1 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:13,119 S1: Consider Joseph. He was enslaved, lied about, imprisoned and forgotten. 2 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:16,800 S1: He knew all about broken relationships. In other words, his 3 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:20,960 S1: struggles are our struggles in many ways. Well, on today's broadcast, 4 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:23,640 S1: we'll learn how God can use even the harshest and 5 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:27,600 S1: most unexpected setbacks to strengthen our faith. If you or 6 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:29,880 S1: a friend are going through a tough season, this is 7 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:32,199 S1: definitely for you. And with that, we welcome you to 8 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,519 S1: the land and the book. Our host, noted Old Testament scholar, 9 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,040 S1: frequent Israel traveler, doctor Charlie Dyer and Charlie. How's your 10 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:39,600 S1: day going. 11 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,360 S2: John? My day is going great. Thank you. 12 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,200 S1: Oh, I have to point out the fact that Passover 13 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,320 S1: is nearly upon us. And you have to ask ourselves, 14 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,800 S1: what does Passover mean for us as believers in Jesus? Some, 15 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,080 S1: of course, will remember the story from the book of Exodus, 16 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,279 S1: but there's more to it. Did you know that the 17 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,310 S1: Last Supper was a Passover meal? Not only did Jesus 18 00:01:00,310 --> 00:01:04,150 S1: and his disciples celebrate Passover, but it also foreshadowed his 19 00:01:04,150 --> 00:01:06,270 S1: death on the cross for our redemption. 20 00:01:06,590 --> 00:01:09,830 S2: Passover is an amazing connection point with our Jewish friends, 21 00:01:09,830 --> 00:01:13,030 S2: both around the world and right across the street. Jewish 22 00:01:13,030 --> 00:01:16,230 S2: people have been keeping this feast for thousands of years. 23 00:01:16,470 --> 00:01:20,069 S2: Understanding the importance of this holiday and its history. Helps 24 00:01:20,069 --> 00:01:23,430 S2: you better understand these precious people. And what better way 25 00:01:23,430 --> 00:01:27,229 S2: to learn than to experience a Passover Seder yourself? If 26 00:01:27,270 --> 00:01:30,870 S2: you've never celebrated Passover, our friends at Life in Messiah 27 00:01:30,870 --> 00:01:34,550 S2: would love to partner with you in hosting a Seder experience. 28 00:01:34,750 --> 00:01:37,990 S2: Every year, their staff engage churches and small groups in 29 00:01:37,990 --> 00:01:42,030 S2: an interactive Messiah in the Passover Seder, where you can 30 00:01:42,030 --> 00:01:45,550 S2: taste and see the redemption story. If you're interested in 31 00:01:45,590 --> 00:01:48,990 S2: having someone come lead a Seder in your area, visit 32 00:01:48,990 --> 00:01:52,309 S2: Life in Messiah Org and click on the radio button 33 00:01:52,310 --> 00:01:55,309 S2: there to learn more. That's life in Messiah. 34 00:01:56,670 --> 00:01:59,020 S1: If you're new to the broadcast, in this opening segment, 35 00:01:59,020 --> 00:02:01,020 S1: we take a look at current events all based in 36 00:02:01,020 --> 00:02:03,779 S1: the Middle East. The US and Iran have been holding 37 00:02:03,780 --> 00:02:06,980 S1: meetings to see if they can resolve their differences without 38 00:02:07,020 --> 00:02:09,740 S1: armed conflict. What do we know about the meetings up 39 00:02:09,740 --> 00:02:10,820 S1: to this point, Charlie. 40 00:02:11,100 --> 00:02:13,500 S2: You know, in terms of what's been going on, the 41 00:02:13,500 --> 00:02:16,460 S2: official meetings have actually seemed less important than all the 42 00:02:16,460 --> 00:02:20,540 S2: other activities that have been happening. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu 43 00:02:20,700 --> 00:02:23,940 S2: flew to Washington for a Wednesday meeting with President Trump 44 00:02:23,940 --> 00:02:27,139 S2: and senior members of the administration. The meeting was said 45 00:02:27,139 --> 00:02:30,820 S2: to be a, quote, strategy shaping session focusing on US 46 00:02:30,820 --> 00:02:33,900 S2: negotiations with Iran and on what could happen if the 47 00:02:33,900 --> 00:02:37,780 S2: talks fail, including coordination of a possible US and Israeli 48 00:02:37,780 --> 00:02:41,540 S2: military strike. Iran continues to issue threats on what it 49 00:02:41,540 --> 00:02:45,780 S2: will do should the US attack. As Netanyahu met with Trump, 50 00:02:45,820 --> 00:02:51,460 S2: Iran staged its annual march commemorating the 1979 Islamic revolution. 51 00:02:51,780 --> 00:02:55,140 S2: The event included a massive parade and display of Iran's 52 00:02:55,139 --> 00:02:59,049 S2: latest military equipment to get people to line the parade route. 53 00:02:59,090 --> 00:03:02,929 S2: Iran pressured families of those who they've arrested, requiring those 54 00:03:02,930 --> 00:03:05,930 S2: families to attend the rally and to send pictures of 55 00:03:05,930 --> 00:03:09,570 S2: themselves to security forces, threatening those who fail to show 56 00:03:09,570 --> 00:03:13,730 S2: up in spite of President Trump's optimism. At least right now, 57 00:03:13,730 --> 00:03:16,049 S2: it looks like the talks between the U.S. and Iran 58 00:03:16,050 --> 00:03:19,369 S2: will likely fail. The U.S. is demanding Iran give up 59 00:03:19,370 --> 00:03:24,090 S2: all its enrichment of nuclear material, reduce its ballistic missile capabilities, 60 00:03:24,090 --> 00:03:27,890 S2: and stop supporting other terrorist groups. Iran is willing to 61 00:03:27,930 --> 00:03:31,730 S2: again allow inspection of its nuclear facilities, but it refuses 62 00:03:31,730 --> 00:03:34,650 S2: to halt all uranium enrichment. And it said it won't 63 00:03:34,650 --> 00:03:38,410 S2: even discuss its ballistic missile program or halting support for 64 00:03:38,410 --> 00:03:41,530 S2: its allies. They're willing to keep talking, but this seems 65 00:03:41,530 --> 00:03:46,290 S2: more like a stalling tactic than actual, fruitful negotiations. Iran 66 00:03:46,290 --> 00:03:49,570 S2: sees its ballistic missile program as the only remaining credible 67 00:03:49,570 --> 00:03:53,050 S2: deterrence it has against threats by the US and Israel, 68 00:03:53,250 --> 00:03:56,040 S2: and that's why it's impossible for them to give it up. 69 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,200 S2: One concern facing the US and Israel is an apparent 70 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:03,640 S2: shortage in the number of interceptor missiles they have in stock. Meanwhile, 71 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,680 S2: Iran has replenished its stockpile of missiles. Both Iran and 72 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:11,119 S2: the US are balancing the risk of conflict against the 73 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,440 S2: likely outcome. Can the current regime in Iran survive an attack? 74 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,400 S2: If they can and they believe that's possible, then they 75 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:20,720 S2: would still remain in power and would appear to be 76 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:24,080 S2: the winners even if they suffer major losses. But if 77 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:27,559 S2: the US and Israel can stop most Iranian missiles while 78 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:32,200 S2: also eliminating their production sites and eliminating Iran's nuclear program, 79 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:34,800 S2: that could weaken the regime enough to bring about a 80 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,880 S2: change there. And all of that makes these current negotiations 81 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:40,280 S2: so significant. 82 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,400 S1: Charlie, apart from the moral rightness of America's concern and 83 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,880 S1: possible intervention, how would President Trump sell the Congress and 84 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:51,120 S1: American people on a military intervention of some kind? 85 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:55,020 S2: Well, obviously it would depend politically where people are. But 86 00:04:55,020 --> 00:04:58,820 S2: both Republicans and Democrats have talked about Iran's danger for 87 00:04:58,820 --> 00:05:01,700 S2: so long that I don't think the idea of selling 88 00:05:01,700 --> 00:05:03,659 S2: it's going to be that much. The real key is, 89 00:05:03,700 --> 00:05:06,180 S2: can we stop Iran without having our boots on the 90 00:05:06,180 --> 00:05:10,020 S2: ground and not having so many American casualties? That would 91 00:05:10,020 --> 00:05:12,500 S2: be the stumbling block for most Americans. 92 00:05:13,020 --> 00:05:16,580 S1: After a multi-year search, Israel has apparently decided on a 93 00:05:16,580 --> 00:05:19,820 S1: site for a new international airport. Where will it be 94 00:05:19,820 --> 00:05:23,740 S1: located and how will it complement Israel's existing airport? 95 00:05:24,060 --> 00:05:26,460 S2: Yeah, Israel is known for some time. It needs an 96 00:05:26,460 --> 00:05:30,380 S2: additional airport by 2050. That's not too much further in 97 00:05:30,380 --> 00:05:34,460 S2: the future. They're expecting 80 million passengers annually. That's more 98 00:05:34,460 --> 00:05:38,860 S2: than double the current airport's capacity. Since 2007, they've been 99 00:05:38,860 --> 00:05:43,060 S2: exploring different locations, including the Jezreel Valley and another site 100 00:05:43,060 --> 00:05:46,620 S2: near Beersheba. Israel faces three problems, though, in building a 101 00:05:46,620 --> 00:05:49,980 S2: new airport. At first, the country is small and available 102 00:05:49,980 --> 00:05:53,219 S2: space for another airport is limited and virtually every other 103 00:05:53,290 --> 00:05:57,250 S2: site under consideration already has a nearby military air base 104 00:05:57,250 --> 00:05:59,610 S2: that would need to share some of the same airspace. 105 00:06:00,050 --> 00:06:03,409 S2: A second problem surrounding groups have historically threatened to attack 106 00:06:03,410 --> 00:06:07,049 S2: Israel's airports. Hamas has fired rockets at the current airport 107 00:06:07,050 --> 00:06:09,810 S2: 40 miles away, while the new site that they're looking 108 00:06:09,810 --> 00:06:12,210 S2: at is only 11 miles from the border with Gaza. 109 00:06:12,610 --> 00:06:15,169 S2: And the third problem is that any airport in the south, 110 00:06:15,170 --> 00:06:17,730 S2: which is where this new proposed one is, would struggle 111 00:06:17,730 --> 00:06:21,330 S2: to compete with Ben Gurion Airport, especially for tourists, and 112 00:06:21,330 --> 00:06:23,650 S2: it won't be ready for at least a decade. It 113 00:06:23,650 --> 00:06:26,729 S2: would be located near the ancient biblical site of Ziklag, 114 00:06:26,770 --> 00:06:30,570 S2: about 12 miles northwest of Beersheba. It's not an ideal 115 00:06:30,570 --> 00:06:33,530 S2: site for tourists because of its distance from most biblical 116 00:06:33,529 --> 00:06:36,010 S2: sites they come to visit. It would be okay as 117 00:06:36,010 --> 00:06:37,970 S2: a site for those wanting to fly into Israel and 118 00:06:37,970 --> 00:06:40,490 S2: then head south to a lot, or into the wilderness, 119 00:06:40,490 --> 00:06:43,530 S2: or even to cross over into Egypt. It could also 120 00:06:43,529 --> 00:06:46,850 S2: be used by business travelers as that region becomes more 121 00:06:46,850 --> 00:06:50,489 S2: developed for business and other high tech industries. But for 122 00:06:50,490 --> 00:06:53,520 S2: it to succeed, Israel would definitely need to be sure 123 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:56,600 S2: that Hamas can never again fire rockets or launch a 124 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:58,240 S2: ground attack against Israel. 125 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:00,800 S1: This is the land in the book from Moody Radio. 126 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,640 S1: I'm John Yeager, our host. Doctor Charlie Dyer is a 127 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:06,160 S1: noted Middle East expert. We're working through a list of 128 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:10,240 S1: current events, stories from the region. Stories are circulating about 129 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:14,080 S1: a long lost Egyptian papyrus that points to the existence 130 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:17,160 S1: of the giant humans described in the Bible. Is this 131 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:21,520 S1: fact or fiction? Hard historical evidence or just a hoax? 132 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:24,160 S2: Well, some of the stories that have appeared in print 133 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,840 S2: really haven't helped in this issue. I read one article 134 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,440 S2: that featured a picture showing an adult standing next to 135 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,960 S2: a skeleton that looked about 20ft tall. The picture was 136 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,720 S2: a hoax, but the story behind it is more nuanced 137 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:39,720 S2: and pretty interesting. A 3300 year old papyrus found in 138 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:43,200 S2: the British Museum recently resurfaced. In an article from the 139 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:47,800 S2: associates for Biblical Research. The papyrus recounts correspondence between two 140 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:52,190 S2: army scribes in Egypt, and one section describes Egyptian forces 141 00:07:52,190 --> 00:07:56,670 S2: encountering Sasa warriors whose height from nose to foot varied 142 00:07:56,670 --> 00:07:59,950 S2: from 4 to 5 cubits. And now it's an Egyptian document. 143 00:07:59,950 --> 00:08:03,710 S2: And the Egyptian royal cubit was just over 20in. So 144 00:08:03,710 --> 00:08:06,190 S2: these warriors were said to be between six feet eight 145 00:08:06,190 --> 00:08:09,429 S2: and eight feet six inches tall. Sasa was the term 146 00:08:09,430 --> 00:08:12,309 S2: Egypt gave to the inhabitants of Canaan. So the letter 147 00:08:12,310 --> 00:08:14,550 S2: would seem to be saying that there were Canaanites who 148 00:08:14,550 --> 00:08:17,910 S2: were around 7 to 9ft tall. So is this a 149 00:08:17,910 --> 00:08:20,670 S2: hoax or is it fiction? Well, we do know about 150 00:08:20,670 --> 00:08:23,990 S2: Goliath and his brothers, who were unusually tall during the 151 00:08:23,990 --> 00:08:27,390 S2: time of the Exodus. The ten spies described themselves as 152 00:08:27,390 --> 00:08:30,630 S2: grasshoppers compared to the giants in the land. That was 153 00:08:30,630 --> 00:08:33,469 S2: clearly an exaggeration on their part, but it pictures the 154 00:08:33,470 --> 00:08:37,630 S2: presence of very tall people in Deuteronomy three og king 155 00:08:37,670 --> 00:08:39,870 S2: of Bashan was said to have had a bed that 156 00:08:39,870 --> 00:08:42,990 S2: was 13ft long and six feet wide, and were not 157 00:08:42,990 --> 00:08:45,350 S2: told his height. But the implication is he was a 158 00:08:45,350 --> 00:08:48,270 S2: very tall individual, even if his bed was longer than 159 00:08:48,270 --> 00:08:51,500 S2: he was. So what's the verdict here? Well, I don't 160 00:08:51,500 --> 00:08:54,300 S2: believe the papyrus is an ancient hoax or some kind 161 00:08:54,300 --> 00:08:56,980 S2: of a satirical letter, as some have suggested. We know 162 00:08:56,980 --> 00:08:59,700 S2: from the Bible that there were tall individuals living in 163 00:08:59,700 --> 00:09:04,140 S2: Canaan at this time. Now, 20ft tall is a fake photo, 164 00:09:04,340 --> 00:09:08,300 S2: but perhaps MBA sized individuals. You know, the average person 165 00:09:08,300 --> 00:09:11,220 S2: back then was about five feet, 4 to 5ft six 166 00:09:11,220 --> 00:09:14,500 S2: inches tall as an adult male. Well, looking at somebody 167 00:09:14,500 --> 00:09:18,300 S2: who's an NBA center next to a five foot four individual, 168 00:09:18,300 --> 00:09:21,179 S2: that person would be described as a giant. So the 169 00:09:21,179 --> 00:09:24,060 S2: papyrus does seem to match the biblical account. 170 00:09:24,380 --> 00:09:27,580 S1: Well, imagine coming down with the flu, calling your doctor 171 00:09:27,780 --> 00:09:31,980 S1: only to have him prescribe chocolate. Yeah. Based on research 172 00:09:31,980 --> 00:09:34,580 S1: from amazing Israel, that might not be too far off 173 00:09:34,580 --> 00:09:37,699 S1: the mark. Charlie, fill us in on the sweet details 174 00:09:37,700 --> 00:09:39,100 S1: of this medical advance. 175 00:09:39,420 --> 00:09:42,140 S2: Yeah, and the details aren't quite as exciting as the headlines, 176 00:09:42,140 --> 00:09:45,340 S2: but it's still a good report. Researchers at Hebrew University 177 00:09:45,380 --> 00:09:49,650 S2: developed a drug combination that seems to outperform Tamiflu in 178 00:09:49,650 --> 00:09:54,170 S2: shortening the length of the flu's duration. The combination includes theobromine, 179 00:09:54,290 --> 00:09:58,090 S2: a compound found in chocolate along with adenosine, a little 180 00:09:58,130 --> 00:10:02,250 S2: known molecule originally developed for other uses. Rather than attacking 181 00:10:02,250 --> 00:10:05,290 S2: the parts of the virus that mutate rapidly, this compound 182 00:10:05,290 --> 00:10:09,090 S2: attacks a structure in the virus essential for replication. The 183 00:10:09,090 --> 00:10:13,130 S2: combination is shown greater efficiency than Tamiflu in laboratory and 184 00:10:13,130 --> 00:10:16,850 S2: animal tests, including against drug resistant strains of the flu. 185 00:10:17,090 --> 00:10:19,770 S2: The next phase of the study will include human trials. 186 00:10:19,770 --> 00:10:23,450 S2: Hebrew University's already spun out a new biotech startup called 187 00:10:23,490 --> 00:10:27,530 S2: Viro Block to develop this combination for eventual public use. 188 00:10:27,929 --> 00:10:31,010 S2: Don't expect your doctor to prescribe a dark chocolate bar 189 00:10:31,010 --> 00:10:33,370 S2: for the flu, but it's just possible that one of 190 00:10:33,370 --> 00:10:36,250 S2: the ingredients found in chocolate could someday be used to 191 00:10:36,290 --> 00:10:38,490 S2: stop the flu. And when that happens, we can give 192 00:10:38,490 --> 00:10:42,290 S2: thanks to the scientists at Hebrew University in amazing Israel. 193 00:10:42,330 --> 00:10:46,130 S1: Well, that is sweet news indeed. Thank you Charlie. Up next, 194 00:10:46,130 --> 00:10:49,240 S1: insights from the life of Joseph. A conversation you don't 195 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:51,679 S1: want to miss. All ahead on the land and the book. 196 00:10:51,679 --> 00:11:12,760 S1: Our website, the land and the book. Setbacks. Disappointments. Rejection. 197 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,880 S1: That's the story of Joseph. He knew the agony of 198 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:19,800 S1: broken relationships more than most. Maybe that's why his story 199 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:24,120 S1: is still so relatable today. His struggles are our struggles, right? 200 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:28,560 S1: But somehow, Joseph learned to respond to profound disappointment with 201 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:32,360 S1: godly trust and confidence and good news. So can we. 202 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:35,160 S1: But what will that take? Hey, let's dig deeper, shall we? 203 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:38,240 S1: Welcome back to the land and the book. I'm John Gager, 204 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:40,640 S1: and before we meet today's guest, I want you to 205 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:42,760 S1: join me in thinking through another way that we can 206 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:46,260 S1: be more intentional in sharing Jesus with a Jewish friend. 207 00:11:47,059 --> 00:11:49,260 S1: You want to reach out to your Jewish friends, but 208 00:11:49,260 --> 00:11:51,339 S1: you want to be strategic. You want to be effective. 209 00:11:51,340 --> 00:11:54,260 S1: What seems to be working well? Well, here's an insider 210 00:11:54,260 --> 00:11:57,500 S1: perspective from Eva Redlich, who serves as an adjunct faculty 211 00:11:57,500 --> 00:11:59,940 S1: member with the Moody Bible Institute. What would you say 212 00:11:59,940 --> 00:12:02,140 S1: is working well, what seems to go over pretty well 213 00:12:02,179 --> 00:12:04,179 S1: and and strikes a chord with Jewish people. 214 00:12:04,220 --> 00:12:07,380 S3: Great question, John. I think the best way to communicate 215 00:12:07,380 --> 00:12:10,339 S3: the love of God with your Jewish friends or anyone 216 00:12:10,500 --> 00:12:13,260 S3: is to start with felt need. Jewish people are not 217 00:12:13,260 --> 00:12:15,260 S3: waking up in the morning and going, wow, I wonder 218 00:12:15,260 --> 00:12:17,820 S3: who the Messiah is. Jewish people are waking up in 219 00:12:17,820 --> 00:12:19,459 S3: the morning and thinking, how do I get along with 220 00:12:19,460 --> 00:12:22,260 S3: my teenager who's making me crazy? How do I deal 221 00:12:22,260 --> 00:12:24,780 S3: with my aging parents? What do I do about my 222 00:12:24,780 --> 00:12:27,260 S3: husband or my wife who are so annoying? And hey, 223 00:12:27,300 --> 00:12:29,900 S3: I've lost my job. Yeah. So I think the best 224 00:12:29,900 --> 00:12:32,540 S3: way to communicate the love of God to people is 225 00:12:32,540 --> 00:12:36,140 S3: through the felt need gateway. Find out where the hurt 226 00:12:36,140 --> 00:12:38,700 S3: is and show them how God can meet that need 227 00:12:38,700 --> 00:12:40,500 S3: in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah of Israel. 228 00:12:40,540 --> 00:12:43,500 S1: Now, Eva, I'm no genius, but that sounds remarkably to 229 00:12:43,540 --> 00:12:46,569 S1: me like sharing Jesus with any person. 230 00:12:46,610 --> 00:12:50,330 S3: Exactly. I think that the basic entry level conversation that 231 00:12:50,330 --> 00:12:52,450 S3: you have with the Jewish person should be on that 232 00:12:52,450 --> 00:12:54,610 S3: area of felt need, and it's the same whether your 233 00:12:54,610 --> 00:12:58,610 S3: neighbor is Goldberg or O'Malley. Same gateway of conversation. 234 00:12:58,610 --> 00:13:00,090 S1: And you know, when you think about it, that's not 235 00:13:00,090 --> 00:13:02,449 S1: unlike Jesus himself and the way that he reached out 236 00:13:02,450 --> 00:13:03,929 S1: with his good news, right? 237 00:13:03,929 --> 00:13:08,250 S3: His good news was not theological. It was not so 238 00:13:08,250 --> 00:13:11,970 S3: much of a what is the intricacies of the law. 239 00:13:12,170 --> 00:13:14,370 S3: But how does this apply to my life? And I 240 00:13:14,370 --> 00:13:16,850 S3: think when we follow his pattern, we're going to be 241 00:13:16,850 --> 00:13:18,810 S3: effective in our communication with our Jewish friends. 242 00:13:18,809 --> 00:13:20,530 S1: And you come right back to felt need right there, 243 00:13:20,570 --> 00:13:22,130 S1: even in the example of Messiah himself. 244 00:13:22,170 --> 00:13:23,730 S3: Right? When you think about how he talked about the 245 00:13:23,730 --> 00:13:25,650 S3: birds and the grass and the field, it was felt 246 00:13:25,690 --> 00:13:26,410 S3: neat issues. 247 00:13:26,570 --> 00:13:29,490 S1: Great insights from Eva Redlich, who serves with Moody Bible 248 00:13:29,490 --> 00:13:34,130 S1: Institute as an adjunct faculty member. Bill Crowder served as 249 00:13:34,130 --> 00:13:36,810 S1: a pastor for more than 20 years before joining our 250 00:13:36,809 --> 00:13:40,530 S1: Daily Bread Ministries. He's published more than 20 books, many 251 00:13:40,530 --> 00:13:44,680 S1: Bible study booklets, and he co-hosts the Discover the Word podcast. 252 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,880 S1: Bill lives with his wife Marlene in North Carolina, and 253 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:49,880 S1: we're glad to have him back with us on the 254 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:51,880 S1: land and the book. Welcome, Bill. 255 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:53,800 S4: Thank you, John, it's great to be with you. 256 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:57,520 S1: Well, family dysfunction, it seems to me, was alive and 257 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:01,760 S1: well in Joseph's family long before the drama kicks into 258 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:05,160 S1: high gear in Egypt. You write, when we drill down 259 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,320 S1: into Joseph's family history, we see generations of abuse of 260 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:12,839 S1: the marriage relationship, which inevitably poisoned the sibling relationships in 261 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:16,839 S1: the children and grandchildren of those relationships. Bill describe how 262 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:21,240 S1: that dysfunction likely impacted the plot lines in Joseph's story. 263 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:27,880 S4: Well, it begins with Jacob taking multiple wives and then 264 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:31,560 S4: having children by the handmaids of those two wives. So 265 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:37,320 S4: he actually essentially had four wives, 12 sons from those 266 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:41,200 S4: four wives. And yet, even though he had four wives, 267 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:45,310 S4: he the only loved one of them? Uh, the lovely Rachel. 268 00:14:45,630 --> 00:14:50,630 S4: And because he loved her, he automatically more loved her children. 269 00:14:51,070 --> 00:14:55,790 S4: And those children knew it. Uh uh, Genesis 37 makes 270 00:14:55,790 --> 00:15:00,390 S4: it really clear that Jacob not only loved Joseph Rachel 271 00:15:00,430 --> 00:15:03,870 S4: some better, but he also gave him special gifts. This 272 00:15:03,870 --> 00:15:07,790 S4: special coat that we hear so much about and, uh, 273 00:15:07,790 --> 00:15:12,590 S4: favoritism in the family in a position where likely he 274 00:15:12,590 --> 00:15:15,630 S4: didn't even have to work like his brothers did. And 275 00:15:15,630 --> 00:15:21,270 S4: so it was his lack of wisdom in marriage relationships, plural, 276 00:15:21,270 --> 00:15:24,910 S4: which is a problem, uh, that led to very poor 277 00:15:24,950 --> 00:15:29,109 S4: parenting on his part. That led to conflict between the brothers. 278 00:15:29,670 --> 00:15:33,150 S1: It's easy to forget that the inciting incident in Joseph's 279 00:15:33,150 --> 00:15:37,030 S1: story being sold into slavery by his own brothers happened 280 00:15:37,030 --> 00:15:40,660 S1: when Joseph was just a teenager. How should that detail 281 00:15:40,660 --> 00:15:42,300 S1: paint the picture that we have of him? 282 00:15:42,780 --> 00:15:46,700 S4: Uh, sometimes I've heard people paint Joseph as this kind 283 00:15:46,740 --> 00:15:50,100 S4: of pure innocent and so forth. It doesn't seem that 284 00:15:50,100 --> 00:15:53,420 S4: way to me. I mean, in his youthfulness. He's only 285 00:15:53,420 --> 00:15:57,580 S4: 17 years old when the story opens in Genesis 37. 286 00:15:57,580 --> 00:16:02,220 S4: In his youthfulness, I think he acts unwisely toward his brothers, 287 00:16:02,220 --> 00:16:05,540 S4: which only fans the flames of their hatred against him. 288 00:16:05,900 --> 00:16:11,540 S4: Instead of trying to contribute to maybe bringing reconciliation between 289 00:16:11,540 --> 00:16:15,340 S4: the dad and the brothers. He rather makes the gap 290 00:16:15,340 --> 00:16:18,660 S4: even wider. And I think, you know, some of that 291 00:16:18,660 --> 00:16:21,580 S4: is just attributed to the fact that when you're 17, 292 00:16:21,900 --> 00:16:25,700 S4: you're not exactly the most emotionally intelligent person on the planet. 293 00:16:25,740 --> 00:16:26,260 S4: You know. 294 00:16:27,460 --> 00:16:31,540 S1: Bill Crowder joined our Daily Bread Ministries staff in 2001 295 00:16:31,540 --> 00:16:34,380 S1: after more than 20 years in the pastorate in churches 296 00:16:34,380 --> 00:16:37,900 S1: stretching from West Virginia to Southern California to West Michigan. 297 00:16:38,140 --> 00:16:40,610 S1: He joins us today on the land and the book. 298 00:16:40,610 --> 00:16:43,690 S1: How much of Joseph's strong qualities do you think were 299 00:16:43,690 --> 00:16:46,810 S1: already formed by the time he was sold into slavery 300 00:16:46,850 --> 00:16:50,610 S1: versus those that were forged in the adversity he later faced? 301 00:16:50,650 --> 00:16:51,690 S1: What's your best guess? 302 00:16:52,370 --> 00:16:56,210 S4: One of my favorite comments to make in a conversation 303 00:16:56,210 --> 00:17:00,170 S4: about the scriptures is the text doesn't tell us. But 304 00:17:00,170 --> 00:17:02,730 S4: I think if I can give my best guess, I 305 00:17:02,730 --> 00:17:07,250 S4: would say probably the one thing that was present in 306 00:17:07,250 --> 00:17:12,970 S4: his character before arriving in Egypt as a slave was 307 00:17:13,170 --> 00:17:17,730 S4: the budding beginning of a relationship with his God. And 308 00:17:17,730 --> 00:17:23,090 S4: we see that continue to grow throughout his time in Egypt. 309 00:17:23,090 --> 00:17:27,410 S4: I think it's really telling John that in Genesis 39, 310 00:17:27,410 --> 00:17:30,370 S4: in the beginning of the chapter, when Joseph is on 311 00:17:30,369 --> 00:17:33,650 S4: his way up, rising out of the slave pits and 312 00:17:33,650 --> 00:17:36,170 S4: into what would kind of be considered a white collar 313 00:17:36,170 --> 00:17:42,280 S4: position as the manager of Potiphar's household twice. It says 314 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:46,240 S4: in those early verses that the Lord is with him. Yea, 315 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:50,360 S4: after Potiphar's wife lies about him and he is sent 316 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:54,399 S4: to prison in spite of his innocence, it still says 317 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:57,240 S4: twice that the Lord was with him. And I think 318 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:01,560 S4: the presence of the Lord, which began when he was 319 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:05,359 S4: back in Canaan with his family, then, was able to 320 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:09,480 S4: really take root when he was left with no resources 321 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,320 S4: except his relationship with his God. 322 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:15,920 S1: Well, let's talk about Potiphar's wife. So many volatile chapters 323 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:20,360 S1: in Joseph's life, including the seductive ploys of his boss's wife, 324 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:23,960 S1: which happened not once or twice, but many times. In 325 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,800 S1: the book, you point out Joseph resisted in spite of 326 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:30,200 S1: an evil environment, in spite of her persistence, and in 327 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:33,040 S1: spite of limited spiritual training. And so I think the 328 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:35,600 S1: question many ask is how? And by asking what we're 329 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:39,149 S1: really wanting to know is what can I borrow from 330 00:18:39,150 --> 00:18:40,629 S1: his winning strategy? 331 00:18:41,150 --> 00:18:43,350 S4: I think, first of all, is the fact that he 332 00:18:43,350 --> 00:18:47,310 S4: had a strategy. He had a strategy to maintain purity. 333 00:18:47,310 --> 00:18:50,910 S4: And I think that desire to maintain purity flows right 334 00:18:50,910 --> 00:18:56,109 S4: out of his relationship with God. Because when Potiphar's wife 335 00:18:56,310 --> 00:19:00,350 S4: first confronts him and tries to seduce him, he says, 336 00:19:00,350 --> 00:19:04,110 S4: how can I do this in sin against God? I mean, 337 00:19:04,510 --> 00:19:07,990 S4: he has concern for how it will affect Potiphar as well. 338 00:19:08,190 --> 00:19:11,750 S4: So he has some horizontal concern for Potiphar, but his 339 00:19:11,750 --> 00:19:15,149 S4: primary concern seems to be vertical, and the impact that 340 00:19:15,150 --> 00:19:17,830 S4: it would have on his relationship with God. And I 341 00:19:17,830 --> 00:19:20,510 S4: think any time we have that as a starting point 342 00:19:20,510 --> 00:19:23,270 S4: in our decision making, I think it's going to put 343 00:19:23,270 --> 00:19:24,950 S4: us in a much better place. 344 00:19:25,470 --> 00:19:28,310 S1: Well, the result of Joseph's faithfulness and his purity, though, 345 00:19:28,350 --> 00:19:33,790 S1: was prison. And to us, that feels unbelievably unfair. Your thoughts? 346 00:19:34,310 --> 00:19:38,090 S4: It is unbelievably unfair, but life in a broken world 347 00:19:38,090 --> 00:19:41,730 S4: is not fair. We are broken people. The people around 348 00:19:41,730 --> 00:19:46,090 S4: us are broken people and broken people break people. And 349 00:19:46,290 --> 00:19:51,330 S4: Potiphar's wife was a badly broken person. One of the 350 00:19:51,330 --> 00:19:54,210 S4: little nuances in the story that we talk about in 351 00:19:54,210 --> 00:19:57,609 S4: the book, John, is the fact that not only did 352 00:19:57,609 --> 00:20:02,450 S4: she lie about Joseph to her husband, I think her 353 00:20:02,450 --> 00:20:06,850 S4: husband was fully aware that he knew she was lying 354 00:20:06,890 --> 00:20:11,410 S4: about Joseph. And again, this comes across like speculation. But 355 00:20:11,410 --> 00:20:15,330 S4: there are some clues in the text. As Potiphar, one 356 00:20:15,330 --> 00:20:19,209 S4: of Pharaoh's top officials, he had a lot of options 357 00:20:19,210 --> 00:20:22,570 S4: as to how he could punish Joseph. And he he 358 00:20:22,609 --> 00:20:25,690 S4: takes really what the least of the options is, which 359 00:20:25,690 --> 00:20:28,370 S4: is prison. I mean, he could have had him executed. 360 00:20:28,970 --> 00:20:31,369 S4: There are any number of things he could have done, 361 00:20:31,770 --> 00:20:36,280 S4: but he chose the least of those options. I suspect 362 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:39,919 S4: because perhaps there was a track record with his wife 363 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:46,760 S4: of unfaithfulness, and he had observed Joseph's integrity so thoroughly 364 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,560 S4: that he just knew. No, this isn't the way this 365 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:50,440 S4: thing happened. 366 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:52,960 S1: This is the land and the book. I'm John Gager, 367 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:56,640 S1: our guest, Bill Crowder, who's written Joseph Cultivating a Life 368 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,199 S1: of Dependence on God. Well, as he sat there in prison, 369 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,119 S1: month after month, year after year, it's hard to imagine 370 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:06,560 S1: how dark his thoughts of loneliness must have been. Bill, 371 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:09,399 S1: what's your encouragement to anybody listening right now who feels 372 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:11,800 S1: abandoned and alone themselves? 373 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:15,920 S4: If you're a child of God, even though you're by yourself, 374 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:19,800 S4: you're never alone. And again, it's just that sense of 375 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:25,800 S4: physical isolation from other people does not mean actual isolation 376 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:28,879 S4: in the reality of our lives as God's children. 377 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:31,760 S1: Well, it's one thing to interpret the Pharaoh's dream, which 378 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,270 S1: eventually comes across Joseph's path. That's his ticket out of prison. 379 00:21:35,470 --> 00:21:38,350 S1: But it's quite another to have the agricultural and financial 380 00:21:38,350 --> 00:21:42,790 S1: insights to manage a nation's food stores through famine. Where 381 00:21:42,790 --> 00:21:44,110 S1: does Joseph get that? 382 00:21:44,510 --> 00:21:47,510 S4: I think that the time that he spent as the 383 00:21:47,510 --> 00:21:52,510 S4: household manager of all of Potiphar's properties gave him a 384 00:21:52,510 --> 00:21:57,430 S4: developing understanding of how to take care of the needs 385 00:21:57,430 --> 00:22:00,750 S4: of the nation when the famine would arise. I think 386 00:22:00,750 --> 00:22:05,190 S4: that his early training in what we would call today logistics, 387 00:22:05,670 --> 00:22:10,470 S4: prepared him for a greater challenge of logistics involving Egypt 388 00:22:10,470 --> 00:22:11,949 S4: and ultimately the world. 389 00:22:12,190 --> 00:22:15,670 S1: Bill Crowder writes for our Daily Bread devotional. Maybe you've 390 00:22:15,670 --> 00:22:18,990 S1: come across his name and also written a number of books, 391 00:22:18,990 --> 00:22:20,909 S1: including the one we're looking at today, The Book of 392 00:22:20,910 --> 00:22:24,389 S1: Joseph Cultivating a Life of Dependence on God. What do 393 00:22:24,390 --> 00:22:26,750 S1: you think is the biggest thing that keeps most of 394 00:22:26,750 --> 00:22:30,310 S1: us from cultivating a life of dependence on God? And 395 00:22:30,350 --> 00:22:32,460 S1: what's a good first step for somebody who says, I 396 00:22:32,460 --> 00:22:34,620 S1: want to do this? I want to live like Joseph lived. 397 00:22:35,140 --> 00:22:40,820 S4: Well, you know, it's a tough question for Americans because 398 00:22:40,940 --> 00:22:43,260 S4: we live in a country that was kind of built 399 00:22:43,260 --> 00:22:48,459 S4: on rugged individualism. You know, we have the pioneering spirit. 400 00:22:48,460 --> 00:22:51,500 S4: And the guy with his wife and three kids and 401 00:22:51,500 --> 00:22:56,340 S4: a Conestoga wagon blaring across the prairies to make a 402 00:22:56,340 --> 00:22:59,540 S4: new home for themselves way out west. And that's kind 403 00:22:59,540 --> 00:23:04,900 S4: of the image of strength that we have as a culture. 404 00:23:05,380 --> 00:23:08,780 S4: And so I think for many Americans, we almost have 405 00:23:08,820 --> 00:23:12,500 S4: kind of had it trained into our thinking and our 406 00:23:12,500 --> 00:23:21,180 S4: mindset that dependence on anyone or anything is weakness. The reality, however, 407 00:23:21,180 --> 00:23:25,100 S4: is there is no greater strength for life than the 408 00:23:25,100 --> 00:23:29,220 S4: strength that comes from absolute dependence on the Lord, which, 409 00:23:29,220 --> 00:23:34,530 S4: by the way, we desperately need. We are weak. We 410 00:23:34,530 --> 00:23:37,810 S4: do need him and his strength. Not just for the 411 00:23:37,810 --> 00:23:41,570 S4: big ones, but for everything, for every day. And it's 412 00:23:41,570 --> 00:23:45,690 S4: only as we come to realize and accept and embrace 413 00:23:45,690 --> 00:23:50,210 S4: our own limitations and his all sufficiency, that we can 414 00:23:50,210 --> 00:23:52,810 S4: really move into that life of dependence. 415 00:23:53,690 --> 00:23:55,770 S1: Do me a favor. Would you pray right now for 416 00:23:55,770 --> 00:23:59,250 S1: somebody who feels like they are in a prison? Prison 417 00:23:59,290 --> 00:24:04,050 S1: of guilt, a prison of fear, a prison of health limitations? 418 00:24:04,090 --> 00:24:06,410 S1: Things are just not going well, a prison of loneliness. 419 00:24:06,850 --> 00:24:08,970 S1: And they want to respond in a in a right way, 420 00:24:08,970 --> 00:24:10,970 S1: in a godly way, in a way that that Joseph 421 00:24:10,970 --> 00:24:11,410 S1: would have. 422 00:24:11,930 --> 00:24:17,810 S4: Yeah. Thank you John. Heavenly father, we thank you that 423 00:24:17,810 --> 00:24:21,330 S4: you truly are always with us, that you are present 424 00:24:21,330 --> 00:24:24,649 S4: with us all the time, and that you desire through 425 00:24:24,690 --> 00:24:27,850 S4: your Spirit to lead us and guide us in all 426 00:24:27,850 --> 00:24:32,280 S4: the circumstances of life, but especially in the harsh ones. Lord, 427 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:35,119 S4: when we're hurting, when we feel alone, when we feel 428 00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:39,240 S4: cut off, when we feel isolated, when we feel like 429 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:43,360 S4: we have no hope. Help us to find rest in you. 430 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:48,240 S4: Help us to find in you the strength to continue on, 431 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:52,480 S4: and the strength to wait upon you for your provision 432 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:56,760 S4: to whatever the specific need of our lives is. Father, 433 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:01,200 S4: I'm sure some are listening, and they feel imprisoned by finances, 434 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:07,720 S4: some by health issues, some in broken relationships, some in 435 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:11,479 S4: dead end jobs, and they just don't know what to do. Lord. 436 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:14,560 S4: And I just pray that they would turn to you 437 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:18,120 S4: and seek your wisdom and the guidance of the scriptures 438 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:21,520 S4: and your Spirit to help them to navigate their way 439 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:26,800 S4: through these difficult times. We ask it in Jesus name. Amen. 440 00:25:27,070 --> 00:25:29,310 S1: Amen. Bill, thank you for that prayer and thank you 441 00:25:29,310 --> 00:25:32,870 S1: for the book, Joseph cultivating a Life of Dependence on God. 442 00:25:32,910 --> 00:25:35,670 S1: There's a lot of great study questions, really great things 443 00:25:35,670 --> 00:25:38,030 S1: to ponder. It's not a massive book that will overwhelm you, 444 00:25:38,030 --> 00:25:40,510 S1: but it is one that will stimulate you and will 445 00:25:40,510 --> 00:25:43,110 S1: provide a link to Bill's book at our website, The 446 00:25:43,109 --> 00:25:47,469 S1: Land and the book. Thanks so much for your time, Bill. 447 00:25:48,070 --> 00:25:50,390 S4: Thank you, John. Appreciate you having me on. 448 00:25:50,390 --> 00:25:52,430 S1: And we're going to look at some fresh Bible questions 449 00:25:52,430 --> 00:25:55,030 S1: in our next segment right here on the land and 450 00:25:55,030 --> 00:26:08,830 S1: the book. If you've got a Bible and you open 451 00:26:08,830 --> 00:26:13,310 S1: that Bible, you can't help but have questions about your Bible. Hey, 452 00:26:13,310 --> 00:26:15,710 S1: welcome back to the land and the book. That book, 453 00:26:15,710 --> 00:26:18,750 S1: of course, being the Bible, I'm John Yeager, sitting across 454 00:26:18,750 --> 00:26:21,629 S1: from a guy who knows a whole lot about the Bible, 455 00:26:21,670 --> 00:26:25,030 S1: Doctor Gerald Peterman. This is his moment. This is his segment. 456 00:26:25,030 --> 00:26:25,910 S1: And we're glad. 457 00:26:26,619 --> 00:26:28,020 S5: Oh. Me too. Thanks be to God. 458 00:26:28,060 --> 00:26:30,260 S1: Well, we're about to dig into some really great questions 459 00:26:30,260 --> 00:26:32,780 S1: that come to us from listeners. And, uh, right up front, 460 00:26:32,780 --> 00:26:34,860 S1: let me just state that you can always get your 461 00:26:34,859 --> 00:26:37,580 S1: question to us at the land and the book at 462 00:26:39,300 --> 00:26:43,660 S1: the land and the book at Moody. Quick question for 463 00:26:43,660 --> 00:26:46,460 S1: you as we begin, what does Passover mean for us 464 00:26:46,740 --> 00:26:50,100 S1: as believers in Jesus? Some might remember the story from 465 00:26:50,100 --> 00:26:52,540 S1: the book of Exodus, but there's just so much more 466 00:26:52,540 --> 00:26:55,300 S1: to it. Did you know that the Last Supper was 467 00:26:55,300 --> 00:26:58,380 S1: actually a Passover meal? Not only did Jesus and his 468 00:26:58,380 --> 00:27:02,060 S1: disciples celebrate Passover, but it also foreshadowed his death on 469 00:27:02,060 --> 00:27:06,020 S1: the cross for our redemption. Passover is an amazing connection 470 00:27:06,020 --> 00:27:09,260 S1: point with our Jewish friends around the world and across 471 00:27:09,260 --> 00:27:12,100 S1: the street. Jewish people have been keeping this feast. Think 472 00:27:12,100 --> 00:27:15,460 S1: of this for thousands of years. So understanding the importance 473 00:27:15,460 --> 00:27:19,460 S1: of this holiday, its history, helps us better understand these 474 00:27:19,460 --> 00:27:22,020 S1: precious friends of ours. And what better way to learn 475 00:27:22,020 --> 00:27:25,650 S1: than to experience a Passover Seder yourself if you have 476 00:27:25,650 --> 00:27:29,250 S1: never celebrated Passover. Good news. Our friends at Life in 477 00:27:29,250 --> 00:27:32,449 S1: Messiah would love to partner with you in hosting a 478 00:27:32,490 --> 00:27:36,410 S1: Seder experience. Every year, their staff engage churches and small 479 00:27:36,410 --> 00:27:40,650 S1: groups in an interactive Messiah in the Passover Seder, where 480 00:27:40,650 --> 00:27:44,290 S1: you can taste and see the redemption story. If you're 481 00:27:44,290 --> 00:27:47,169 S1: interested in having somebody come lead a Seder in your area, 482 00:27:47,170 --> 00:27:50,530 S1: by all means visit Life in Messiah. Org and click 483 00:27:50,530 --> 00:27:54,570 S1: on the radio button to learn more. That's life in Messiah. 484 00:27:56,170 --> 00:27:58,850 S1: Doctor Gerald Peterman, what is your favorite book of the 485 00:27:58,850 --> 00:28:02,090 S1: Bible right now that you've been maybe looking through in 486 00:28:02,090 --> 00:28:05,129 S1: your own, uh, journey through Scripture? What's what's fresh in 487 00:28:05,130 --> 00:28:05,490 S1: your mind? 488 00:28:05,530 --> 00:28:07,970 S5: Oh, John, it's so tough to pick a favorite because 489 00:28:07,970 --> 00:28:10,810 S5: there's so many that are really, really good. But most recently, 490 00:28:10,810 --> 00:28:15,889 S5: I've been digging into Second Corinthians because Paul loved the 491 00:28:15,890 --> 00:28:18,810 S5: Corinthian church, but he had some problems with them. So 492 00:28:18,810 --> 00:28:22,370 S5: it's a really practical and a very emotional book too. 493 00:28:22,609 --> 00:28:25,550 S1: I'm going through the book of Genesis, and it's going 494 00:28:25,590 --> 00:28:27,590 S1: to take me a long, long time to do it. 495 00:28:27,590 --> 00:28:31,510 S1: But I just am utterly amazed. Utterly amazed. It's just 496 00:28:31,510 --> 00:28:34,830 S1: the creation account. It's just it just blows me away. Well, 497 00:28:34,990 --> 00:28:37,390 S1: this isn't about you or me. It's about folks like 498 00:28:37,390 --> 00:28:41,430 S1: Judy whose question is, would you please expound on Hebrews two, 499 00:28:41,470 --> 00:28:44,270 S1: verse 16? I'm wondering why the author would seek to 500 00:28:44,310 --> 00:28:47,670 S1: establish the humanity of Jesus by saying he was from 501 00:28:47,670 --> 00:28:50,670 S1: the seed of Abraham, rather than the seed of Adam, 502 00:28:50,670 --> 00:28:53,510 S1: as referred to in other places. Or the seed of David. 503 00:28:53,510 --> 00:28:54,270 S1: Your thoughts? 504 00:28:54,510 --> 00:28:57,830 S5: Well, let's begin by going to Hebrews two, and I'm 505 00:28:57,830 --> 00:29:00,670 S5: going to start reading at verse 16. For surely it 506 00:29:00,670 --> 00:29:03,910 S5: is not angels that he helps, but he helps the 507 00:29:03,910 --> 00:29:08,390 S5: offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like 508 00:29:08,390 --> 00:29:11,670 S5: his brothers. That is, I'm jumping in. Jesus had to 509 00:29:11,670 --> 00:29:15,790 S5: be like this family right in every respect. So he 510 00:29:15,790 --> 00:29:18,550 S5: might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the 511 00:29:18,550 --> 00:29:21,150 S5: service of God to make propitiation for the sins of 512 00:29:21,150 --> 00:29:25,220 S5: the people. for because he himself has suffered. When tempted, 513 00:29:25,660 --> 00:29:29,300 S5: he is able to keep those who are being tempted. 514 00:29:29,340 --> 00:29:33,220 S5: Of course, Judy's right that other authors of Scripture connect 515 00:29:33,220 --> 00:29:37,180 S5: Jesus with David, or they connect Jesus with Adam. That 516 00:29:37,180 --> 00:29:40,260 S5: connection with Adam is made in Luke three. So why 517 00:29:40,300 --> 00:29:43,180 S5: does the writer of the Hebrews go to Abraham? I 518 00:29:43,180 --> 00:29:48,620 S5: think almost certainly these Hebrews are Jewish Christians. Abraham is 519 00:29:48,620 --> 00:29:52,300 S5: their father, and they know from their Old Testament that 520 00:29:52,300 --> 00:29:56,940 S5: Abraham was tested and that Abraham went through trials. And 521 00:29:56,940 --> 00:30:01,620 S5: we know that these Hebrews are going through testing and trials. 522 00:30:01,700 --> 00:30:05,940 S5: If you read Hebrews 1032 to 34, they received Christ, 523 00:30:05,940 --> 00:30:09,900 S5: and they go through persecution. So I think Abraham is 524 00:30:09,900 --> 00:30:13,380 S5: the perfect connection because they're in the midst of trials. 525 00:30:13,380 --> 00:30:18,220 S5: He is their covenant father. The Lord God worked with him. 526 00:30:18,620 --> 00:30:20,660 S5: And the writer wants them to know he can work 527 00:30:20,660 --> 00:30:22,450 S5: with you as you're being tested. 528 00:30:22,490 --> 00:30:25,650 S1: Boy, that's an encouraging word. Appreciate that. See what you 529 00:30:25,650 --> 00:30:27,210 S1: get out of this. I mean, you thought it was 530 00:30:27,210 --> 00:30:30,130 S1: just a question, and here it is. Winds up almost 531 00:30:30,130 --> 00:30:31,130 S1: a devotional for your soul. 532 00:30:31,330 --> 00:30:32,610 S5: It was for me. Yeah. 533 00:30:32,650 --> 00:30:35,810 S1: All right. Sam asks. A few weeks ago in Bible study, 534 00:30:35,810 --> 00:30:37,970 S1: we were looking at Matthew and Luke and how they 535 00:30:37,970 --> 00:30:41,250 S1: all tell about the conception and birth of Jesus and 536 00:30:41,250 --> 00:30:43,530 S1: about how Mary was a virgin. And then somebody in 537 00:30:43,530 --> 00:30:47,010 S1: the study said that Mary remained a virgin her whole life. 538 00:30:47,130 --> 00:30:49,450 S1: I've never heard that before. Can you tell me where 539 00:30:49,450 --> 00:30:50,850 S1: the Bible talks about that? 540 00:30:51,490 --> 00:30:54,170 S5: Well, the short answer to Sam's question is that the 541 00:30:54,170 --> 00:30:58,370 S5: New Testament never mentions the perpetual virginity of Mary. Wait 542 00:30:58,370 --> 00:31:01,810 S5: wait wait. We can all agree. Every Christian can agree 543 00:31:02,490 --> 00:31:06,570 S5: that Jesus is conceived in the womb of Mary while 544 00:31:06,570 --> 00:31:10,209 S5: she's a virgin. Yes, the angel Gabriel comes to her 545 00:31:10,530 --> 00:31:12,770 S5: in Luke one and he tells her this is going 546 00:31:12,810 --> 00:31:14,969 S5: to happen. And she says, how can this be? I 547 00:31:14,970 --> 00:31:18,650 S5: don't know a man. Right. So we all agree that 548 00:31:18,650 --> 00:31:23,800 S5: the conception happens while Mary is a virgin. But I 549 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:26,920 S5: take it that after Jesus is born and Mary goes 550 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:30,400 S5: through the typical purification period required by the law, that 551 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:33,920 S5: she and Joseph had a normal marriage and they had children. 552 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:37,080 S5: And Jesus says, brothers and sisters, I draw this conclusion 553 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:42,320 S5: because John chapter five says, even Jesus's brothers were not 554 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:47,120 S5: believing in him and Paul in first Corinthians, in chapter nine, 555 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,640 S5: he asks this question do we not have the right 556 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:52,800 S5: to go along with the believing wife, as do the 557 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:56,560 S5: other apostles and the brothers of the Lord? Now, it's 558 00:31:56,560 --> 00:32:00,440 S5: hard to know exactly when this doctrine came into place 559 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:04,440 S5: the perpetual virginity of Mary. It's probably somewhere in the 560 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:08,480 S5: third or fourth century. And during that time there was 561 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:14,720 S5: this perspective. The perspective was perpetual virginity is holier than marriage. 562 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:18,320 S5: I'm sorry. I don't believe that. I believe that a 563 00:32:18,430 --> 00:32:22,350 S5: marriage which is sexually pure is just as holy as 564 00:32:22,350 --> 00:32:24,230 S5: someone who remains a virgin all life. 565 00:32:24,270 --> 00:32:26,550 S1: Yeah, well, you know, one other reference in this whole 566 00:32:26,550 --> 00:32:29,470 S1: conversation comes from the account in the what we call 567 00:32:29,470 --> 00:32:32,150 S1: the Christmas story. It is said of Joseph that he 568 00:32:32,150 --> 00:32:36,350 S1: had no union with her until the child Jesus was born. 569 00:32:36,390 --> 00:32:38,469 S5: Right. And I take it that the natural way to 570 00:32:38,510 --> 00:32:41,390 S5: read this is that after the birth, they had a 571 00:32:41,390 --> 00:32:42,990 S5: regular marriage union. Yeah. 572 00:32:43,670 --> 00:32:46,710 S1: All right. Let's go to Christina's question. She says of 573 00:32:46,710 --> 00:32:49,950 S1: Isaiah nine six, the prophecy of Christ's coming. What does 574 00:32:49,950 --> 00:32:53,750 S1: the government shall be upon his shoulder mean? And is 575 00:32:53,750 --> 00:32:56,270 S1: this one of the reasons that the Jewish people believed 576 00:32:56,270 --> 00:32:58,630 S1: Christ was going to be in control of the government 577 00:32:58,630 --> 00:32:59,990 S1: and destroy Roman rule? 578 00:33:00,270 --> 00:33:02,510 S5: Oh, I think Christina is beginning to give us a 579 00:33:02,510 --> 00:33:06,030 S5: good answer to her own question. Yes, exactly right. As 580 00:33:06,030 --> 00:33:09,190 S5: we keep reading Isaiah nine, in verse seven, we find 581 00:33:09,470 --> 00:33:11,670 S5: of the increase of his government and of peace, there 582 00:33:11,670 --> 00:33:14,390 S5: will be no end on the throne of David and 583 00:33:14,390 --> 00:33:18,300 S5: over his kingdom to establish and uphold it with justice 584 00:33:18,300 --> 00:33:21,820 S5: and righteousness from this time forth and forever. So, in 585 00:33:21,820 --> 00:33:25,300 S5: other words, the Messiah spoken of Isaiah nine is going 586 00:33:25,300 --> 00:33:26,900 S5: to be a king, and the king is going to 587 00:33:26,900 --> 00:33:29,340 S5: be the, if you will, Lord or master of the 588 00:33:29,340 --> 00:33:33,020 S5: whole country. Now, we know from reading our Old Testaments 589 00:33:33,020 --> 00:33:36,060 S5: that every king turned out to be a real jerk. 590 00:33:36,060 --> 00:33:37,020 S5: Can I say that? 591 00:33:37,060 --> 00:33:37,860 S6: You sure can. 592 00:33:38,140 --> 00:33:41,020 S5: None of them were perfectly holy. None of them ruled 593 00:33:41,020 --> 00:33:44,940 S5: in complete righteousness and justice. Only our King Jesus can 594 00:33:44,940 --> 00:33:48,660 S5: do that. So for the second part of Christina's question, 595 00:33:48,660 --> 00:33:53,860 S5: I think, yes, in the first century, lots of messianic expectation. 596 00:33:54,260 --> 00:33:57,100 S5: The Jews wanted their Messiah to come. And I can 597 00:33:57,100 --> 00:34:00,219 S5: totally applaud that. And one of the things they wanted 598 00:34:00,220 --> 00:34:03,100 S5: is for the Messiah to crush Roman rule. I could 599 00:34:03,100 --> 00:34:06,380 S5: understand that that's not the primary reason he was coming. 600 00:34:06,900 --> 00:34:08,940 S5: He was coming to carry our sins. 601 00:34:09,660 --> 00:34:12,660 S1: Claudia emailed us at the land and the book at 602 00:34:12,660 --> 00:34:17,450 S1: Moody's and left this question for us, wondering about the 603 00:34:17,450 --> 00:34:20,130 S1: glory of God. Luke two says, the glory of the 604 00:34:20,130 --> 00:34:24,410 S1: Lord shone around the shepherds. Did they see it? Feel it? 605 00:34:24,410 --> 00:34:27,570 S1: John 114 says, we have seen his glory. 606 00:34:27,610 --> 00:34:30,450 S5: Oh, I, I think the glory of God is a 607 00:34:30,489 --> 00:34:35,210 S5: fascinating and rich topic. In Luke two, it appears that 608 00:34:35,250 --> 00:34:40,770 S5: the shepherds encounter a nighttime light, a brilliance which they 609 00:34:40,810 --> 00:34:43,969 S5: know had to be supernatural. It's not a helicopter with 610 00:34:43,969 --> 00:34:47,049 S5: a spotlight, it had to be supernatural. And so that 611 00:34:47,050 --> 00:34:49,529 S5: they know God is doing something. And so they were 612 00:34:49,530 --> 00:34:53,410 S5: filled with awe and fear. So there's a visual encounter, 613 00:34:53,410 --> 00:34:57,569 S5: there's an emotional encounter, but other times the glory of 614 00:34:57,570 --> 00:35:00,009 S5: God is a little bit different. And I really appreciate that. 615 00:35:00,010 --> 00:35:04,969 S5: Claudia took us to John 114. The word became flesh 616 00:35:04,969 --> 00:35:07,810 S5: and we have seen his glory, glory as of the 617 00:35:07,810 --> 00:35:12,729 S5: only begotten from the father, full of grace and truth. Well, 618 00:35:12,730 --> 00:35:16,350 S5: now here glory is not so much a brilliance you see, 619 00:35:16,750 --> 00:35:22,910 S5: but character. You perceive grace and truth. That's what God 620 00:35:22,910 --> 00:35:25,270 S5: is like. We go a little bit farther in John's 621 00:35:25,270 --> 00:35:27,790 S5: gospel and what do we encounter? We encounter Jesus turning 622 00:35:27,790 --> 00:35:31,270 S5: water to wine. That's great. And then what do we 623 00:35:31,310 --> 00:35:35,750 S5: find the disciples understand at that point, the disciples see 624 00:35:35,750 --> 00:35:39,950 S5: what Jesus has done, and they beheld his glory. Yeah, 625 00:35:39,989 --> 00:35:42,910 S5: it's not as if Jesus was shining, but he had 626 00:35:42,910 --> 00:35:46,910 S5: compassion on this couple who would be terribly embarrassed if 627 00:35:46,910 --> 00:35:50,029 S5: they ran out of wine. And he had power to 628 00:35:50,070 --> 00:35:53,710 S5: make it. So those two things are part of God's glory, 629 00:35:53,750 --> 00:35:55,390 S5: his compassion and his power. 630 00:35:55,430 --> 00:35:58,029 S1: But lots of very thoughtful questions. That seems to be 631 00:35:58,030 --> 00:35:59,230 S1: this segment, wouldn't you agree? 632 00:35:59,230 --> 00:36:00,030 S5: I really agree. 633 00:36:00,070 --> 00:36:02,430 S1: Yeah. Good stuff. And we don't shy away from them. 634 00:36:02,430 --> 00:36:04,870 S1: In fact, we welcome them. Why don't you email your 635 00:36:04,870 --> 00:36:09,710 S1: question to the land and the book at Moody's? That's 636 00:36:09,710 --> 00:36:13,779 S1: the land and the book at Moody's. Doctor Peterman, what's 637 00:36:13,780 --> 00:36:15,660 S1: the process for getting an answer? How long does it take? 638 00:36:15,700 --> 00:36:16,140 S1: A month. 639 00:36:16,420 --> 00:36:19,460 S5: Uh, no, it's never taken a month. Over Christmas, there 640 00:36:19,460 --> 00:36:20,899 S5: were a couple of times where it was 10 or 641 00:36:20,900 --> 00:36:22,820 S5: 12 days because I took a couple of days off. 642 00:36:22,820 --> 00:36:25,580 S5: Sometimes it might move within 24 hours, but it's more 643 00:36:25,580 --> 00:36:28,500 S5: like three days. Seven days, eight days, something like that. 644 00:36:28,500 --> 00:36:31,020 S1: That's great. So expect an answer when you email your 645 00:36:31,020 --> 00:36:36,460 S1: question to the land and the book at now we're 646 00:36:36,460 --> 00:36:38,460 S1: not done. We got one more segment. And for many, 647 00:36:38,460 --> 00:36:41,540 S1: many listeners, they tell us this is their favorite. It's 648 00:36:41,540 --> 00:36:43,660 S1: the devotional that Charlie brings to us. He takes us 649 00:36:43,660 --> 00:36:46,219 S1: to a passage in Scripture, usually a place in the 650 00:36:46,219 --> 00:36:48,460 S1: Holy Land. He welds them together in such a way 651 00:36:48,460 --> 00:36:50,940 S1: that you never will forget either of them. I hope 652 00:36:50,940 --> 00:36:53,300 S1: you'll stick around for segment four here on Moody Radio's 653 00:36:53,300 --> 00:36:55,140 S1: The Land and the book, and I hope you tell 654 00:36:55,140 --> 00:37:10,500 S1: a friend about us, too. Welcome back to the land 655 00:37:10,500 --> 00:37:12,529 S1: and the book. I'm John Gager, and when you and 656 00:37:12,530 --> 00:37:14,770 S1: I go to the grocery store, you go down an 657 00:37:14,770 --> 00:37:17,209 S1: aisle and you see some olives and you say, that's 658 00:37:17,210 --> 00:37:20,850 S1: nice green olives, black olives. But olives are at the 659 00:37:20,850 --> 00:37:24,969 S1: very heart of the Israeli economy. And historically, they played 660 00:37:24,969 --> 00:37:28,650 S1: a significant role in Israel for lots of reasons. Charlie, 661 00:37:28,690 --> 00:37:31,210 S1: we're digging in on that very theme in your devotional 662 00:37:31,210 --> 00:37:32,330 S1: coming up, I understand. 663 00:37:32,370 --> 00:37:34,290 S2: We are we're rounding the corner on the end of 664 00:37:34,290 --> 00:37:37,210 S2: our seven species of the land, and today's focus is 665 00:37:37,210 --> 00:37:38,330 S2: olives and olive oil. 666 00:37:38,370 --> 00:37:40,489 S1: All right. Look forward to that. After we listen to 667 00:37:40,489 --> 00:37:43,170 S1: this testimony from an Israel traveler who shares their own 668 00:37:43,170 --> 00:37:44,650 S1: perspectives with us now. 669 00:37:48,930 --> 00:37:52,730 S7: Hi, my name is Renee Petschek, and I just can't 670 00:37:52,730 --> 00:37:56,450 S7: even begin to explain the experiences here at the land. 671 00:37:56,690 --> 00:37:59,210 S7: And probably the most favorite part that I had was 672 00:37:59,210 --> 00:38:01,570 S7: the devotionals that we would have at each stop along 673 00:38:01,570 --> 00:38:05,090 S7: the way. Uh, Charlie Dyer just has such a spiritual 674 00:38:05,090 --> 00:38:07,290 S7: gift of opening the word to us. And as we 675 00:38:07,290 --> 00:38:10,210 S7: looked around at exactly the places we were at, we 676 00:38:10,210 --> 00:38:14,200 S7: could actually picture it and visualize in our minds the 677 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:16,879 S7: actual events that happen that are recorded in the Bible, 678 00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:20,640 S7: word for word. Everything is proven. It is awesome. 679 00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:24,000 S8: Hi, my name is Larry Hughes. This is my first 680 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:26,560 S8: trip to Israel. Uh, the thing that impressed me the 681 00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:30,760 S8: most is that we learned so much and that Charlie 682 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:33,480 S8: helps to make the Bible come alive. And, uh, I 683 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:36,720 S8: don't think I'll ever read it quite the same. And, uh, 684 00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:39,759 S8: we'll be able to read the scriptures and actually see 685 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:43,680 S8: the places that that, uh, these things all occurred where 686 00:38:43,719 --> 00:38:48,480 S8: Jesus walked and preached and so forth. It's been real interesting, 687 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:49,880 S8: and I've really enjoyed it. 688 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:54,680 S1: Charlie, I'm always impressed with the number of olive trees 689 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:58,360 S1: that we see in Israel, those silvery leaves in the sunlight. 690 00:38:58,360 --> 00:39:01,520 S1: And and at harvest time, it's a really big deal 691 00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:04,480 S1: that you don't quite get until you do travel to Israel. 692 00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:08,400 S2: Absolutely right, John. You know, in Deuteronomy eight, Moses described 693 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:11,190 S2: the Promised Land as a land of wheat and barley, 694 00:39:11,190 --> 00:39:15,790 S2: vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey. Today's 695 00:39:15,790 --> 00:39:17,990 S2: visit is going to take us to the partially rebuilt 696 00:39:18,030 --> 00:39:21,350 S2: temple of Zerubbabel in Jerusalem, to see how God can 697 00:39:21,350 --> 00:39:25,190 S2: use olive oil to craft a perpetual motion machine. Now, 698 00:39:25,190 --> 00:39:28,469 S2: as we look around Jerusalem, the scene is rather grim. 699 00:39:28,830 --> 00:39:31,549 S2: The remnant who returned from captivity in Babylon have been 700 00:39:31,550 --> 00:39:34,230 S2: back for less than 20 years, and their time in 701 00:39:34,230 --> 00:39:37,870 S2: the land has not been easy. They began rebuilding the temple, 702 00:39:37,870 --> 00:39:42,029 S2: but outside opposition and internal discouragement brought the project to 703 00:39:42,030 --> 00:39:45,989 S2: a complete halt for nearly 16 years. Only recently has 704 00:39:45,989 --> 00:39:49,390 S2: the prodding of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah stirred the 705 00:39:49,390 --> 00:39:52,470 S2: people to resume the work. The city of Jerusalem itself 706 00:39:52,469 --> 00:39:55,149 S2: is still nothing more than a hollow shell of its 707 00:39:55,190 --> 00:39:59,310 S2: once former greatness. It will be another 85 years before 708 00:39:59,350 --> 00:40:03,189 S2: Nehemiah arrives as governor to rebuild the walls and repopulate 709 00:40:03,190 --> 00:40:06,510 S2: the city center. Work on the temple has resumed, but 710 00:40:06,510 --> 00:40:10,259 S2: that progress is already threatened. The surrounding nations have once 711 00:40:10,260 --> 00:40:13,500 S2: again written to the Persian king complaining about the work, 712 00:40:13,500 --> 00:40:16,339 S2: and the discouraged remnant find it difficult to carve out 713 00:40:16,380 --> 00:40:19,460 S2: time to build God's house when they're barely able to 714 00:40:19,500 --> 00:40:22,140 S2: eke out a living on a land that seems determined 715 00:40:22,140 --> 00:40:25,460 S2: to withhold its blessing. The prophet Haggai pictured it as 716 00:40:25,460 --> 00:40:27,899 S2: a time when people seemed to be putting their hard 717 00:40:27,940 --> 00:40:30,580 S2: earned savings into a money purse with a hole in 718 00:40:30,580 --> 00:40:34,020 S2: the bottom. And now the older returnees, those who had 719 00:40:34,020 --> 00:40:38,220 S2: visited Solomon's Temple as children nearly 70 years ago, are 720 00:40:38,260 --> 00:40:42,140 S2: weeping over the rather plain and simple building slowly rising 721 00:40:42,140 --> 00:40:45,779 S2: in its place. Times are desperate and the situation is grim. 722 00:40:46,020 --> 00:40:48,300 S2: But what does this have to do with olive oil 723 00:40:48,300 --> 00:40:50,860 S2: or with the seven species of the land? Well, to 724 00:40:50,860 --> 00:40:54,180 S2: understand that, let's first visit an olive grove and learn 725 00:40:54,180 --> 00:40:56,540 S2: a little bit about olive oil. Then we'll return to 726 00:40:56,580 --> 00:40:59,660 S2: the temple. It seems that every society has something that 727 00:40:59,660 --> 00:41:02,780 S2: serves a multitude of roles that become the Swiss army 728 00:41:02,820 --> 00:41:05,460 S2: knife of day to day life. In the movie My 729 00:41:05,460 --> 00:41:08,650 S2: Big Fat Greek Wedding. It was Windex, a wonder drug 730 00:41:08,650 --> 00:41:11,810 S2: that could supposedly cure anything. Where I grew up, it 731 00:41:11,810 --> 00:41:15,490 S2: was castor oil. Just give him some castor oil. That'll 732 00:41:15,489 --> 00:41:18,930 S2: take care of the problem. From the email messages I receive, 733 00:41:18,930 --> 00:41:21,930 S2: it would seem that duct tape and Wd40 are the 734 00:41:21,930 --> 00:41:25,290 S2: all purpose solutions for problems today. But what was the 735 00:41:25,290 --> 00:41:29,090 S2: Windex or Wd40 of ancient Israel? It was the olive 736 00:41:29,130 --> 00:41:33,049 S2: tree and olive oil. In judges nine, when Abimelech tells 737 00:41:33,090 --> 00:41:35,810 S2: a parable about the trees gathering to choose a king. 738 00:41:36,010 --> 00:41:38,490 S2: The first tree to be asked was the olive tree. 739 00:41:38,690 --> 00:41:40,810 S2: It was the most logical choice for being the king 740 00:41:40,850 --> 00:41:45,250 S2: of the trees. The olive tree was artistically beautiful. Jeremiah 741 00:41:45,290 --> 00:41:48,370 S2: compared Judah to an olive tree. Beautiful and fruit and 742 00:41:48,370 --> 00:41:53,089 S2: form Jeremiah 1116. And Hosea the prophet predicted a coming 743 00:41:53,090 --> 00:41:55,770 S2: day when the splendor of Israel will once again be 744 00:41:55,770 --> 00:41:59,290 S2: like an olive tree. Hosea 14 six and the wood 745 00:41:59,290 --> 00:42:01,450 S2: of the olive tree could be used for building and 746 00:42:01,450 --> 00:42:04,770 S2: for carving. When Solomon built the temple, he ordered that 747 00:42:04,770 --> 00:42:07,920 S2: the carved pieces of olive would be used for the doors, 748 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:10,799 S2: the lintels, and even the two cherubim that guard the 749 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:14,000 S2: Ark of the covenant inside the Holy of Holies. But 750 00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:16,359 S2: what really made the olive tree the most useful of 751 00:42:16,360 --> 00:42:19,879 S2: trees was its fruit, especially its oil. Olive oil was 752 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:23,040 S2: used in lamps to provide light. It was used for cooking. 753 00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:26,560 S2: It was used medicinally. It was mixed with sacrifices and 754 00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:29,600 S2: poured on the heads of priests and kings to set 755 00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:33,040 S2: them apart for their God given responsibilities. In fact, it's 756 00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:35,640 S2: hard to imagine how daily life in Israel could have 757 00:42:35,640 --> 00:42:39,280 S2: functioned without olive oil. But while olive oil was essential 758 00:42:39,280 --> 00:42:41,839 S2: for life, obtaining that oil from the fruit was a 759 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:45,160 S2: labor intensive activity. The olives, as well as the seeds, 760 00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:48,200 S2: had to be crushed to begin releasing the oil, and 761 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:50,760 S2: that mashed pulp had to be pressed to force all 762 00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:53,520 S2: the oil out of the olives so it could be collected. 763 00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:56,319 S2: The pure oil from the first pressing was used in 764 00:42:56,360 --> 00:43:00,560 S2: the temple and for ceremonial and medicinal purposes. Later pressings 765 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:03,800 S2: were used for cooking and eventually as fuel for olive 766 00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:07,299 S2: oil lamps. Olive oil was essential for life. But what 767 00:43:07,300 --> 00:43:08,900 S2: does that have to do with the rebuilding of the 768 00:43:08,900 --> 00:43:13,460 S2: temple following the Babylonian captivity? The prophet Zechariah provides the 769 00:43:13,460 --> 00:43:16,940 S2: answer in the fifth of his eight night visions, beginning 770 00:43:16,940 --> 00:43:19,580 S2: in chapter four. He describes what we might call a 771 00:43:19,580 --> 00:43:24,380 S2: perpetual motion machine, a device capable of operating indefinitely. Let's 772 00:43:24,380 --> 00:43:28,220 S2: look at his vision rather carefully. An angel showed Zechariah 773 00:43:28,260 --> 00:43:30,940 S2: a lampstand, all of gold, similar to the kind of 774 00:43:30,940 --> 00:43:34,060 S2: lampstand that was inside the temple, to provide light for 775 00:43:34,060 --> 00:43:36,620 S2: the priests. But while the lampstand in the temple had 776 00:43:36,620 --> 00:43:40,020 S2: to be continually tended to make sure each individual lamp 777 00:43:40,020 --> 00:43:42,860 S2: on the stand was filled with olive oil, the lampstand 778 00:43:42,900 --> 00:43:46,140 S2: Zechariah saw was far different. Each of the seven lamps 779 00:43:46,140 --> 00:43:49,180 S2: on this lampstand had a channel that brought olive oil 780 00:43:49,180 --> 00:43:54,020 S2: directly from a large reservoir, situated just above the lampstand. 781 00:43:54,060 --> 00:43:57,660 S2: The individual lamps remained filled and burning because they received 782 00:43:57,660 --> 00:44:00,739 S2: this continuous supply of olive oil. But how did the 783 00:44:00,739 --> 00:44:03,890 S2: olive oil get into the reservoir On each side of 784 00:44:03,890 --> 00:44:06,770 S2: the reservoir stood two olive trees, one on the right 785 00:44:06,810 --> 00:44:08,969 S2: of the bull and the other on its left. The 786 00:44:08,969 --> 00:44:13,010 S2: reservoir remained filled because these olive trees continually provided olive 787 00:44:13,010 --> 00:44:15,930 S2: oil to keep it filled. The lamp that Zechariah saw 788 00:44:15,930 --> 00:44:18,649 S2: in his vision could never be extinguished because it would 789 00:44:18,650 --> 00:44:21,450 S2: never run out of fuel. But as with any vision, 790 00:44:21,450 --> 00:44:23,450 S2: we need to ask what the point is that God 791 00:44:23,450 --> 00:44:25,770 S2: was trying to make, and we don't have to wait 792 00:44:25,770 --> 00:44:28,450 S2: long to find out, because in verse six, the angel 793 00:44:28,450 --> 00:44:32,530 S2: gives the interpretation this is God's message of hope to Zerubbabel, 794 00:44:32,570 --> 00:44:35,330 S2: the discouraged leader trying to get the nation to rebuild 795 00:44:35,330 --> 00:44:39,010 S2: the temple. And what is God's message? Not by might, 796 00:44:39,050 --> 00:44:41,890 S2: nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord 797 00:44:41,890 --> 00:44:45,569 S2: of hosts. God's message is that he will supply Zerubbabel 798 00:44:45,570 --> 00:44:48,330 S2: with what he needs to finish the job. God had 799 00:44:48,330 --> 00:44:49,690 S2: called him to do it, and God was going to 800 00:44:49,730 --> 00:44:53,489 S2: finish that work. As Zechariah makes clear in verse nine, 801 00:44:53,530 --> 00:44:55,890 S2: the hands of Zerubbabel that have laid the foundation of 802 00:44:55,890 --> 00:44:58,890 S2: this house, his hands will finish it. It's as if 803 00:44:58,890 --> 00:45:02,520 S2: God is saying, Zerubbabel, the path might seem too steep, 804 00:45:02,520 --> 00:45:05,960 S2: the obstacles too great and the opposition too fierce. But 805 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:09,360 S2: my power will see you through to the end. According 806 00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:12,200 S2: to the text, God gave this promise to Zerubbabel on 807 00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:17,240 S2: February 15th five, 19 BC, just as that continuous supply 808 00:45:17,239 --> 00:45:20,080 S2: of olive oil would keep the lamp from ever going out, 809 00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:23,759 S2: so God's Holy Spirit would continually supply Zerubbabel with the 810 00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:26,960 S2: strength to complete the work God had called him to do. 811 00:45:27,440 --> 00:45:30,680 S2: God promised that Zerubbabel would indeed see the final stone 812 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:34,120 S2: set in place with shouts of grace, grace to it, 813 00:45:34,360 --> 00:45:37,960 S2: and God delivered on that promise. Ezra 615 says the 814 00:45:37,960 --> 00:45:42,320 S2: temple was completed on March 12th, five, 16 BC, three 815 00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:46,160 S2: years and one month after God gave Zerubbabel this promise. 816 00:45:46,480 --> 00:45:48,759 S2: So what lessons can we learn from this vision of 817 00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:52,480 S2: a perpetually burning lampstand, powered by a never ending supply 818 00:45:52,480 --> 00:45:56,200 S2: of heavenly olive oil? Perhaps it's this when God calls 819 00:45:56,200 --> 00:45:58,960 S2: on us to do something for him, he also gives 820 00:45:58,960 --> 00:46:01,990 S2: us the strength to see us through, and that strength 821 00:46:01,989 --> 00:46:05,109 S2: comes through the never ending supply of power from his 822 00:46:05,150 --> 00:46:08,270 S2: indwelling Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul said it this way 823 00:46:08,270 --> 00:46:11,469 S2: in Philippians 413 I can do all things through him 824 00:46:11,469 --> 00:46:14,390 S2: who strengthens me. And we know this is true because 825 00:46:14,390 --> 00:46:17,710 S2: as God said to Zerubbabel, it's not by might, nor 826 00:46:17,710 --> 00:46:21,589 S2: by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 827 00:46:21,910 --> 00:46:23,630 S1: Thank you Charlie. I don't think I'll ever look at 828 00:46:23,630 --> 00:46:26,790 S1: olives the same again. Hey, if you've not been to 829 00:46:26,790 --> 00:46:29,270 S1: our website lately, we encourage you to pay a visit. 830 00:46:29,310 --> 00:46:32,469 S1: You'll find us at the land and the book. And 831 00:46:32,469 --> 00:46:34,910 S1: if you've got a Bible question for Gerald Peterman, email 832 00:46:34,910 --> 00:46:39,990 S1: us at. The land and the book. At the land 833 00:46:39,989 --> 00:46:44,390 S1: and the book at Moody. The clock says we got 834 00:46:44,390 --> 00:46:46,509 S1: to go, but not before saying thank you to our host, 835 00:46:46,510 --> 00:46:49,989 S1: Charlie Dyer, our producer, Dan Anderson. I'm John Gager and 836 00:46:49,989 --> 00:46:52,629 S1: the land and the book is a production of Moody Radio, 837 00:46:52,710 --> 00:46:54,870 S1: a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.