S1: You can read about history. You can lecture about history.
S1: What if you could drive through history, go to the
S1: actual places where all the cool stuff took place? Well,
S1: fasten your seat belt. We're heading for a drive through
S1: history adventures along the way. We're going to make a
S1: quick stop for a look at current events from the
S1: Middle East. Plus, answer your Bible questions so strap yourself
S1: in for the land and the book. Welcome! I'm John Gager,
S1: our host and tour guide par excellence is Doctor Charlie Dyer,
S1: the guy that students and scholars alike turn to for
S1: reliable perspectives on the Middle East. Good to be with you, Charlie.
S2: John, it's always great to be with you.
S1: Well, fall is officially sort of here, and that means
S1: the Jewish High Holidays are right around the corner. These
S1: biblical feasts have been celebrated for thousands of years, but
S1: this year, I think, has added weight and significance as
S1: Jewish people around the world mark the one year anniversary
S1: of the brutal attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists.
S2: Yeah, and that's why our friends at Life and Messiah
S2: want to help you learn more about the fall feasts,
S2: the significance they have for us as believers in Jesus,
S2: and how to stand with Jewish people during this time.
S2: They're offering a live zoom teaching session, where their knowledgeable
S2: field staff will walk you through the history and significance
S2: of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and
S2: the Feast of Tabernacles. You'll also hear how you can
S2: use these holidays as a point of connection with your
S2: Jewish friends and neighbors, to show and share the love
S2: of Jesus with them. To sign up for this free teaching,
S2: all you have to do is visit Life in Messiah org.
S2: Click on the Moody Radio logo and sign up. Be
S2: sure to sign up today to discover the fascinating connections
S2: between these feasts and Jesus at Life in messiah.org.
S1: And as we always do on the land of the book,
S1: we open up with a look at current events. Let's
S1: do that now. Charlie, the war with Hamas continues to
S1: drive a wedge within Israel as protests erupted nationwide, blaming
S1: Prime Minister Netanyahu for the recent deaths of six hostages.
S1: Which was just a horrible thing, of course. But why
S1: is there such division within Israel, since Hamas is the
S1: group who started the war and actually murdered these hostages?
S2: Yeah, and that's an important point to remember. You know,
S2: secular Israelis have opposed Prime Minister Netanyahu and the current
S2: government since it was formed. They believe he's responsible for
S2: the death of the hostages, because he refused to agree
S2: to all of Hamas's demands for a deal. Even before
S2: October 7th, there were mass protests against the proposed changes
S2: in the judiciary, with thousands of Israelis saying they wouldn't
S2: fulfill their reserve duty in the army to protest the government.
S2: Now Israel's enemies took note. They saw that as proof
S2: that Israel was imploding internally. And that wasn't the sole
S2: cause for the October 7th attack. but it was a factor.
S2: Israel temporarily came together to stand against Hamas. Their goals
S2: were to defeat Hamas and to retrieve the hostages. The
S2: problem is that these two goals became mutually exclusive. Defeating
S2: Hamas meant conquering Gaza, eliminating the battalions of fighters and
S2: choking off the supply of weapons coming in from Egypt.
S2: Getting the hostages back meant negotiating with Hamas and giving
S2: in to their demands, which included a total Israeli withdrawal
S2: from Gaza and the release of thousands of Hamas prisoners.
S2: Prime Minister Netanyahu was willing to agree to some demands,
S2: but he refused to give up the Philadelphi corridor, the
S2: narrow boundary between Gaza and Egypt over the past 17 years.
S2: This is the place where Hamas used tunnels and the
S2: above ground crossing points to bring in weapons, supplies, ammunition
S2: and all the other items it used to attack Israel.
S2: Compounding all this is the total disunity in Israel. Opposition
S2: lawmakers have portrayed Netanyahu as an opportunist whose only goal
S2: is his survival. Every decision he makes is second guessed
S2: until there's virtually no level of trust. Here's my perspective.
S2: John Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, was convicted of murder
S2: by Israel back in 1989 and given four life sentences.
S2: He spent 22 years in prison until he was released
S2: with over a thousand others in a prisoner exchange for
S2: one captured Israeli soldier. Wow. Was Israel happy to have
S2: that soldier back? Yes they were, but at the time,
S2: they failed to see that the release of Sinwar and
S2: a thousand others would eventually result in the loss of
S2: over 1200 Israeli lives and the capture of 250 hostages.
S2: 13 years later, now, I believe Netanyahu dug in his
S2: heels on the Philadelphi corridor because he knows Hamas needs
S2: it to remain in power and to rearm. But many
S2: Israelis and the US, unfortunately, are pressuring him to do
S2: just that, to get the remaining hostages back. Now. Right now,
S2: it's unclear how long Netanyahu will be able to survive
S2: in office. Israel's fractured politically, and the US is pressuring
S2: him to give in to make a deal. He's facing
S2: life and death decisions that few politicians ever really face.
S2: He really needs our prayers for wisdom. Israel also needs
S2: our prayers. They're deeply divided as a nation. And you know,
S2: as Jesus said, a house divided against itself cannot stand.
S2: We need to be praying that the internal anger and
S2: hatred there will be replaced with unity.
S1: Lord, we ask even now, as we bring this report,
S1: that you would do this thing in Israel. Give them wisdom.
S1: Deliver them from evil. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.
S2: Amen.
S1: Well, within Gaza, Charlie, there are also reports that Hamas
S1: leader Sinwar is encountering growing opposition himself. What obstacles is
S1: he facing?
S2: Well, the US charged Sinwar and other Hamas leaders with terrorism,
S2: but that's not really the major concern for him. He's
S2: more concerned about the shrinking territory over which he has
S2: control and the shrinking leadership that he can trust to
S2: help rule it. In spite of all the dire predictions
S2: of a humanitarian crisis that would take place if Israel
S2: attacked Rafah. While the campaign was successful, Israel defeated Hamas
S2: Rafah brigade and destroyed 80% of the border tunnels, choking
S2: off the resupply of weapons and ammunition to Hamas. And
S2: they did it all without causing mass starvation or killing
S2: large numbers of civilians, as the US and others had predicted.
S2: Sinwar is now more concerned about his own survival as
S2: Israel works to track his location and movements. Intelligence sources
S2: report that he's now surrounding himself with at least 20
S2: handcuffed hostages to thwart any Israeli attack. Another problem Sinwar
S2: is facing is with the other terror groups in Gaza,
S2: over which he appears to be losing control. These smaller
S2: groups are holding an unknown number of the hostages. They
S2: were upset when Sinwar was focusing on prioritizing the exchange
S2: of hostages for Hamas fighters, not members of their groups.
S2: They want a deal to include the release of all
S2: convicted terrorists, and they oppose the idea that the terrorists
S2: released would be sent somewhere other than Gaza. Apparently, some
S2: of these smaller groups have stopped communicating with Sinwar and
S2: are threatening to kill the hostages they control if their
S2: demands aren't met. So the situation here, John, is just
S2: absolutely complex, and those demanding that Israel give in to
S2: Hamas's demands need to realize that Hamas itself isn't really
S2: in control of all Gaza or of all the hostages.
S2: That's Doctor.
S1: Charlie Dyer. This is the land and the book. We're
S1: looking at current events from the Middle East. Fighting has
S1: also erupted in the West Bank with terrorists attacking Israeli soldiers,
S1: police and civilians, and with Israel striking terrorist strongholds. What
S1: exactly is going on and how serious of a threat
S1: is this to Israel?
S2: Well, I don't want to minimize this threat, but I
S2: do want to put it in perspective. 20 years ago,
S2: there was a five year uprising by Palestinians called the
S2: second or Al-Aqsa Intifada. It involved suicide bombings in Jerusalem.
S2: and it also included incursions by the Israeli army against
S2: terrorists in West Bank cities. One result of that uprising
S2: was the construction of a barrier by Israel to separate
S2: Palestinian areas from Jewish areas. That separation barrier was built
S2: in response to the terrorist attacks, and it choked off
S2: that conflict. Now the barrier is still in place, and
S2: as a result, I don't believe the same level of
S2: terrorism will be experienced in Israel proper. Most of the
S2: current attacks are taking place against Jewish towns and settlements
S2: in the West Bank, and Israel is taking a very
S2: aggressive role in attacking those terrorist infrastructure positions. Iran has
S2: been trying to smuggle weapons and explosives into the West
S2: Bank to help the terrorists, and Hamas's leadership has called
S2: on Palestinians to resume suicide bombings. Not one danger in
S2: all this is that the fighting, along with the reprisals
S2: by some of the more radical West Bank settlers, could
S2: end up driving Palestinians from the West Bank into Jordan,
S2: creating a refugee crisis there. Iran would love to develop
S2: an armed terror cells in Jordan that could function much
S2: like Hezbollah does in Lebanon, and that would not be
S2: good for Jordan or for Israel. The goal should not
S2: be to create a refugee crisis for Jordan, but to
S2: provide peace, security and prosperity for Palestinians in the West Bank.
S2: And that's hopefully what's going to be happening as Israel
S2: goes after these terrorists, but not after the population in general.
S1: Charlie, I'm listening to all of these headlines that you're
S1: doing such a great job of reporting. And I suddenly
S1: ask myself, if you zoom out at the 30 zero
S1: zero zero foot level, has Israel ever been this much
S1: under attack from so many fronts at one time, apart
S1: from a couple of wars? No.
S2: That's it. In fact, if we go back to 1973,
S2: 1967 and 1948, those are the three times they've had
S2: this kind of trouble. In fact, since 1973, Israel has
S2: really been considered the powerhouse in the region. And yet
S2: now to have Iran sponsoring so many terror groups has
S2: really caused a problem for them.
S1: Archaeologists discovered a small 2700 year old seal during excavations
S1: in Jerusalem. How significant is the seal and what does
S1: it tell us about Jerusalem at that time?
S2: Well, you know, seals are inscribed pieces of stone that
S2: served as the personal signature of an individual. The seal
S2: could be pressed into clay and it left behind a
S2: unique impression. This one's roughly the size of a man's thumbnail,
S2: and apparently it was intended to be worn around the
S2: neck because it contained a hole drilled through the piece.
S2: What makes this seal so significant is the image that
S2: was carved on it. It's an Assyrian style figure of
S2: a man standing with an outstretched arm and with wings. Well,
S2: they found seals before that had more of an Egyptian influence.
S2: This shows that indeed there was an Assyrian influence at
S2: the time, and that matches what the Bible says. So
S2: the seal is a good reminder that Jerusalem was the
S2: capital of Judah during this period, and a reminder that
S2: there was Egyptian influence and Assyrian influence, just like the
S2: Bible pictures during that time. Is this.
S1: Roughly at the time of Isaiah, the prophet.
S2: Isaiah and Hezekiah?
S3: Yes. Okay.
S1: Fascinating. Look at current events, Charlie. A great job helping
S1: us understand these very complex issues. Up next on the
S1: land in the book, a fascinating conversation with a drive
S1: through history adventure to boot. Stick around for more on
S1: the land and the book. You can read about history.
S1: You can lecture about history. But what if you could
S1: drive through history? Go to the actual places where all
S1: the cool stuff took place. Well, fasten your seat belt. Sorry,
S1: I couldn't resist the pun. We are heading for drive
S1: through history adventures. This is the land and the book.
S1: I'm John Gager hoping you're having a decent day. And
S1: before we head off for faraway adventures, though, let's talk
S1: about the adventure of sharing Christ with your unsaved Jewish friend.
S1: Here's a quick thought. You've been praying for that Jewish friend,
S1: and you know you need to witness to them. But
S1: part of you says, I really can't share Christ with
S1: him or her. I mean, they know more than I do, right?
S1: Is that a safe way to think? Levi Hazen is
S1: executive director of Life in Messiah. I think we do
S1: fall into that thought, which we know is wrong. But
S1: tell us why that's wrong.
S4: Yeah, well, John, I've met quite a few Christians who
S4: believe this lie that they can't share their faith because
S4: they don't possess certain knowledge. As important as having Bible
S4: knowledge is, having faith in God's indwelling spirit is far
S4: superior than knowing all the answers to the Bible questions.
S4: Are we to study our Bibles so we can provide
S4: answers to people who ask? Absolutely. Let's study the Bible
S4: every day. But we do not have to be a
S4: greater Bible scholar than somebody else. Or we don't have
S4: to know the biblical languages in order to share the
S4: truth of the simple gospel with our Jewish friends. The
S4: New Testament teaches us that we plant and water in
S4: our ministries, but it's always God who gives the growth.
S4: Even if an individual possessed the right answer for every question,
S4: it still would not be our right answers that saved
S4: a person. It's always God who does the work of saving.
S4: So the next time, if you're hesitant to share your
S4: faith because you're afraid you'll lose a debate or you
S4: might not know the answer, just remember it's God working
S4: through the gospel message that has the ability to save,
S4: not us.
S1: Encouragement from Levi Hazen with life in Messiah. Hey, I
S1: want you to meet Dave Stotts. He's the slightly wild
S1: and crazy guy behind the wheel at Drive Thru History Adventures.
S1: Dave says of himself, I'm not a historian or scholar.
S1: I'm just a video guy who happens to love history. Oh,
S1: and did I mention that he loves theology too? His
S1: unique series, Drive Thru History, first roared onto the freeway
S1: back in 2003, and he's been at it ever since.
S1: Dave lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife Rebecca, and
S1: their two sons. Hey, Dave, I'm glad we could pull
S1: you over to the curb for a minute to stop
S1: and visit here on the land and the book.
S5: Thank you. John, it's great to be with you today.
S5: You're demonstrating just how easy it is to come up
S5: with driving metaphors and puns. I'll try to steer us
S5: in the right direction.
S1: Yeah, thank you for that. And I'll. I'll not be
S1: a backseat driver. But for somebody who's never joined you before,
S1: describe your drive through adventures.
S5: Yeah. Drive Through History is an on location history show
S5: with a driving theme, and we've done about a hundred
S5: shows so far, and we take viewers on a journey
S5: to explore the people, places and events of world history.
S5: And the purpose is to highlight what we believe to
S5: be the unmistakable fingerprints of God on earth and in history.
S5: It's his story. So we try to bring the past alive,
S5: give the viewer an epic journey with me to learn
S5: about history as kind of a global tour guide, and
S5: so we really love taking people on location. That's kind
S5: of the secret sauce of our of our show is
S5: to kind of remind people that, hey, stories in the Bible,
S5: they actually happened in time, space, history. There's a place
S5: on the map you can go and explore. You know,
S5: where it happened. And so we get to kind of
S5: conjure up that imagination in the viewer and give them
S5: a reminder that the Bible, while it is so much
S5: more than a history book, it's certainly no less than
S5: a history book. And it's got reliable stories that you
S5: can bank on.
S1: I'm amazed at the enormous variety in your subject matter.
S1: You've got Bible backroads, the Gospels, Acts to Revelation, and
S1: Bible Unearthed, a series on archaeology. What's your your grid
S1: for selecting a particular series?
S5: You know, we look at history as being a linear story,
S5: as having a beginning. It has a middle and it's
S5: going somewhere. It's got a plot and it's got a
S5: main character, if you will. So we're always sort of
S5: gravitating toward the Christian story, the biblical stories, because we
S5: believe that life, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ is the
S5: linchpin on which history turns. And when you look at
S5: it through those lenses, John, we believe that it can
S5: get really exciting to explore history because you like you said,
S5: you sort of bring in theology with it as well,
S5: and you can see yourself as a viewer, as a
S5: participant in this narrative that God is weaving together from
S5: the beginning of time to the end.
S1: You've managed to catch up with Dave Stotz and his
S1: drive through history adventures. I'm John Gager. This is the
S1: land and the book. Having watched some of these videos,
S1: I have to say they're nicely paced. I love the
S1: use of humor, and I think that's important in today's generation.
S1: How did you land on a personality feel for this?
S5: Well, actually, you know, when we travel, that's just sort
S5: of my personality. I'm sure you've done your share of traveling.
S5: It's not always glamorous. In case you haven't noticed, it's
S5: kind of a pain. Sometimes. I love the quote from
S5: Bob Hope. I think he said something like, I love
S5: international travel. I've been to almost as many places as
S5: my luggage.
S1: You know.
S5: You get kind of tired of it, so you have
S5: to joke around and have fun. And that's kind of
S5: our approach. Have fun. And we've never thought that education
S5: and entertainment are mutually exclusive. I think we can have
S5: fun while you learn. And regularly. The feedback we get
S5: from our audience is that, you know, the humor, even
S5: though it's not wall to wall, we're not filling it
S5: up with gratuitous jokes all the time. Just a sprinkle
S5: here and there, right enough to give people this thought that, hey,
S5: what zany thing is he going to do next? You know,
S5: I'm not a I'm not an academic. I'm not an intellectual.
S5: I know just enough to be dangerous. But I do
S5: love history. And, uh, I'd like to have fun when I,
S5: when I travel and and when we go on these trips.
S5: And so hopefully a lot of that comes across on screen.
S1: I love watching the disclaimer on the screen. At the
S1: end of one of the video segments, it says, this
S1: video is intended to help you understand the Gospels, but
S1: there is no substitute for reading them yourself. I was
S1: grateful that you pushed people to the Bible itself.
S5: Yes, that was very important to us, because we certainly
S5: are not trying to give people an alternative to reading
S5: the Bible. That's the whole point, is we're trying to
S5: point people to the Bible and hold it up as
S5: being the priceless treasure that it is. And we think,
S5: you know, our little lane that we try to stay in.
S5: To use another driving metaphor, is to really highlight the
S5: historicity of the stories in the Bible. And I think
S5: that could give people confidence when they consider their faith
S5: that it's not just some philosophy that might be an
S5: optional thing on the table in a buffet of options. No,
S5: this actually happened in time space, history. You can have
S5: confidence that your faith is grounded in real history, real people,
S5: real places, and real events. And taking people on that
S5: journey to see where they took place is, is an adventure.
S5: And we think it really helps people learn and.
S1: You make it fun. Every video series features you driving
S1: in a car of some kind, and that car is
S1: from the country where you're shooting the video. But even
S1: your choice in vehicles has a bit of significance. Share
S1: a bit more.
S5: Yeah. You bet. Whether it's a vintage Alfa Romeo in
S5: Rome or a retro Mini Cooper in the UK, maybe
S5: it's an old Mercedes-Benz in Germany. You can see where
S5: I'm going with this. In Eastern Europe we had a
S5: car called a Lada, which is this Eastern European, very
S5: communist bloc. Look about it. In Japan, we drove a
S5: knockoff Corvette Stingray called a rock star. In America, it's
S5: often a Jeep, you know? So we let the car
S5: sort of be a metaphor for the place we're at.
S5: And I'll never forget the Alfa Romeo in Rome. We
S5: were driving around in Italy and we pulled over for gas,
S5: and we were pumping gas in the car, and I
S5: was the one holding the gas pump. And I just thought, man,
S5: how big is this fuel tank? It's never filling up.
S5: It just stood there for minutes. And we looked down
S5: and we were all standing in a puddle of gasoline
S5: because the fuel line had ruptured in this old vintage car.
S5: And the vintage cars look really cool on camera, but
S5: it's a mixed bag because you do sometimes break down.
S5: And that's happened on multiple occasions.
S1: All right. So we've got listeners here who are very
S1: Middle East focused, Israel focused. Talk about some of the
S1: things that they will be exposed to as they check
S1: out some of your series, From Acts to Revelation, the
S1: gospel's Bible, backroads archeology in particular I thought was fascinating.
S1: You have an archaeologist with you, a pro who does
S1: this for a living, and what can viewers expect?
S5: We traveled to about 50 locations all over Israel, and
S5: it really does sort of change the way you read
S5: the Bible. John, some of the geographical information, even the
S5: biographical information sort of leaps off the page because you're like,
S5: I've been there. I was at the birthplace of that man.
S5: And so we've been going there many times. We do
S5: have an archaeologist who is usually along with us on
S5: our travels. His name is Titus Kennedy, his friend. He's
S5: written some books. He really has a strong grasp of
S5: archaeology and of history. And, you know, he brings a
S5: lot of academic credibility to the content that you hear
S5: coming out of my mouth. But, you know, if you
S5: want to talk about Bible history, you're going to be
S5: going to Israel quite a lot now. These days, that
S5: travel has slowed down quite a bit for obvious reasons,
S5: but we're excited. We'd love to go back at some
S5: point in the not too distant future. But you mentioned
S5: the latest stuff. It's called Bible Backroads. That's mostly a
S5: studio based program that we've been working on for a
S5: couple of years, and we sort of take viewers from
S5: the studio out to a lot of the content that
S5: we've acquired from Israel and all over the Mediterranean region
S5: on these huge screens behind me, as I'm in the studio,
S5: it's almost like kind of a mr. Rogers, because it's
S5: all it's a garage theme. So I've got my Jeep
S5: in there. I've got all my garage kitsch and all
S5: my paraphernalia that I've acquired over my travels all over
S5: the world. We use that with TV monitors and screens
S5: all over the place to really let this footage and
S5: this content we've acquired over the last really 20 years
S5: all over the world, and let that be a way
S5: to introduce people to our stuff that way.
S1: What kind of reactions have you received to these videos?
S1: I'm sure you've got church members, you've got homeschoolers, families,
S1: all kinds of folks who are on board with you.
S5: We do. We get a lot of feedback. A lot
S5: of our dialogue and traffic takes place on Facebook, and
S5: that's an easy way for people to kind of engage
S5: with us and get little highlights and updates on what's
S5: dropping next. But yes, a lot of our audience are
S5: homeschool families, and we didn't even know that at first.
S5: We started really 20 years ago, started making these shows,
S5: and our broadcast partner has been TBN, Trinity Broadcasting, and
S5: we just sort of kept making the shows, assuming that
S5: it was finding an audience out there somewhere. And when
S5: we dug in, we realized that a significant percentage of
S5: our audience are homeschool families who use our shows as
S5: sort of a supplement to their history and Bible curriculum.
S5: So we've really had homeschool families sort of living in
S5: our heads rent free for quite a while because we
S5: try to we try to check all the boxes, make
S5: it entertaining and An engaging and something that a young
S5: person would find interesting and entertaining and fun, but at
S5: the same time make it really robust with information and content,
S5: rich and dense with history. And what we found is
S5: that a lot of these homeschool families, they watch the
S5: shows multiple times because they hear things they didn't hear
S5: the first time they saw the.
S1: Shows, right? Boy, a lot of good stuff. And there's
S1: so much more to talk about. You'll find it all
S1: at the Drive Through History Adventures website, which we'll link
S1: you to at our website. The land and the book.org. Dave,
S1: what's ahead for you guys? Anything you're looking at that
S1: would be of interest to land and the book listeners.
S5: We are really investing in our online platform right now,
S5: and it's called Drive Through History Adventures, and it's all
S5: our shows, but they are delivered in the context of
S5: curriculum and education. Now, you can watch the shows kind
S5: of on their own, but they're designed to go alongside
S5: with extra readings and footnotes and citations and links to
S5: other things and articles, and it allows you to really
S5: dig deeper into the next level of the context of
S5: these programs. And so we've we've been building an audience
S5: that way and point people to that educational resource and
S5: are really excited about how it's growing and finding new audiences.
S5: I mean, the homeschool community is growing by leaps and bounds.
S5: You know, Covid really influenced a lot of families to
S5: consider homeschooling. And so we have seen our audience grow,
S5: and we are certainly invested in making more content for that.
S5: We've done a lot on the Bible, so that stuff's
S5: always going to be there. And now we're sort of
S5: considering maybe doing more on how did Christianity influence North
S5: America and look at some eras in our own recent history.
S5: And sometimes that's going to be looking at stories involving America,
S5: how it was born, some of the wars. Civil war,
S5: World War two, things like that, that families are interested
S5: in making sure their kids grow.
S6: Up learning about.
S1: Dave starts with drive Through History Adventures, a link to
S1: his website at ours, the land and the book.org. Thanks
S1: for putting the pedal to the metal and making the
S1: drive with us. Charlie Dyer is back in the car
S1: next here on the land and the book. Few things
S1: are more satisfying than puzzling over something and finally getting
S1: an answer. Well, that's what this next segment is all about.
S1: On the land and the book. Welcome back. Our host,
S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer, has his Bible open a smile on
S1: his face because he loves this. Your questions, no matter
S1: how challenging, don't make him sweat. They make me sweat, though.
S1: All right, before we get to that first question, think
S1: about this. Fall is here again. And that means that
S1: the Jewish high Holidays are right around the corner. These
S1: biblical feasts have been celebrated for thousands of years, but
S1: this year, boy has added weight and significance as Jewish
S1: people around the world mark one year since the brutal
S1: attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists. Boy, lots to think
S1: about there, Charlie.
S2: Yeah, there is John. And our friends at Life and
S2: Messiah want to help you learn more about the fall feasts,
S2: the significance they have for us as believers in Jesus,
S2: and how to stand with Jewish people during this time.
S2: They're offering a live zoom teaching session where their knowledgeable
S2: field staff will walk you through the history and significance
S2: of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and
S2: the Feast of Tabernacles. You'll also hear how you can
S2: use these holidays as a point of connection with your
S2: Jewish neighbors, to show and share the love of Jesus
S2: with them. To sign up for this free teaching, all
S2: you have to do is visit Life in Messiah org,
S2: click on the Moody Radio logo and sign up. Be
S2: sure to sign up today and find out the fascinating
S2: connections between these feasts and Jesus at Life in messiah.org.
S1: I love the fact that Alan's question kicking things off
S1: today points us toward the return of Jesus future events.
S1: That's really where our hearts should be, says Colossians. He
S1: takes us, though, to first Thessalonians chapter four, where verses
S1: 13 through 17 say, the dead in Christ will rise first.
S1: And Alan wants to know Charlie, is there an order
S1: dependent in the rapture sequence that anybody who is alive
S1: at the time of the rapture goes to the back
S1: of the line when entering heaven?
S2: Yeah. And I need to answer this two ways. First,
S2: there is a specific order given by Paul in first
S2: Thessalonians four. You know when he says, the dead in
S2: Christ will rise first. The words protos, which has the
S2: idea of being first in a succession of items or events.
S2: So in that sense, their resurrection and glorification does happen
S2: prior to the transformation of those of us who are
S2: still alive. And Paul says this to support his words
S2: in verse 15, that those of us who are still
S2: alive at that time will in no way take priority
S2: or precede those who have died. Now I need to
S2: balance that, though, in Paul's message to the Corinthians. In
S2: first Corinthians 15, verses 51 and 52, Paul says that
S2: entire process, that is, those who are asleep and those
S2: who are still alive, who are caught up to be
S2: with Jesus will happen. He says in a moment, in
S2: the twinkling of an eye. Now the word for moment
S2: is the Greek word atomos, which refers to an individual
S2: moment of time that can't be split. We get our
S2: word atom from it, and Paul further describes it as
S2: happening in the blink of an eye. So if I
S2: summarize it all, there's an order in the resurrection. But
S2: if we're still alive when it happens, we'll only be
S2: half a blink behind those who have already died. And
S2: I don't think we need to worry about waiting in
S2: line when we arrive. I think God has all those
S2: logistics already worked out.
S1: Chris wants to know, biblically speaking, what's the difference between
S1: being stubborn and having a hardened heart? For Christian, what
S1: are the dangers of being stubborn and and when does
S1: stubbornness turn into a hardened heart? Well, you.
S2: Know, biblically, I think stubbornness and a hardened heart are
S2: very similar. You know, I love the prophets. And several
S2: passages there illustrate that, you know, when God called Ezekiel
S2: as a prophet, he said, I want to make your
S2: forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not
S2: be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they
S2: are a rebellious house. You know, Ezekiel needed to be
S2: stubborn and persistent, forehead like flint, because he'd be facing
S2: a nation that was absolutely stubborn in its rebellion against God.
S2: So there are times when steadfastness or stubbornness is a
S2: good thing. In describing the servant of the Lord in
S2: Isaiah 50. It's one of the servant songs that point
S2: to the work of Jesus. It says there because the
S2: sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore
S2: I have set my face like flint, and no, I
S2: will not be put to shame. So the servant was
S2: determined to accomplish God's will, even when it involved being
S2: mocked and spit upon. Now. Okay, let me land the
S2: plane here. Stubbornness and determination are two sides of the
S2: same coin. It's a commitment to continue in a certain
S2: direction no matter what. Now, ultimately, the force of character
S2: can be either good or bad, depending on the relationship
S2: the person has to God and to his or her
S2: willingness to submit to God. So Ezekiel and Jesus were
S2: unwavering in their determination that in spite of pressure, they
S2: were going to stick with God and do what God wants.
S2: That's positive. But those who refuse to accept God and
S2: His Word, and the advice of godly people and who
S2: stubbornly follow their own ways, they're foolish. So all that
S2: to say, those who are stubborn and who refuse to
S2: submit their will to that of the Lord do open
S2: themselves up to the results of foolish, sinful choices.
S1: Rene's question takes us to geopolitical tensions. She says, I
S1: know you have your sources, but the threats by Hezbollah
S1: and their leader, Nasrallah, make my blood run cold. What
S1: are you hearing?
S2: Well, part of what Nasrallah says is a bluff. He's
S2: intending to keep Israel from attacking, and that's also true.
S2: He published some drone footage they had taken showing potential
S2: targets in Haifa and Tel Aviv. So if Israel and
S2: Hezbollah do get into an all out war, Hezbollah can
S2: inflict damage on Israel. But Israel will also inflict terrible
S2: damage on them and on Lebanon. So one difference between
S2: the war with Hamas and any potential future war with
S2: Hezbollah is that Hamas surprised Israel. They were able to
S2: capture hostages. Israel has evacuated tens of thousands of Israelis
S2: from its border with Lebanon to take that option away
S2: from Hezbollah, so they won't be hindered by any worries
S2: over hostages. But now, let me put it all in
S2: a biblical perspective. I go back to some foundational passages
S2: in Genesis 12 three. God said he'll bless those who
S2: bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. Well, that
S2: tells me where Nasrallah is in relationship to the God
S2: of the universe. In Zechariah 12 three, God talked about
S2: what will happen to the nation that threatens Jerusalem in
S2: the last days, he said. On that day, when all
S2: the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I
S2: will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations.
S2: All who try to move it will injure themselves. Now
S2: that tells me how to put those threats by Nasrallah
S2: and others in perspective. In Psalm 83, the psalmist wrote,
S2: O God, do not keep silent. Do not be quiet.
S2: Do not be still. See how your enemies are astir.
S2: Know your foes rear their heads with cunning. They conspire
S2: against your people. They plot against your cherished. Come, they say.
S2: Let's destroy them as a nation. And then, if you
S2: want to keep reading that Psalm 83, just read verses
S2: 13 to 18 and we're told how that story is
S2: going to end.
S1: You're listening to The Land and the book from Moody Radio.
S1: Questions and answers. Our focus. This segment, Mary, takes us
S1: to Romans 11, explaining Elijah's plea to God against Israel.
S1: But in verse four, God tells Elijah that he has
S1: kept for himself 7000 men who have not bowed down
S1: to Baal. What about women, she asks. How were they
S1: saved in acts 16? It looks like Lydia wasn't married,
S1: but she wants to be a Christian, and Peter tells
S1: wives how to respect and show love to their unbelieving husbands.
S1: So please explain women's accountability to God in terms of salvation,
S1: especially prior to Christ's death and resurrection.
S2: Yeah, and as I started to say, though, some passages
S2: like that Elijah one mentioned men, I believe the entire
S2: message of the Bible is that God's plan of salvation
S2: is for all humanity, male and female. And it's the
S2: same when John 316 says, God loved the world, that
S2: he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes
S2: in him should not perish but have eternal life. Those
S2: words are intended to be inclusive without regard to gender. Now,
S2: it's true that much of the biblical account focuses on
S2: the exploits and faith of men, but it doesn't do
S2: so to the exclusion of women. I love the images
S2: of faith presented by Rahab at Jericho, or by Deborah
S2: in the Book of Judges, by Ruth, and in the
S2: book that has her name and the portrait of a
S2: wife of noble character in Proverbs 31 is remarkable. Now,
S2: in the New Testament, Lydia, as you mentioned, is an
S2: amazing woman who is the first convert to Christianity in Europe.
S2: So whether before or after the death of Christ, faith
S2: came by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
S2: And both women and men responded to that message.
S1: Romans six verse seven says, for when a person dies,
S1: he's set free from the power of sin. But what
S1: about the death of an unbeliever? Death for an unbeliever
S1: wouldn't set them free from the power of sin, if
S1: at death they're separated from God for eternity and they
S1: will exist in eternal torment, so does Romans six, verse
S1: seven refer to the death only of an unbeliever. Yeah.
S2: And the passage really isn't focusing on the death of
S2: an unbeliever. In fact, Paul uses two extended clauses in
S2: that section. The first, it's verses five through seven, explains
S2: the reality of our becoming united with Christ in his death.
S2: It's more properly beginning. In verse five he says, since
S2: we have been united with him like this. And then
S2: the second clause begins in verse eight and would be translated, now,
S2: since we've died with Christ, we believe that we'll live
S2: with him. Now. In that last clause, Paul's describing how
S2: our old self was crucified together with Christ on the cross.
S2: In verse seven, Paul is then continuing his argument. The
S2: word for freed comes from the word meaning to pronounce
S2: righteous or to justify, and the word is in the
S2: perfect tense, describing a past act with continuing results. And
S2: his point is that since our old self was crucified
S2: with Christ, we've been freed in the sense of having
S2: been declared righteous because of Christ's death for us. So
S2: it's referring to the continued standing of a believer because
S2: of what Christ's death for us was on the cross.
S1: Mark wants to know what is the High Sabbath referred
S1: to in John 19. This is used so often by
S1: cults to prove Jesus resurrection, along with John 1240, which
S1: was on the Sabbath.
S2: Yeah. Well, John 1931 literally says for great the day
S2: that one of the Sabbath. Or we might smooth it
S2: out to say, for the day of the Sabbath was great.
S2: I believe John is simply saying this particular Sabbath was
S2: special or great, because it occurred just after Passover. In
S2: response to those who think Jesus was resurrected on the Sabbath.
S2: I think Mark 1542 clearly shows the day of the
S2: crucifixion was the day before the start of the Sabbath,
S2: because it says when evening had come, because it was
S2: the preparation day, that is the day before the Sabbath.
S2: And then, of course, all four Gospels make it clear
S2: that Jesus was resurrected on Sunday.
S1: Boy, a lot of questions today. Thank you for sending
S1: yours in to the land and the book@moody.edu. Stick around.
S1: If you're a horse lover. This next segment is just
S1: for you. Welcome back to the land and the book.
S1: I'm John Gager with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. Where
S1: are we going with today's devotional, Charlie.
S2: Uh, John, we're going to visit horse town in Mark
S2: chapter five.
S1: I'm looking forward to that. Before we get there, though,
S1: let's pause and listen to this testimony from somebody who's
S1: traveled to Israel and wants to share this perspective with
S1: you and me.
S7: My name is Elizabeth Lightbody, and my Holy Land experience
S7: was one that I hadn't really anticipated would be so colorful.
S7: I remember so often that Doctor Dyer would say, when
S7: you go to the Holy Land, your scripture goes from
S7: black and white to color, and I really don't think
S7: I believed him as he would say that. But I
S7: must say that as I began to read scripture, my
S7: mind would always go back to those events and where
S7: Jesus had been, the picking up a stone and thinking
S7: that that was the very valley that David had picked
S7: up a stone to kill Goliath, but it reminds me
S7: again and again that it was God's hand that gave.
S7: Strength to David as he flung that and killed a giant.
S7: Thinking about giants in my own life, and my allowing
S7: Jesus to be the one that takes the stones that
S7: are around me. His scriptures and slays the the giants
S7: that I, I struggle with daily. I highly recommend the
S7: trip to Israel. It will change your life.
S1: All right, horse town. I'm intrigued. Charlie, where are we going?
S2: Well, John, we're going to be heading to an ancient
S2: town that had two names. But those two names had
S2: one meaning. Now, that sounds confusing, but if it does,
S2: follow me as we head into one of Israel's newest
S2: national parks. Well, I'm breathing a little heavier after that
S2: uphill walk. It's a good spot right here to stop
S2: and rest. And. And while you're catching your breath. Let
S2: me introduce you to the ancient city of Susita or hippos.
S2: Susita comes from sus, the Hebrew word for horse. And hippos,
S2: of course, is the Greek word for horse. You might
S2: have learned that somewhere back in school, when you learned
S2: about the word hippopotamus. That comes from two Greek words
S2: hippos for horse and potamus for river. But where we're
S2: standing today, it doesn't matter whether you use the Hebrew
S2: name or the Greek name. Either way, this is horse town.
S2: Hippos was one of the group of ten Hellenistic cities
S2: on the eastern end of the Roman Empire. At the
S2: time of the New Testament they were collectively called the Decapolis,
S2: which is the Greek meaning ten cities. And no, this
S2: isn't a Greek lesson today. That's the last Greek word
S2: I'll use so you can breathe easier. Susita or hippos
S2: is one of the northernmost of the towns in the Decapolis.
S2: Look just over to the west and you can see
S2: that this town is sitting almost halfway up the eastern
S2: side of the Sea of Galilee. Now we think of
S2: the Sea of Galilee as being a Jewish area in
S2: the time of Jesus, and much of it was. But
S2: starting here and heading south all the way to modern
S2: day Amman, Jordan, was an area dominated by Greek speaking gentiles.
S2: A ridge of land just to the north of where
S2: we're standing was the dividing line between the Jews and Gentiles.
S2: On this side of the lake. As you can see,
S2: hippos provides an impressive view of the Sea of Galilee.
S2: Just across the lake is the city of Tiberius, and
S2: just to the north of Tiberius, you can make out
S2: the silhouette of Mount Arbel, with its steep cliff that
S2: provides a panoramic view of the lake from that side.
S2: Continue north along the lake, and you soon come to
S2: the cities where Jesus spent most of his time. In fact,
S2: most of Jesus's ministry in Galilee focused on the towns
S2: along the northern edge of the lake. Archaeologists excavating here
S2: have discovered the remains of eight different churches from the
S2: Byzantine period. That's a lot of churches for a relatively
S2: small city. They've also uncovered the remains of a theatre
S2: and an odeon, which is a smaller theatre used for
S2: musical performances and poetry readings, and they found remains of
S2: the main street that extended from east to west through
S2: the centre of the town. This was a thoroughly modern town,
S2: but it wasn't perfect. See that row of columns that
S2: are toppled over over there? Much like the larger cities
S2: of Beit She'an and Jerash to the south, Hippus was
S2: destroyed by a massive earthquake that tore through this region
S2: in 749 AD. On the far west side of town
S2: is a church, sometimes called the Burnt Church because it
S2: was destroyed by fire, possibly by the Persians in the
S2: early seventh century. What makes this church so special are
S2: the inscriptions and the mosaics discovered there. But to explain
S2: why these mosaics are so important, I need to share
S2: a second reason. This site is significant. To our north,
S2: in the far northeastern end of the Sea of Galilee,
S2: is where Jesus fed the 5000, and the actual number
S2: fed was much greater. Matthew says there were 5000 men
S2: besides women and children. There could have been as many
S2: as 10,000 who were fed. We don't know the exact
S2: spot where that miracle took place, but we do know
S2: it was somewhere to our north, not very many miles away.
S2: So what does that miracle have to do with this
S2: town and more specifically with that particular church? Well, as
S2: the archaeologists began uncovering the mosaics on the floor, they
S2: discovered baskets with something inside. 12 baskets filled with something.
S2: And while some suggest they represent fruit, the archaeologist believes
S2: the number is significant. He thinks they could represent the
S2: 12 baskets of leftover bread that were collected once the
S2: multitude had been fed. But there's a third reason we've
S2: come to this site today, and it might just be
S2: the most important one of all. You see, this is
S2: the hometown of the demon possessed man healed by Jesus.
S2: And from here we can gain new insight into that event.
S2: The gospel accounts record several different names for the place
S2: where Jesus encountered the man possessed by a legion of demons.
S2: Matthew records the exact spot where it happened. While Mark
S2: and Luke record the nearest major town that would have
S2: been known to their Roman and Greek audiences. Matthew places
S2: the event at Gergesa, a seaside village just over the
S2: ridge of land to our north, about four miles away. Now,
S2: you probably remember most of the details from that story.
S2: Jesus encountered the man after arriving on the east side
S2: of the lake. The man was possessed by so many
S2: demons that he was known as Legion, and he lived
S2: in the tombs cut into the hillside by the town.
S2: When Jesus commanded the demons to depart, they asked to
S2: be sent into a herd of swine on a nearby hillside.
S2: Jesus granted the request, and the demons entered the swine,
S2: who rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned.
S2: All well and good. But the story raises two questions. First,
S2: what were pigs doing in a story about the Jewish Messiah?
S2: After all, pigs were considered unclean to the Jews. But again,
S2: look at the hillside just to our north. That's the
S2: border between the Jewish region where Jesus landed and the
S2: Gentile region where we're now standing. The pigs were grazing
S2: on that hill right on the border, but they belonged
S2: to the Gentiles living on this side of the hill,
S2: likely from the people who lived in this very town.
S2: And that leads to the second question. Does the town
S2: where we're now standing play any role in the story? Now,
S2: it's not the place where Jesus encountered the demon possessed man,
S2: but it does play a role. Listen to the final
S2: verses in Mark's account of the event in Mark five,
S2: verses 18 to 20. As Jesus was getting into the boat,
S2: the man who had been demon possessed begged to go
S2: with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, go
S2: home to your family and tell them how much the
S2: Lord has done for you and how he has had
S2: mercy on you. So the man went away and began
S2: to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done
S2: for him. And all the people were amazed. Where was
S2: this man from? He's from the region of the Decapolis,
S2: almost certainly from the town of Hippos or Susita, where
S2: we're now standing. This is the town the man returned to.
S2: We don't know if it was because of his witness,
S2: but quite possibly this town saw a large number come
S2: to know the Lord. And maybe that's why this relatively
S2: small place ended up with so many churches. So what's
S2: the lesson for us as we get ready to leave?
S2: How about this? God wants us to tell others about him.
S2: And frankly, that thought can be frightening to many. But
S2: just remember, you don't have to preach to thousands to
S2: be effective. The man who returned to his family and
S2: horse town simply told them about his encounter with Jesus
S2: and how it had changed his life. But that simple message,
S2: accompanied by a dramatic change in his life, ultimately impacted
S2: this entire city. Dwight Moody spoke to millions about Christ,
S2: but before that could ever happen, God used Edward Kimball
S2: to share the message of God's love with a young moody,
S2: when Moody was just a salesman in a shoe store.
S2: Just tell others what God has done for you and
S2: then trust God to do the rest.
S1: Great insights, as always. Thank you. Charlie. Hey, if it's
S1: been a while since you've sent us an email, we'd
S1: love to hear from you. You can connect with us
S1: at The Land and the book@moody.edu. Let us know how
S1: you listen. Let us know what the program is doing
S1: in your life. And maybe if you've got a question,
S1: you can share that with us as well. The land
S1: and the book@moody.edu. Our podcast is waiting for you at
S1: the website. A great way to connect further with the
S1: program and to share us with a friend. Go to
S1: the land and the book.org. Well, that'll do it for
S1: today's broadcast. On behalf of our producer Dan Anderson, our host,
S1: Charlie Dyer, I'm John Gager. The land and the book
S1: is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody
S1: Bible Institute.