,739 --> 00:45:05,980 S2: almost certainly from the town of Hippos or Susita, where 833 00:45:05,980 --> 00:45:09,670 S2: we're now standing. This is the town the man returned to. 834 00:45:09,700 --> 00:45:12,160 S2: We don't know if it was because of his witness, 835 00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:15,279 S2: but quite possibly this town saw a large number come 836 00:45:15,280 --> 00:45:18,280 S2: to know the Lord. And maybe that's why this relatively 837 00:45:18,280 --> 00:45:22,270 S2: small place ended up with so many churches. So what's 838 00:45:22,270 --> 00:45:25,149 S2: the lesson for us as we get ready to leave? 839 00:45:25,540 --> 00:45:29,080 S2: How about this? God wants us to tell others about him. 840 00:45:29,080 --> 00:45:33,070 S2: And frankly, that thought can be frightening to many. But 841 00:45:33,070 --> 00:45:36,190 S2: just remember, you don't have to preach to thousands to 842 00:45:36,219 --> 00:45:39,100 S2: be effective. The man who returned to his family and 843 00:45:39,100 --> 00:45:42,550 S2: horse town simply told them about his encounter with Jesus 844 00:45:42,550 --> 00:45:46,180 S2: and how it had changed his life. But that simple message, 845 00:45:46,210 --> 00:45:50,319 S2: accompanied by a dramatic change in his life, ultimately impacted 846 00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:54,760 S2: this entire city. Dwight Moody spoke to millions about Christ, 847 00:45:54,760 --> 00:45:58,690 S2: but before that could ever happen, God used Edward Kimball 848 00:45:58,719 --> 00:46:01,850 S2: to share the message of God's love with a young moody, 849 00:46:01,850 --> 00:46:04,970 S2: when Moody was just a salesman in a shoe store. 850 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:08,480 S2: Just tell others what God has done for you and 851 00:46:08,480 --> 00:46:11,150 S2: then trust God to do the rest. 852 00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:14,690 S1: Great insights, as always. Thank you. Charlie. Hey, if it's 853 00:46:14,690 --> 00:46:16,430 S1: been a while since you've sent us an email, we'd 854 00:46:16,430 --> 00:46:18,650 S1: love to hear from you. You can connect with us 855 00:46:18,650 --> 00:46:23,120 S1: at The Land and the book@moody.edu. Let us know how 856 00:46:23,120 --> 00:46:25,460 S1: you listen. Let us know what the program is doing 857 00:46:25,460 --> 00:46:27,980 S1: in your life. And maybe if you've got a question, 858 00:46:27,980 --> 00:46:30,590 S1: you can share that with us as well. The land 859 00:46:30,590 --> 00:46:35,630 S1: and the book@moody.edu. Our podcast is waiting for you at 860 00:46:35,630 --> 00:46:37,790 S1: the website. A great way to connect further with the 861 00:46:37,790 --> 00:46:40,250 S1: program and to share us with a friend. Go to 862 00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:44,450 S1: the land and the book.org. Well, that'll do it for 863 00:46:44,450 --> 00:46:47,629 S1: today's broadcast. On behalf of our producer Dan Anderson, our host, 864 00:46:47,630 --> 00:46:50,990 S1: Charlie Dyer, I'm John Gager. The land and the book 865 00:46:50,989 --> 00:46:53,810 S1: is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody 866 00:46:53,810 --> 00:46:55,130 S1: Bible Institute.