WEBVTT - Israel — the Miracle 0:00:07.980 --> 0:00:13.229 No Place in the world embodies both historical and prophetic significance. 0:00:13.230 --> 0:00:16.080 Like the Land of Israel and as the land of 0:00:16.079 --> 0:00:20.340 the Bible, no place is more significant to Jews and Christians. 0:00:20.370 --> 0:00:22.740 This week we're going to explore a unique book with 0:00:22.739 --> 0:00:27.360 contributions from many believers, all pointing to Israel the Miracle. 0:00:27.360 --> 0:00:29.790 And our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, takes us to Psalm 0:00:29.790 --> 0:00:32.940 122 for a devotional I think you're going to love. 0:00:32.940 --> 0:00:35.850 Welcome to the land and the book. As I say, 0:00:35.850 --> 0:00:39.209 our host is Doctor Charlie Dyer. Glad you've connected today. 0:00:39.210 --> 0:00:42.269 I'm John Geiger, and you know, Charlie, people wonder, how 0:00:42.270 --> 0:00:44.850 do you share the gospel with a Jewish person because 0:00:44.850 --> 0:00:48.540 of cultural, historical, and religious differences? Sometimes it can be 0:00:48.540 --> 0:00:51.600 challenging to navigate a gospel conversation with somebody from a 0:00:51.600 --> 0:00:55.770 Jewish background. You ever wondered, though, how the professionals do it? 0:00:55.770 --> 0:00:58.020 That's right, John, and to answer that question, our friends 0:00:58.020 --> 0:01:00.480 at Life in Messiah want to mail you samples of 0:01:00.480 --> 0:01:03.720 the tracks their staff use as they share the gospel. 0:01:03.870 --> 0:01:06.300 This will serve a dual purpose of equipping you with 0:01:06.300 --> 0:01:09.660 methods of presenting the gospel, and also supplying you with 0:01:09.660 --> 0:01:12.720 tracks you can share with your Jewish friends and neighbors. 0:01:12.720 --> 0:01:15.809 Life in Messiah's Prayer is that these tracks will help 0:01:15.810 --> 0:01:19.200 further the spread of the gospel among the Jewish people. Now, 0:01:19.200 --> 0:01:21.870 to receive this helpful assortment of tracks, all you need 0:01:21.870 --> 0:01:25.050 to do is visit Life in Messiah org and click 0:01:25.050 --> 0:01:28.260 on the Moody Radio button for more information. That's Life 0:01:28.260 --> 0:01:32.850 in messiah.org. Now don't miss out on this great opportunity, and. 0:01:32.850 --> 0:01:35.430 Let's swing our focus now toward current events, beginning with 0:01:35.430 --> 0:01:37.890 a look at the current war going on between Hamas 0:01:37.890 --> 0:01:40.530 and Israel. One of the main headlines. There has been 0:01:40.530 --> 0:01:44.190 a fire in Rafah, and there's certainly some confusion there. 0:01:44.190 --> 0:01:45.630 What do we need to know, Charlie? 0:01:45.630 --> 0:01:47.790 You know, John, all I kept thinking is I read 0:01:47.790 --> 0:01:50.490 these stories. Is the quote attributed to Mark Twain. It 0:01:50.490 --> 0:01:52.950 said a lie can travel halfway around the world while 0:01:52.950 --> 0:01:55.170 the truth is putting on its shoes. And we're not 0:01:55.170 --> 0:01:58.290 even sure Mark Twain said that, uh, Jonathan Swift actually 0:01:58.290 --> 0:02:01.020 said it first. He said falsehood flies and the truth 0:02:01.020 --> 0:02:04.440 comes limping after it. And that's the best description of this. 0:02:04.440 --> 0:02:07.620 You know, the incident, 45 people killed in Rafah. And 0:02:07.620 --> 0:02:10.560 if you read the headlines, it sounds like Israel indiscriminately 0:02:10.560 --> 0:02:13.320 dropped a bomb on a group of tents that caught 0:02:13.320 --> 0:02:16.980 fire that spread through the camp. The reality is that 0:02:16.980 --> 0:02:20.700 Israel attacked two Hamas operatives that were hundreds of feet 0:02:20.700 --> 0:02:23.700 from the nearest tents, almost a mile from the location 0:02:23.700 --> 0:02:26.760 of the actual fire. Apparently, the site that they bombed 0:02:26.760 --> 0:02:30.989 also contained munitions being stored by Hamas that caused secondary 0:02:30.990 --> 0:02:34.920 explosions sent flaming shrapnel flying. Some of that hit a 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:38.520 gas canister in the shelter area, causing it to explode. 0:02:38.520 --> 0:02:41.429 Not to me. The question should be why was Hamas 0:02:41.430 --> 0:02:45.450 storing weapons and ammunition near the refugee shelter? And why 0:02:45.450 --> 0:02:49.110 did the press accept Hamas's version without taking time to 0:02:49.110 --> 0:02:52.020 verify what had actually happened? It was a sad and 0:02:52.020 --> 0:02:56.850 tragic event, but the reality is that Israel was attacking Hamas. 0:02:56.910 --> 0:02:59.669 It was the weapons store by Hamas that ultimately caused 0:02:59.669 --> 0:03:00.690 all of the damage. 0:03:00.690 --> 0:03:03.000 Any other summary statement you'd make about the war and 0:03:03.000 --> 0:03:05.250 its progress, its impact in that region? 0:03:05.250 --> 0:03:08.730 Yeah. Israel is fighting on two fronts. They're fighting against Hamas, 0:03:08.730 --> 0:03:11.970 and they're making progress heading through Rafah. But they're also 0:03:11.970 --> 0:03:14.430 fighting the world press. And the world press. And the 0:03:14.430 --> 0:03:18.060 other countries of the world are stacked against Israel. And 0:03:18.060 --> 0:03:20.430 that's a major battle. And Israel is not being as 0:03:20.430 --> 0:03:21.480 successful there. 0:03:21.480 --> 0:03:25.470 Story number two, from Palestinian President Abbas to some modern 0:03:25.470 --> 0:03:29.820 day false messiahs, claims are being made that Ashkenazi Jews 0:03:29.820 --> 0:03:33.180 aren't really Jewish. What's the basis for these claims? How 0:03:33.180 --> 0:03:35.700 valid are they and what are the implications? 0:03:35.700 --> 0:03:38.340 Yeah, at first you hear these statements. They sound bizarre 0:03:38.340 --> 0:03:40.440 and they really are. But if you repeat them often, 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:42.960 enough people start to believe them. And that's what's happening 0:03:42.960 --> 0:03:46.260 with this claim. The claim is that Ashkenazi or European 0:03:46.260 --> 0:03:50.070 Jews have no genetic relationship to Jewish antiquity. In the 0:03:50.070 --> 0:03:52.800 Land of Israel, they would say that they were Khazars 0:03:52.800 --> 0:03:56.070 from the Caucasus region who converted to Judaism in the 0:03:56.070 --> 0:03:59.400 early Middle Ages. A genetic study that was done in 0:03:59.400 --> 0:04:02.760 2012 is often cited as proof for this. Now, the 0:04:02.760 --> 0:04:05.820 problem is that most of us know very little about DNA, 0:04:05.820 --> 0:04:08.340 though we assume it must be true. You know, DNA 0:04:08.340 --> 0:04:11.400 matches are what police use to connect evidence with suspects, 0:04:11.400 --> 0:04:14.550 but the reality in this case is more complex. There 0:04:14.550 --> 0:04:18.060 is no group of Khazars today to which Ashkenazi DNA 0:04:18.060 --> 0:04:21.510 can be compared. So the author of that 2012 study 0:04:21.510 --> 0:04:25.260 compared the genetic signature of Ashkenazi Jews with those of 0:04:25.260 --> 0:04:28.380 modern day Armenians and Georgians, which he used as a 0:04:28.380 --> 0:04:31.800 stand in for the Khazars. But other geneticists described that 0:04:31.800 --> 0:04:35.760 as an unrealistic premise because Armenians have also, well, they 0:04:35.760 --> 0:04:37.740 have Middle Eastern roots as well, which is why they 0:04:37.740 --> 0:04:41.400 appear to be genetically similar. An international group of 30 0:04:41.400 --> 0:04:46.200 geneticists wrote to debunk that theory. By using sophisticated molecular tools, 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:50.370 they found that Jews worldwide are genetically homogeneous no matter 0:04:50.370 --> 0:04:53.219 where they live. Those scientists say the Jews are genetically 0:04:53.220 --> 0:04:56.880 more similar to each other than to their non-Jewish neighbors, 0:04:56.880 --> 0:05:00.060 and that they share a middle eastern ancestry. And that 0:05:00.060 --> 0:05:03.089 leads to the second major point here. Ashkenazi Jews account 0:05:03.089 --> 0:05:05.760 for just under half of all Jews. The others are 0:05:05.760 --> 0:05:09.690 Sephardic Jews. Came from Spain and Portugal. Mizrachi Jews from 0:05:09.690 --> 0:05:12.240 the Middle East, and those arguing that the Jews have 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:14.849 no connection to the land. Tend to leave out those 0:05:14.850 --> 0:05:16.560 Jews who make up more than half of all the 0:05:16.560 --> 0:05:20.280 Jewish population. So what are the implications of all this? Well, 0:05:20.279 --> 0:05:23.460 many who claim the Ashkenazi Jews aren't really Jewish. Well, 0:05:23.460 --> 0:05:26.400 they're doing so to try to deny their historical connection 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:28.830 to the land of Israel. But if they are Jewish, 0:05:28.830 --> 0:05:32.250 they do have that connection. And one final detail, how 0:05:32.250 --> 0:05:34.470 do we account for some traces of other DNA in 0:05:34.470 --> 0:05:37.050 these studies? Well, actually, the answer is kind of easy. 0:05:37.080 --> 0:05:39.900 You think back through Israel's history, Rahab was a Canaanite 0:05:39.900 --> 0:05:42.840 who came into the people of Israel. Uh, Ruth was 0:05:42.839 --> 0:05:45.330 a moabitess who ended up not only in Israel, but 0:05:45.330 --> 0:05:48.060 in the line of David and Jesus. Uh, the argument 0:05:48.060 --> 0:05:52.110 that Jews, especially Ashkenazi Jews, aren't really Jewish. It's just false. 0:05:52.110 --> 0:05:54.690 It's dangerous, and it needs to be debunked. 0:05:54.870 --> 0:05:59.880 An Iranian lawmaker said Iran now possesses nuclear weapons. Is 0:05:59.880 --> 0:06:03.420 his statement true? It also leads to a second question 0:06:03.420 --> 0:06:07.050 how serious of a threat is Iran's nuclear program? 0:06:07.050 --> 0:06:10.380 Iran probably doesn't yet have nuclear weapons, in spite of 0:06:10.380 --> 0:06:13.529 what that member of parliament claimed. It seems suspicious that 0:06:13.529 --> 0:06:16.410 a regular parliament member, you know, rather than someone representing 0:06:16.410 --> 0:06:19.950 the ayatollah or the military, is the one making that claim. 0:06:19.950 --> 0:06:22.890 But it's virtually certain that Iran is working to develop 0:06:22.890 --> 0:06:25.950 nuclear weapons and the means to put them on missiles, 0:06:25.950 --> 0:06:28.830 and they're close to having a sufficient supply of enriched 0:06:28.830 --> 0:06:32.640 uranium to take the final step. The International Atomic Energy 0:06:32.640 --> 0:06:37.830 Agency estimates that Iran currently has sufficient uranium enriched to 60% 0:06:37.830 --> 0:06:40.800 purity to take the next small step, and it would 0:06:40.800 --> 0:06:43.680 give them enough to make three nuclear bombs. The real 0:06:43.680 --> 0:06:46.080 question is, what would Iran do with nuclear weapons if 0:06:46.080 --> 0:06:48.810 they were to possess them? Now, some believe even if 0:06:48.810 --> 0:06:50.610 Iran were to possess them, it wouldn't be a major 0:06:50.610 --> 0:06:54.180 problem since no rational leader would ever use them. The 0:06:54.180 --> 0:06:57.600 inevitable retaliation would destroy the country. But the flaw in 0:06:57.600 --> 0:07:01.530 that argument is that Iran's leaders are motivated by religious beliefs, 0:07:01.529 --> 0:07:05.010 and they don't necessarily operate by the same rules of logic. 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:08.520 Iran's eschatology, its understanding of the future, is that there 0:07:08.520 --> 0:07:11.820 is going to be a worldwide conflagration preceding the arrival 0:07:11.820 --> 0:07:14.880 of the Mahdi, their Messiah. And that final war includes 0:07:14.880 --> 0:07:18.000 the destruction of the Jews. If the Ayatollah had nuclear 0:07:18.000 --> 0:07:21.270 weapons and was convinced God had selected him to hasten 0:07:21.270 --> 0:07:24.600 the arrival of the Mahdi, what might seem totally illogical 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:28.230 to us could seem perfectly rational to him. Uh, European 0:07:28.230 --> 0:07:31.320 powers have wanted to present a resolution against Iran at 0:07:31.320 --> 0:07:34.560 the next IAEA meeting. But it's actually interesting. The United 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:37.679 States is the one opposing. Our leaders really need to 0:07:37.680 --> 0:07:40.350 pay close attention to what Iran is doing, or they 0:07:40.350 --> 0:07:42.660 could be faced with a major problem down the road 0:07:42.660 --> 0:07:43.650 from Moody Radio. 0:07:43.650 --> 0:07:45.570 This is the land and the book where we're looking 0:07:45.570 --> 0:07:48.180 at current events from the week based in the Middle East. 0:07:48.180 --> 0:07:52.380 Proverbs 2120 says the wise store up choice food and 0:07:52.380 --> 0:07:56.550 olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down. Well, Israel has 0:07:56.550 --> 0:07:59.010 been taking this to heart with a program to store 0:07:59.010 --> 0:08:02.790 energy reserves in a secret location in the Negev. What's 0:08:02.790 --> 0:08:05.520 behind this program? To store up energy reserves? 0:08:05.520 --> 0:08:07.920 Yeah. Let me start by talking about our own strategic 0:08:07.920 --> 0:08:11.370 petroleum reserve. You know, we have had that since 1973. 0:08:11.370 --> 0:08:14.910 Back in the original energy crisis in 2009, we had 0:08:14.910 --> 0:08:19.200 727 million barrels of oil stored in that reserve. Now, 0:08:19.200 --> 0:08:22.030 that sounds like a lot, except we currently use 20 0:08:22.030 --> 0:08:24.570 million barrels of oil a day, so to speak. We'd 0:08:24.570 --> 0:08:27.270 stored up enough oil to keep our country running at 0:08:27.270 --> 0:08:32.160 full steam for 36 days. Unfortunately, since 2020, we've drawn 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:34.949 down our reserves to a 40 year low of about 0:08:34.950 --> 0:08:39.120 350 million barrels, just enough for 17 days. Now, Israel 0:08:39.120 --> 0:08:41.969 needs less oil, but they're also far more dependent on 0:08:41.970 --> 0:08:45.480 outside supplies. As a result, they've developed and filled a 0:08:45.480 --> 0:08:48.450 secret underground fuel reserve in the Negev. That's one of 0:08:48.450 --> 0:08:51.510 the largest such facilities in the Middle East. It's capable 0:08:51.510 --> 0:08:53.819 of providing fuel to any part of the country within 0:08:53.820 --> 0:08:56.910 a few hours, should it be needed. Israel assumes that 0:08:56.910 --> 0:09:00.030 in any war with Hezbollah, their offshore gas fields would 0:09:00.030 --> 0:09:02.640 be shut down and all electrical plants would need to 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:05.099 switch back to coal and oil. And much of that 0:09:05.100 --> 0:09:07.679 oil in this secret reserve would be used to supply 0:09:07.679 --> 0:09:10.620 the country with electricity. It would also be used to 0:09:10.620 --> 0:09:13.500 provide fuel for the Army and for other infrastructure like 0:09:13.500 --> 0:09:17.280 airports and fuel stations. So Israel's continuing to store up 0:09:17.280 --> 0:09:20.580 energy reserves to be as prepared as possible to face 0:09:20.580 --> 0:09:22.800 any threat that may come their way. And I think 0:09:22.800 --> 0:09:25.740 Solomon would commend them for being very wise for doing so. 0:09:25.740 --> 0:09:28.620 And unlike the US, they don't draw down their supplies 0:09:28.620 --> 0:09:31.980 for political reasons like trying to lower the price of gasoline, 0:09:31.980 --> 0:09:36.209 which in Israel right now is just under $8 a gallon. Wow. 0:09:36.210 --> 0:09:40.470 An Israeli university and a rehab hospital have partnered together 0:09:40.470 --> 0:09:45.720 to develop new technologies to improve post-stroke rehabilitation. Tell us 0:09:45.720 --> 0:09:48.510 about these developments coming out of Amazing Israel. 0:09:48.510 --> 0:09:50.700 Yeah, my mom suffered two strokes toward the end of 0:09:50.700 --> 0:09:53.280 her life. So this story really had significance to me. 0:09:53.400 --> 0:09:57.480 Those who worked to help stroke victims recover are simply amazing. Unfortunately, 0:09:57.480 --> 0:10:00.150 facilities and techniques look pretty much the same today as 0:10:00.150 --> 0:10:02.670 they did 50 years ago, and as a result, the 0:10:02.670 --> 0:10:05.670 recovery rates stayed about the same. Now, what intrigued these 0:10:05.670 --> 0:10:09.340 researchers is. Post-stroke recovery is so much faster in animals. 0:10:09.340 --> 0:10:12.069 A monkeys, for example, regained full use of their limbs 0:10:12.070 --> 0:10:15.339 after only a few weeks, so combining observations like these 0:10:15.340 --> 0:10:19.150 with the latest technology led them to some significant discoveries. 0:10:19.150 --> 0:10:22.690 They found that just 40 extra hours of post-stroke treatment 0:10:22.690 --> 0:10:26.530 can improve upper limb function. Unfortunately, hospitals tend not to 0:10:26.530 --> 0:10:30.010 have enough physical and occupational therapies to deliver the hours, 0:10:30.010 --> 0:10:33.970 so these researchers have now developed technologies to help deliver 0:10:33.970 --> 0:10:39.760 additional treatment. They're using highly engaging computer simulations to help 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:44.380 increase repetition and intensity. There's no one magic bullet that 0:10:44.380 --> 0:10:47.080 can help someone who's had a stroke resume a normal life. 0:10:47.080 --> 0:10:50.920 But these researchers and amazing Israel are pioneering new care 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:53.770 protocols that will help those who've had a stroke recover 0:10:53.770 --> 0:10:55.150 more completely. 0:10:55.420 --> 0:10:58.840 Thank you Charlie. And because you love Israel and the 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:01.569 Jewish people, you should probably know just a bit more 0:11:01.570 --> 0:11:06.010 about Moody Bible Institute's Jewish Studies. Major Doctor Michael Redlich 0:11:06.010 --> 0:11:09.250 joins the conversation now, and he guides this exciting program 0:11:09.250 --> 0:11:12.190 at Moody. Michael, where does the major take students biblically 0:11:12.190 --> 0:11:13.420 and scholastically? 0:11:13.420 --> 0:11:17.200 Well, we help our students understand God's plan for the 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:20.740 Jewish people and for Israel. We help them understand the 0:11:20.740 --> 0:11:26.590 covenants and also the history and destiny of the Jewish people. 0:11:26.590 --> 0:11:29.020 So what are some experiences that would be unique to 0:11:29.020 --> 0:11:31.630 the Jewish Studies major at Moody Bible Institute? 0:11:31.630 --> 0:11:34.540 Well, many of our students study in Israel. Many of 0:11:34.540 --> 0:11:37.750 them do their internships in Israel. Also, they get to 0:11:37.750 --> 0:11:41.260 engage in cross-cultural ministry right here in the United States. 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:45.459 I always consider Jewish people to be the most unreached 0:11:45.460 --> 0:11:46.900 people right in our midst. 0:11:47.080 --> 0:11:50.170 Parents and prospective students might be wondering, what about after 0:11:50.170 --> 0:11:53.020 I graduate? What does a Jewish Studies major from Moody 0:11:53.020 --> 0:11:54.220 prepare me to do? 0:11:54.220 --> 0:11:58.209 Obviously, it prepares you for Jewish ministry, whether vocationally or 0:11:58.210 --> 0:12:02.080 by vocationally. You know, we have some students that serve 0:12:02.080 --> 0:12:06.310 with Jewish organizations, if you can believe it, uh, non-believing 0:12:06.309 --> 0:12:08.950 Jewish organizations, they serve there and they have a testimony 0:12:08.950 --> 0:12:11.439 in those kinds of settings. Uh, we have others that 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:15.340 have served, actually, for the Israeli consulate. So there's a 0:12:15.340 --> 0:12:19.209 wide opportunity for people to show their concern and their 0:12:19.210 --> 0:12:20.470 care for the Jewish people. 0:12:20.470 --> 0:12:23.319 And a listener could learn more about the Jewish studies major, how. 0:12:23.320 --> 0:12:25.720 Just go to moody.edu. 0:12:25.720 --> 0:12:28.630 And click on the Jewish Studies program. It has all 0:12:28.630 --> 0:12:32.140 sorts of information for you there. So go to moody.edu. 0:12:32.170 --> 0:12:34.479 That's Michael Riedel with a bit more about the Jewish 0:12:34.480 --> 0:12:52.220 Studies major on the land and the book. No Place 0:12:52.220 --> 0:12:56.540 in the world embodies both historical and prophetic significance as 0:12:56.540 --> 0:12:58.940 the Land of Israel, as the land of the Bible, 0:12:58.940 --> 0:13:02.900 no place is more significance to Jews and Christians. What 0:13:02.900 --> 0:13:05.600 if there was a book, though, that somehow compiled the 0:13:05.600 --> 0:13:08.690 thoughts of many, many Christians about the significance of the 0:13:08.690 --> 0:13:13.099 land of Israel? All between two covers with spectacular photos? Well, 0:13:13.100 --> 0:13:15.260 that's what we're about to talk about here on the 0:13:15.260 --> 0:13:18.590 land and the book Israel the Miracle. I'm John Gager. 0:13:18.590 --> 0:13:21.950 Our guest is Jonathan Feldstein, and he is the president 0:13:21.950 --> 0:13:26.780 of the Genesis 123 Foundation, building bridges between Jews and 0:13:26.780 --> 0:13:30.439 Christians in ways that are new, unique, and meaningful. Welcome 0:13:30.440 --> 0:13:31.340 to the land in the book. 0:13:31.340 --> 0:13:33.050 Wow, what a delight. And you know what? I love 0:13:33.050 --> 0:13:35.810 that setup because you talked about it being between the 0:13:35.809 --> 0:13:38.480 covers of a book and talking about the land. And 0:13:38.480 --> 0:13:40.700 here I am on the land in the book. I mean, wow, 0:13:40.700 --> 0:13:41.450 this is powerful. 0:13:41.450 --> 0:13:44.000 Thank you. Well, talk about this issue, first of building 0:13:44.000 --> 0:13:48.020 bridges between Jews and Christians. What does that look like? Practically? Sure. 0:13:48.020 --> 0:13:51.740 So what it means, first of all, is relationships, not 0:13:51.740 --> 0:13:55.010 transactional experiences. There are a lot of people who are 0:13:55.010 --> 0:13:58.760 looking for transactional relationships. I knew early on in my 0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:01.490 calling to be a bridge between Jews and Christians that 0:14:01.490 --> 0:14:05.420 it can't be about monetizing relationships, but in fact building deep, 0:14:05.420 --> 0:14:10.160 lasting relationships. So we do things that are involving prayer 0:14:10.160 --> 0:14:13.700 and blessing Israel, but also even because the name of 0:14:13.700 --> 0:14:18.200 the organization, Genesis 123 comes from Genesis 12 three, most 0:14:18.200 --> 0:14:21.050 people remember, I will bless those who bless you. I 0:14:21.050 --> 0:14:23.239 will curse those who curse you. Most people don't pay 0:14:23.240 --> 0:14:26.570 attention to the third third of that verse, which is, 0:14:26.570 --> 0:14:28.910 the families of the world will be blessed through you. 0:14:28.910 --> 0:14:31.700 And we don't have time now. But I do that, 0:14:31.700 --> 0:14:33.590 and we do that in so many ways. So if 0:14:33.590 --> 0:14:37.250 you remember back in the US in 22, there was 0:14:37.250 --> 0:14:40.550 a shortage of baby formula. I didn't have that shortage 0:14:40.550 --> 0:14:43.460 going on in Israel. And my trip in June of 22, 0:14:43.460 --> 0:14:47.210 I brought £200 of baby formula to two churches in 0:14:47.210 --> 0:14:49.880 Texas with Hebrew writing on it, and gave it out 0:14:49.880 --> 0:14:52.250 to families there for us to be a blessing because 0:14:52.250 --> 0:14:54.650 we could. So that's what we embody, to try to 0:14:54.650 --> 0:14:57.140 do things that are different out of the box and 0:14:57.140 --> 0:14:58.460 much more than transactional. 0:14:58.460 --> 0:15:00.920 How was that received? I mean, different people from different 0:15:00.920 --> 0:15:03.979 perspectives on life. Are they at all suspicious? Do they? 0:15:03.980 --> 0:15:06.740 Are they warmly welcoming? What's your reaction? 0:15:06.740 --> 0:15:10.490 They're warmly welcoming of the sentiment. They're warmly welcoming that 0:15:10.490 --> 0:15:12.920 I am a foil to many people who simply just 0:15:12.920 --> 0:15:16.070 want people to write a check or swipe their credit card, 0:15:16.070 --> 0:15:18.830 or something of that nature to take an offering. Those 0:15:18.830 --> 0:15:21.680 are important things, and that's a solid way to bless Israel. 0:15:21.680 --> 0:15:24.140 But it's not the only way. When I brought the 0:15:24.140 --> 0:15:27.650 baby formula to Texas, just as a continuation of that example, 0:15:27.650 --> 0:15:29.990 the person who was my host said no. All the 0:15:29.990 --> 0:15:32.420 times that she has hosted guests from Israel, no one 0:15:32.420 --> 0:15:36.650 ever came bearing gifts for people in America. That's pretty powerful. 0:15:36.650 --> 0:15:40.520 So it's very, very well received, and it's refreshing because 0:15:40.520 --> 0:15:43.430 the other side of it is, as an Orthodox Jew, 0:15:43.430 --> 0:15:47.690 I have also a responsibility to help Jews understand that, yes, 0:15:47.690 --> 0:15:50.780 some Christians have different agendas, and we can speak about 0:15:50.780 --> 0:15:54.470 that openly but genuinely. Christian love and support for Israel 0:15:54.470 --> 0:15:57.740 and the Jewish people is pure. And my Jewish friends 0:15:57.740 --> 0:16:00.800 who don't understand that or are suspicious of it. It's 0:16:00.800 --> 0:16:03.230 also my job to make sure that Jews understand, no, 0:16:03.230 --> 0:16:05.810 we're in a we're in a really historic period, and 0:16:05.810 --> 0:16:07.250 we need to embrace that back. 0:16:07.250 --> 0:16:08.870 We're going to get to this book, I assure you, 0:16:08.870 --> 0:16:10.070 in a minute. But I want to talk for just 0:16:10.070 --> 0:16:13.550 a little bit more about this misunderstanding. You know, I, 0:16:13.550 --> 0:16:15.170 I came to a quote when I was down at 0:16:15.170 --> 0:16:19.370 the Everlasting Nation Museum in Chattanooga from Adolf Hitler. That 0:16:19.370 --> 0:16:23.540 absolutely blew me away. Obviously, nobody argues how evil he was. 0:16:23.540 --> 0:16:25.910 But listen, this is an actual quote from Mein Kampf. 0:16:25.910 --> 0:16:28.430 He says, I am now convinced that I am acting 0:16:28.430 --> 0:16:31.880 as an agent of our creator by fighting off the Jews. 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:35.660 I am doing the Lord's work. Well, no wonder there 0:16:35.660 --> 0:16:38.420 are Jewish people who are suspicious of Christians. You know, 0:16:38.420 --> 0:16:40.340 these are the things again though, that I have had 0:16:40.340 --> 0:16:41.870 to learn in my ignorance. 0:16:41.870 --> 0:16:44.780 And where are people who who celebrate our history? Every 0:16:44.780 --> 0:16:47.510 year we celebrate again the exodus from Egypt as if 0:16:47.510 --> 0:16:51.140 we were there and part of that experience. And so, 0:16:51.170 --> 0:16:54.170 of course, we're going to remember persecution of the church 0:16:54.170 --> 0:16:57.680 from 1000 years ago or from 500 years ago, or 0:16:57.680 --> 0:17:02.870 from Hitler, who obscenely adopted theology into his hateful, uh, positions. 0:17:02.870 --> 0:17:07.729 Jonathan Feldstein is president of Genesis 123, uh, building bridges 0:17:07.730 --> 0:17:09.950 between Jews and Christians. It's an honor to have him 0:17:09.950 --> 0:17:12.530 on the land. And the book. Let's talk about the 0:17:12.530 --> 0:17:15.890 book that you brought, small B it's not the Bible Israel, 0:17:15.890 --> 0:17:19.310 the miracle encounters with the land and people God loves. 0:17:19.430 --> 0:17:23.510 Describe this gorgeous book and what's between the two covers. 0:17:23.510 --> 0:17:28.100 So God gave me this vision in October of 2022, 0:17:28.100 --> 0:17:30.590 and I had been speaking with the publisher, Higher Life 0:17:30.590 --> 0:17:34.100 Christian Publisher out of Orlando, about a different book entirely. 0:17:34.100 --> 0:17:36.379 And I sent an email to David and I said, hey, 0:17:36.380 --> 0:17:38.660 what do you think about the idea of putting together 0:17:38.660 --> 0:17:42.980 a book of 75 essays by Christian leaders from all 0:17:42.980 --> 0:17:46.699 over the world, writing Why Israel's Significant in celebration of 0:17:46.700 --> 0:17:51.139 Israel's 75th anniversary. Now remember, this is October. Israel's 75th 0:17:51.140 --> 0:17:56.300 anniversary was the following year in 23. In May. And 0:17:56.300 --> 0:17:58.280 he said, yes, great. And he then he improved upon 0:17:58.280 --> 0:17:59.450 it and said, I don't see it as a book 0:17:59.450 --> 0:18:01.910 of texts that people will read and be inspired by 0:18:01.910 --> 0:18:04.609 and put on a shelf. But a coffee table book? Yes. 0:18:04.609 --> 0:18:07.580 And it has beautiful images. So you interact. And that's 0:18:07.580 --> 0:18:10.909 what the book is. It's an experience. So we move 0:18:10.910 --> 0:18:13.220 forward with this. And I said to you, as we 0:18:13.220 --> 0:18:16.400 were before we began recording, if, if I had known 0:18:16.400 --> 0:18:19.070 what an incredible work this would have been and how 0:18:19.070 --> 0:18:23.270 many obstacles and impediments, I probably would have run away, 0:18:23.270 --> 0:18:25.970 I probably would not have done this. It was conceived 0:18:25.970 --> 0:18:30.530 in October. It was delivered to the printer in August 0:18:30.530 --> 0:18:33.500 the following year, nine months. It came off the press 0:18:33.500 --> 0:18:36.679 in September this past year, just two weeks before the 0:18:36.680 --> 0:18:41.570 war began. And that delayed everything. But honestly, that makes 0:18:41.570 --> 0:18:43.160 the book even all the more significant. 0:18:43.160 --> 0:18:46.100 Yeah, so contributions are from names that many of our 0:18:46.100 --> 0:18:48.919 listeners will know. Kay Arthur is in this book. Anne 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:52.669 Graham Lotz, Steve Brown, the preacher with the big voice, uh, 0:18:52.670 --> 0:18:56.149 Ben Carson, uh, Joel Rosenberg, a guest many times on 0:18:56.150 --> 0:18:58.669 the land in the book, uh, Don Sweeting, son of 0:18:58.670 --> 0:19:01.760 former Moody Bible Institute president George Sweeting. Jim Showers, we've 0:19:01.760 --> 0:19:04.460 had him on the land in the book, so many 0:19:04.460 --> 0:19:06.830 and many more that you may not be familiar with 0:19:06.830 --> 0:19:10.610 all across a broad spectrum of Christianity, all contributing. Is 0:19:10.609 --> 0:19:12.560 there a single theme that you picked up on as 0:19:12.560 --> 0:19:14.060 these things all came in? 0:19:14.060 --> 0:19:17.000 Excellent question. The single theme is that there isn't a 0:19:17.000 --> 0:19:19.369 single theme. I was really afraid that every other person 0:19:19.369 --> 0:19:22.460 was going to write about blessing Israel and being blessed, 0:19:22.460 --> 0:19:24.530 or for such a time as this, or being a 0:19:24.530 --> 0:19:26.960 watchman on the wall, or praying for the peace of Jerusalem. 0:19:26.960 --> 0:19:30.110 We don't have that. There wasn't that redundancy. If you 0:19:30.109 --> 0:19:32.629 read it as I've done. I'm now one of a 0:19:32.630 --> 0:19:35.659 few people who've read the book entirely. Uh, but you 0:19:35.660 --> 0:19:38.449 see a common thread, and that thread is love, and 0:19:38.450 --> 0:19:41.060 it's not lineal because the book is published, except for 0:19:41.060 --> 0:19:45.649 Pat Robertson at the outset, alphabetically. So it's not published thematically, 0:19:45.650 --> 0:19:49.580 it's just straight alphabet. But if you pay attention and 0:19:49.580 --> 0:19:53.810 digest the words of these incredible authors and then absorb 0:19:53.810 --> 0:19:57.860 the pictures, you actually begin to see the themes, the 0:19:57.859 --> 0:20:01.190 threads that run throughout. And that's the beauty of this book, 0:20:01.190 --> 0:20:04.040 is because this is what we wanted to represent, the 0:20:04.040 --> 0:20:07.609 depth and the breadth of Christian support for Israel and 0:20:07.609 --> 0:20:09.410 the Jewish people from all over the world. 0:20:09.680 --> 0:20:11.780 What kind of a response are you getting to the book? Uh, 0:20:11.780 --> 0:20:13.760 in particular, what are people saying? 0:20:13.760 --> 0:20:16.340 Even the fact that I wasn't able to come on 0:20:16.340 --> 0:20:19.250 a press and book launch tour until now, the book came, 0:20:19.250 --> 0:20:21.859 was supposed to be in November and December because of 0:20:21.859 --> 0:20:24.199 the war and my son and serving in Gaza and 0:20:24.200 --> 0:20:26.570 my son in law serving in Gaza. So we deferred 0:20:26.570 --> 0:20:29.600 it until now to the spring. We've just now ordered 0:20:29.600 --> 0:20:33.020 our second printing. Wow. Coming from a print shop in 0:20:33.020 --> 0:20:36.260 one of the communities that was devastated by the terrorist 0:20:36.260 --> 0:20:39.379 attack on October 7th. So the proceeds go back to 0:20:39.380 --> 0:20:43.220 blessing Israel. But we're actually investing in a print shop 0:20:43.220 --> 0:20:46.730 in one of the communities that needs the rehabilitation. Um, 0:20:46.730 --> 0:20:50.270 the response has been overwhelming, and I just pray that 0:20:50.270 --> 0:20:54.170 I ordered enough copies because once conversations like this get out, 0:20:54.170 --> 0:20:56.240 it still takes a few weeks to print and then 0:20:56.240 --> 0:20:57.139 ship them over. 0:20:57.140 --> 0:21:02.060 Jonathan Feldstein is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation. You know, 0:21:02.060 --> 0:21:04.310 the timing on this, as you pointed out, is interesting 0:21:04.310 --> 0:21:07.730 with this recent war. It seems to me now more 0:21:07.730 --> 0:21:13.250 than ever, the relationships are hugely important as we see 0:21:13.250 --> 0:21:16.280 mainstream media in much of the United States sort of 0:21:16.280 --> 0:21:20.600 turning its coverage toward Israel. Uh, not very favorable. What 0:21:20.600 --> 0:21:21.830 are your concerns there, or thoughts? 0:21:21.830 --> 0:21:25.250 Their concerns is that there's not enough understanding that we need, 0:21:25.250 --> 0:21:29.720 that Christians are hard wired, by and large, to love 0:21:29.720 --> 0:21:32.150 and support Israel. And you just shared your own growing 0:21:32.150 --> 0:21:35.780 up but don't know details, don't know how to stand 0:21:35.780 --> 0:21:38.389 up and be part of blessing Israel. That's what, by 0:21:38.390 --> 0:21:40.669 the way, that's what makes this book spectacular. Because of 0:21:40.670 --> 0:21:43.550 the pictures, you can sit with a child and grandchild 0:21:43.550 --> 0:21:48.260 and educate your next generations about Israel. In 1000 words. 0:21:48.260 --> 0:21:49.940 It's not. You don't have to read a whole book 0:21:49.940 --> 0:21:53.150 of things or chapter at a time, but we need 0:21:53.150 --> 0:21:55.190 to come together more. We need to stand together more 0:21:55.190 --> 0:21:58.370 because the evil that we are currently fighting is an 0:21:58.369 --> 0:22:00.709 evil that's a common enemy of Jews and Christians. 0:22:01.070 --> 0:22:03.080 So what's your hope for people as they flip through 0:22:03.080 --> 0:22:05.720 this book? Um, they're going to get it and spend 0:22:05.720 --> 0:22:09.050 time with it because they are interested in Israel. But 0:22:09.050 --> 0:22:11.630 what do you want them to do differently? Be differently, 0:22:11.630 --> 0:22:13.490 having invested time in this book. 0:22:13.490 --> 0:22:14.959 So first of all, I want people to get the 0:22:14.960 --> 0:22:17.750 book at Israel The miracle.com. And when you check out, 0:22:17.750 --> 0:22:20.300 I'd like to give your listeners a gift from me 0:22:20.300 --> 0:22:23.689 and use the code Jonathan ten and get 10% off, 0:22:23.690 --> 0:22:26.450 because my goal is to have this in Christian hands 0:22:26.450 --> 0:22:29.330 and Christian homes, that it will be a blessing. And 0:22:29.330 --> 0:22:32.060 I say this, and I don't say it rhetorically. I 0:22:32.060 --> 0:22:34.040 believe that someone in their 50s who will buy the 0:22:34.040 --> 0:22:37.250 book now and share it with their children and grandchildren 0:22:37.250 --> 0:22:39.560 will love this and cherish this. And it's going to 0:22:39.560 --> 0:22:41.239 be a book that's going to be a centerpiece in 0:22:41.240 --> 0:22:44.600 their home. And when that person dies, this is going 0:22:44.600 --> 0:22:46.250 to be one of those heirlooms that people are going 0:22:46.250 --> 0:22:50.689 to differ about who gets to own afterward. And. Because 0:22:50.690 --> 0:22:51.230 it's that you say. 0:22:51.230 --> 0:22:52.670 You want to cause a fight, Jonathan. 0:22:52.880 --> 0:22:54.949 Know. Then buy, then buy, then buy copies for all 0:22:54.950 --> 0:22:55.730 of your children. 0:22:55.730 --> 0:22:56.240 There you go. 0:22:57.380 --> 0:22:59.210 No, we can do that. No, I don't I want 0:22:59.210 --> 0:23:00.859 this to be a blessing. And I want this to 0:23:00.859 --> 0:23:04.460 be a way for people to engage through the words, 0:23:04.460 --> 0:23:08.300 through the pictures, in the vision of these 75 leaders 0:23:08.300 --> 0:23:12.080 from all over the world, just to open their eyes more. Yeah. 0:23:12.080 --> 0:23:14.840 And engage. And as I said at the outset, I'm 0:23:14.840 --> 0:23:18.139 about building relationships. I would be so blessed if people 0:23:18.140 --> 0:23:19.939 not only ordered the book, but let me know what 0:23:19.940 --> 0:23:20.900 they think of the book. 0:23:20.900 --> 0:23:24.620 What's next for Genesis 123 Foundation? What's the next bridge 0:23:24.619 --> 0:23:26.720 you're working on? The next vision you've got? 0:23:26.720 --> 0:23:29.480 So the book that was originally discussed two years ago 0:23:29.480 --> 0:23:32.240 at the NRB convention that was pushed off, is a 0:23:32.240 --> 0:23:34.910 different book that I hope to put back on the agenda. 0:23:34.910 --> 0:23:37.040 Now that I know a little bit about publishing and 0:23:37.040 --> 0:23:39.409 I have a great publisher to work that. But what 0:23:39.410 --> 0:23:42.290 I'm hoping for is the first program that we launched 0:23:42.290 --> 0:23:46.429 in 2017 is called run for Zion. It's the first 0:23:46.430 --> 0:23:50.000 Christian program around the Jerusalem Marathon. So anyone listening who's 0:23:50.000 --> 0:23:52.760 a runner or knows a runner full marathon down to 0:23:52.760 --> 0:23:55.760 five K once in a while for just for fitness. 0:23:55.760 --> 0:23:58.100 I want them to put March of 25 on their 0:23:58.100 --> 0:24:00.290 calendar and be in touch with me, because we've got 0:24:00.290 --> 0:24:03.320 a great connection to bring people for what's one of 0:24:03.320 --> 0:24:07.580 Israel's biggest family experiences. And I want to bring Christians 0:24:07.580 --> 0:24:10.160 to make it a fabulous Christian experience, because if you 0:24:10.160 --> 0:24:13.730 are a runner, even only 5 or 10 K, Jerusalem 0:24:13.730 --> 0:24:15.980 is the most significant place that you'll run. 0:24:15.980 --> 0:24:18.320 All right, obviously, this book is huge and we've talked 0:24:18.320 --> 0:24:22.370 about its impact in supporting, but what's something simple that 0:24:22.369 --> 0:24:24.590 every listener to the land in the book could do 0:24:24.619 --> 0:24:27.770 right now? To build a bridge with the Jewish friend 0:24:27.770 --> 0:24:29.600 or neighbor or coworker. What could we do? 0:24:29.600 --> 0:24:32.209 Reach out and tell people they heard this conversation, and 0:24:32.210 --> 0:24:35.960 how important it is just to show love and have dialogue? 0:24:35.960 --> 0:24:38.150 There are a lot of things that we don't agree upon, 0:24:38.150 --> 0:24:39.679 and we can. That's fine. We can. Those can be 0:24:39.680 --> 0:24:41.689 the elephant in the room that we don't need to 0:24:41.690 --> 0:24:45.320 discuss up front. I do, but not everyone's comfortable doing that. 0:24:45.320 --> 0:24:48.980 But just learn about one another. Jews and Christians know 0:24:48.980 --> 0:24:51.919 we exist and know we come. How? The metaphor is 0:24:51.950 --> 0:24:54.800 a great metaphor grafted into the same to the root. 0:24:54.800 --> 0:24:56.840 And that root of the root we're talking about is 0:24:56.840 --> 0:24:59.240 an olive tree. And this book is abundant with pictures 0:24:59.240 --> 0:25:03.980 of olive trees appropriately, because that's the metaphor that we're celebrating. 0:25:03.980 --> 0:25:08.660 But especially now when American Jews are suffering anti-Semitism at 0:25:08.660 --> 0:25:12.109 levels that are frightening and they're concerned for Israel. And 0:25:12.109 --> 0:25:14.690 American Jews need to hear from Christians who are no 0:25:14.690 --> 0:25:17.960 less anguished about what's going on and to say, hey, 0:25:17.960 --> 0:25:20.570 I don't know how you're feeling, but I'm standing with 0:25:20.570 --> 0:25:22.880 you and just and to reach out. And if someone 0:25:22.880 --> 0:25:25.550 doesn't know a Jewish person, they can be in touch 0:25:25.550 --> 0:25:28.730 with me and I'll connect them to Jewish people or myself. 0:25:28.940 --> 0:25:33.320 Jonathan Feldstein is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation. There's 0:25:33.320 --> 0:25:36.200 a link to his website at ours, The Land and 0:25:36.200 --> 0:25:39.439 the book org. We'll get you connected with everything you 0:25:39.440 --> 0:25:41.000 need to know. Thank you so much for the. 0:25:41.000 --> 0:25:41.690 Time, John. What a. 0:25:41.690 --> 0:25:44.120 Blessing. Hey, we're looking forward to Charlie Dyer getting back 0:25:44.119 --> 0:25:46.760 into the studio here with a fresh set of Bible questions. 0:25:46.760 --> 0:25:50.210 Always something curious that you're wondering about, and I'm wondering 0:25:50.210 --> 0:25:52.850 about it too. So let's wonder together, as we hear 0:25:52.850 --> 0:25:55.670 from Charlie next here on the land and the book. 0:26:06.770 --> 0:26:09.260 Thanks for listening to The Land and the book from 0:26:09.260 --> 0:26:12.980 Moody Radio. I'm John Gager, looking forward to wow, Charlie. 0:26:12.980 --> 0:26:15.290 Big stack of questions I see at your side there. 0:26:15.290 --> 0:26:17.659 I trust you've got some answers for us today. 0:26:17.690 --> 0:26:20.000 Ah, it's like the old saying, you got questions, we 0:26:20.000 --> 0:26:21.410 got answers, I love it. 0:26:21.410 --> 0:26:23.600 We're going to turn to the Bible for those answers, 0:26:23.600 --> 0:26:25.760 as we always do. First, though, a question I'd like 0:26:25.760 --> 0:26:27.709 to ask how do you share the gospel with a 0:26:27.710 --> 0:26:32.090 Jewish person? Because of cultural, historical and religious differences, it's 0:26:32.090 --> 0:26:36.320 sometimes challenging to navigate a gospel conversation with somebody from 0:26:36.320 --> 0:26:39.169 a Jewish background. That's been my experience, Charlie, but have 0:26:39.170 --> 0:26:42.020 you ever wondered how the quote professionals do it? Yeah. 0:26:42.020 --> 0:26:43.939 And to answer that question, our friends at Life and 0:26:43.940 --> 0:26:46.699 Messiah want to mail you samples of the tracks their 0:26:46.700 --> 0:26:49.609 staff use as they share the gospel. This will serve 0:26:49.609 --> 0:26:51.889 as a dual purpose of equipping you with methods of 0:26:51.890 --> 0:26:55.580 presenting the gospel, and also supplying you with tracks you 0:26:55.580 --> 0:26:58.220 can share with your Jewish friends and neighbors. Life in 0:26:58.220 --> 0:27:01.070 Messiah's Prayer is that these tracks will help further the 0:27:01.070 --> 0:27:04.310 spread of the gospel among the Jewish people. To receive 0:27:04.310 --> 0:27:06.890 this helpful assortment of tracks, all you need to do 0:27:06.890 --> 0:27:09.859 is visit Life in Messiah org and click on the 0:27:09.859 --> 0:27:14.929 Moody Radio button for more information. That's Life in messiah.org 0:27:14.930 --> 0:27:17.419 and don't miss out on this great opportunity. 0:27:17.420 --> 0:27:19.280 All right, let's take a look at our questions for 0:27:19.280 --> 0:27:22.550 the day from listeners like Mark, who admits, I'm completely 0:27:22.550 --> 0:27:26.870 confused by First Corinthians 15 verse 29. I get that way, 0:27:26.869 --> 0:27:28.970 he says at the end of Paul's discourse about the 0:27:28.970 --> 0:27:32.030 resurrection of the dead, he argues against those who claim 0:27:32.030 --> 0:27:34.550 that there is no resurrection of the dead. And he says, now, 0:27:34.550 --> 0:27:37.400 if there is no resurrection, what will those do who 0:27:37.400 --> 0:27:40.010 are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not 0:27:40.010 --> 0:27:42.889 raised at all, why are the people baptized for them? 0:27:42.890 --> 0:27:44.960 He says, I was raised in a tradition of people 0:27:44.990 --> 0:27:47.780 being encouraged to pray for the dead, for which I 0:27:47.780 --> 0:27:50.780 know of no scriptural support, so I'm surprised that Paul 0:27:50.780 --> 0:27:53.600 mentions what appears to be a common practice of baptism 0:27:53.600 --> 0:27:55.640 for the dead. What am I missing? 0:27:55.640 --> 0:27:58.100 Yeah, and let me give you the best explanation I've 0:27:58.100 --> 0:27:59.870 ever heard from this. It's from a friend of mine, 0:27:59.869 --> 0:28:03.110 David Lowery. He was a fellow faculty member at Dallas Seminary. 0:28:03.109 --> 0:28:04.909 And and here's what he wrote in part. He said 0:28:04.910 --> 0:28:07.969 there's up to 200 explanations that have been given of 0:28:07.970 --> 0:28:11.000 this verse. So it's clear from the context, though Paul 0:28:11.000 --> 0:28:14.959 was distinguishing what his practice was and the teaching that 0:28:14.960 --> 0:28:17.659 he's then describing here. Now, how did the false teachers 0:28:17.660 --> 0:28:20.150 come up with a view? We may never know. But 0:28:20.150 --> 0:28:22.400 north of Corinth there was a place where there was 0:28:22.400 --> 0:28:26.150 a center of a wildly popular ancient mystery religion that's 0:28:26.150 --> 0:28:28.310 even mentioned by Homer. Part of the rites of the 0:28:28.310 --> 0:28:32.030 initiation were washings of purification in the sea, without which 0:28:32.030 --> 0:28:34.610 they said, no one could hope to experience bliss in 0:28:34.609 --> 0:28:38.540 the life hereafter. It's likely that some in Corinth, possibly 0:28:38.540 --> 0:28:41.840 influenced by that mystery religion, were pushing a false view 0:28:41.840 --> 0:28:44.390 of baptism, which Paul took up and used as an 0:28:44.390 --> 0:28:48.230 argument against those who denied the resurrection. And then here's 0:28:48.230 --> 0:28:51.230 what David adds. He says no interpretation of this text 0:28:51.230 --> 0:28:55.070 is entirely satisfactory, but this view has as its chief 0:28:55.070 --> 0:28:58.580 strength the natural reading of the Greek verse, an asset 0:28:58.580 --> 0:29:02.510 regularly lacking in other explanations. It's also noteworthy that Paul 0:29:02.510 --> 0:29:05.720 referred to those who are baptizing for the dead, not 0:29:05.750 --> 0:29:08.810 we who are baptizing for the dead. So his whole 0:29:08.810 --> 0:29:11.750 point is, I think Paul's actually describing something that was 0:29:11.750 --> 0:29:15.740 happening in Corinth because of this local mystery religion that 0:29:15.740 --> 0:29:18.590 was happening there. But it's also important. Perhaps the most 0:29:18.590 --> 0:29:21.830 important part is that Paul did not include himself among 0:29:21.830 --> 0:29:24.440 those who were doing this practice. In fact, he says 0:29:24.440 --> 0:29:27.470 it's them and in essence saying not us. And he 0:29:27.470 --> 0:29:30.530 uses it only as an illustration. So he's definitely not 0:29:30.530 --> 0:29:32.810 endorsing whatever was taking place. 0:29:32.810 --> 0:29:35.900 All right. Thank you. Roger says, I've been reading about heaven, 0:29:35.900 --> 0:29:38.240 and I wonder whether or not we would have memories 0:29:38.240 --> 0:29:41.030 of earth in heaven. We're often told that there would 0:29:41.030 --> 0:29:43.670 be no memories of earth, since that might bring sadness 0:29:43.670 --> 0:29:45.950 and there is no sadness in heaven. But we are 0:29:45.950 --> 0:29:48.770 coming back to earth to rule with Christ. So wouldn't 0:29:48.770 --> 0:29:51.080 we have some kind of memory? Any thoughts? 0:29:51.080 --> 0:29:53.780 Yeah, well, I don't know of any direct statement on 0:29:53.780 --> 0:29:56.570 the subject, but that makes me want to tread carefully here. 0:29:56.570 --> 0:29:59.060 My answer. But it does seem to me that Jesus's 0:29:59.060 --> 0:30:02.180 story of the rich man and Lazarus provides some insight. 0:30:02.180 --> 0:30:04.670 You know, it's a story in Luke 16 that's likely 0:30:04.670 --> 0:30:08.060 a parable, but the information Jesus gives, I think, corresponds 0:30:08.060 --> 0:30:11.180 to reality, because I can't imagine him sharing details. That 0:30:11.180 --> 0:30:14.209 wouldn't be true. But in that story, Jesus shares the 0:30:14.210 --> 0:30:16.489 fact that both the rich man and Lazarus have a 0:30:16.490 --> 0:30:19.820 conscious existence after death. And more than that, the rich 0:30:19.820 --> 0:30:22.070 man knows he has five brothers who are still alive 0:30:22.070 --> 0:30:24.440 who are going to experience the same fate he's now 0:30:24.440 --> 0:30:28.010 experiencing unless they change their ways. So at least in 0:30:28.010 --> 0:30:30.410 that instance, it seems the individual did have a memory 0:30:30.410 --> 0:30:32.990 of his life on earth prior to his death. Now again, 0:30:32.990 --> 0:30:35.870 it's a story being told by Jesus, but it suggests 0:30:35.870 --> 0:30:38.810 that those who have died do possess memories of their 0:30:38.810 --> 0:30:39.950 life before death. 0:30:39.950 --> 0:30:43.010 If you're just connecting, that's Doctor Charlie Dyer, host of 0:30:43.010 --> 0:30:45.560 The Land in the book. I'm John Geiger, his sidekick, 0:30:45.560 --> 0:30:47.900 and we get a kick out of your questions here 0:30:47.900 --> 0:30:49.670 at the land in the book. And you can email them, 0:30:49.670 --> 0:30:54.980 by the way, anytime to the land and the book@moody.edu, 0:30:54.980 --> 0:30:58.130 Bob says there's a tradition in the Russian Orthodox Church 0:30:58.130 --> 0:31:01.790 that after Constantinople, the second Rome fell to the Turks 0:31:01.790 --> 0:31:05.930 in 1453, Moscow became its successor as the third Rome. 0:31:06.050 --> 0:31:06.710 Rome. 0:31:06.710 --> 0:31:09.350 Daniel seems to be clear that the prince to come 0:31:09.350 --> 0:31:11.390 will be from the people who destroyed the temple in 0:31:11.390 --> 0:31:14.420 70 A.D.. With all of that as background, do you 0:31:14.420 --> 0:31:18.350 think Gog and the Antichrist are two separate individuals? 0:31:18.380 --> 0:31:18.770 Yeah. 0:31:18.770 --> 0:31:21.800 And I think that the verse you're quoting there, Daniel 926, 0:31:21.800 --> 0:31:24.830 is the key for identifying the location from where the 0:31:24.830 --> 0:31:27.890 Antichrist comes from. It says he's the prince who's to come, 0:31:27.890 --> 0:31:31.100 and it's his people who destroyed Jerusalem following the cutting 0:31:31.100 --> 0:31:33.440 off of the Anointed One that is Jesus. Now, I 0:31:33.440 --> 0:31:36.470 think it also matches Daniel two and seven, which connect 0:31:36.530 --> 0:31:39.739 a fourth Empire to arise Rome with the. You know, 0:31:39.740 --> 0:31:41.720 the Rome was there when Jesus came the first time, 0:31:41.720 --> 0:31:44.240 and a revived Roman Empire will be around when he 0:31:44.240 --> 0:31:48.110 comes again. So the real question then is, could Russia 0:31:48.110 --> 0:31:51.530 be that empire? And I don't find that that believable. 0:31:51.530 --> 0:31:53.840 I see Gog from the land of Magog. That's the 0:31:53.840 --> 0:31:58.490 Ezekiel 38 and 39 prophecy being different than the Antichrist. 0:31:58.490 --> 0:32:01.070 He's said to be from the far north. His allies 0:32:01.070 --> 0:32:04.370 are identified as Persia, which is Iran and Kush south 0:32:04.370 --> 0:32:07.310 of Egypt, and put which is Libya, and Togarmah, which 0:32:07.310 --> 0:32:10.910 the area of Turkey. I see the Antichrist rising from 0:32:10.910 --> 0:32:13.550 the west, confirming a covenant with Israel at the beginning 0:32:13.550 --> 0:32:16.910 of the seven year tribulation. And it seems like that's 0:32:16.910 --> 0:32:20.240 what then prompts this Gog, this individual from the far 0:32:20.240 --> 0:32:23.750 north to launch a one time attack against Israel. So 0:32:23.750 --> 0:32:25.969 the Battle of Gog and Magog is a one and 0:32:25.970 --> 0:32:29.150 done battle, if you will, that God uses to begin 0:32:29.150 --> 0:32:32.030 turning the Jewish people toward himself. And that's why they 0:32:32.030 --> 0:32:35.270 then refused to worship the Antichrist when he presents himself 0:32:35.270 --> 0:32:37.430 in the temple as God in the middle of the 0:32:37.430 --> 0:32:38.990 seven year tribulation period. 0:32:38.990 --> 0:32:42.500 Mark's question is about Exodus 34 verses six and seven. 0:32:42.500 --> 0:32:46.520 It says, the Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, 0:32:46.520 --> 0:32:50.450 slow to anger, forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. Yet he 0:32:50.450 --> 0:32:54.020 does not leave the guilty unpunished. He punishes the children 0:32:54.020 --> 0:32:57.020 and their children for the sins of their fathers to 0:32:57.020 --> 0:33:00.290 the third and fourth generation. Mark says this doesn't seem 0:33:00.290 --> 0:33:04.040 consistent with the concept of responsibility for one's own sin, 0:33:04.040 --> 0:33:08.840 as expressed in Deuteronomy 2416 or Ezekiel 18, verse four. 0:33:08.870 --> 0:33:12.320 Are my grandchildren to be punished for my sins? Help 0:33:12.320 --> 0:33:13.640 me understand. Yeah, and. 0:33:13.640 --> 0:33:15.740 I believe that the two ideas can be reconciled the 0:33:15.740 --> 0:33:20.330 following way. In passages like Ezekiel 18, God saying he 0:33:20.330 --> 0:33:23.719 doesn't directly punish a person for sins committed by others, 0:33:23.720 --> 0:33:26.780 even by someone as close as one's parents. So a 0:33:26.780 --> 0:33:30.200 child would not be held guilty or directly punished for 0:33:30.200 --> 0:33:32.720 what his or her parents did. By the way, that's 0:33:32.720 --> 0:33:35.450 what the proverb being quoted in Ezekiel 18 actually is 0:33:35.450 --> 0:33:38.330 all about. The people were saying, well, if we're being punished, 0:33:38.330 --> 0:33:40.910 it's because of what our fathers have done, not because 0:33:40.910 --> 0:33:43.550 of what we're doing. And Ezekiel says, no, God's going 0:33:43.550 --> 0:33:46.310 to punish you for what you yourself have done. Now, 0:33:46.310 --> 0:33:49.610 in that Exodus 34 passage, I believe God is talking 0:33:49.610 --> 0:33:52.430 about the effects of sin. He's saying sin's effects are 0:33:52.430 --> 0:33:56.000 both serious and long lasting. You know, sin isn't a 0:33:56.000 --> 0:34:00.980 victimless crime, so to speak. A child can indeed experience pain, heartache, 0:34:00.980 --> 0:34:04.640 and suffering because of actions committed by a parent, a grandparent, 0:34:04.640 --> 0:34:07.640 or even a more distant relative. Some examples. If a 0:34:07.640 --> 0:34:10.880 parent drives drunk and crashes his or her car, a 0:34:10.880 --> 0:34:14.270 child in that car can suffer serious physical injury. They're 0:34:14.270 --> 0:34:18.080 experiencing the consequences caused by the sin of their parents. 0:34:18.080 --> 0:34:20.180 A child can suffer at the hands of an abusive 0:34:20.180 --> 0:34:23.600 parent or grandparent. They can grow up in poverty because 0:34:23.600 --> 0:34:26.810 of foolish and sinful actions of their ancestors, who squandered 0:34:26.810 --> 0:34:30.680 the family's finances. So God doesn't directly punish a child 0:34:30.680 --> 0:34:33.050 for the action of parents. But one thing that makes 0:34:33.050 --> 0:34:35.810 sin so horrible is its impact, not only on the 0:34:35.810 --> 0:34:39.320 one who commits it, but also on subsequent generations. So 0:34:39.320 --> 0:34:43.550 rather than the NIV translation of Punish in Exodus 34 seven, 0:34:43.550 --> 0:34:45.500 that's probably where the problem is. I think the new 0:34:45.500 --> 0:34:49.310 American standard provides a more nuanced translation of God visiting 0:34:49.310 --> 0:34:52.820 the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the grandchildren. 0:34:52.820 --> 0:34:55.700 There is an impact of a father's sin on his family, 0:34:55.700 --> 0:34:59.720 but it's not through direct divine retribution from God on 0:34:59.719 --> 0:35:00.410 the children. 0:35:00.410 --> 0:35:02.299 Boy. Either way, though, very sobering. Thank you. 0:35:02.420 --> 0:35:03.170 It is. 0:35:03.320 --> 0:35:07.280 Robin asks, did Jesus experience fear as a human emotion 0:35:07.280 --> 0:35:09.950 while in the garden of Gethsemane? If he understands our 0:35:09.950 --> 0:35:13.940 human emotions and can sympathize with us, would that include fear? 0:35:13.940 --> 0:35:16.610 I mean, maybe that's why he said fear not because 0:35:16.610 --> 0:35:18.680 he knows what fear means. What do you think? 0:35:18.680 --> 0:35:21.590 Well, my initial thought is Jesus did not experience fear 0:35:21.590 --> 0:35:23.570 in the Garden of Gethsemane. And I say that for 0:35:23.570 --> 0:35:28.010 two reasons. First, in first John 418, we're told there's 0:35:28.010 --> 0:35:30.830 no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. 0:35:30.830 --> 0:35:34.220 And literally minutes before arriving in the garden, Jesus prayed 0:35:34.219 --> 0:35:37.160 the prayer we find in John 17, which ends with 0:35:37.160 --> 0:35:39.529 him saying, I have made your name known to them, 0:35:39.530 --> 0:35:41.750 and will make it known, so that the love with 0:35:41.750 --> 0:35:43.850 which you have loved me may be in them, and 0:35:43.850 --> 0:35:46.100 I in them. So Jesus knew he was loved by 0:35:46.100 --> 0:35:48.589 the father, and he knew he would be glorified and 0:35:48.590 --> 0:35:51.830 vindicated following the crucifixion. So in that sense, he wasn't 0:35:51.830 --> 0:35:55.130 afraid of dying when he prayed, father, if it's possible, 0:35:55.130 --> 0:35:57.169 let this cup pass from me. I think he was 0:35:57.170 --> 0:36:00.770 looking at the time of separation about to take place when, 0:36:00.770 --> 0:36:03.830 as Paul described it in Second Corinthians five, for our 0:36:03.830 --> 0:36:06.110 sake he made him to be sin. Who? Who knew 0:36:06.110 --> 0:36:08.510 no sin, so that in him we might become the 0:36:08.510 --> 0:36:11.690 righteousness of God. Jesus was asking if there was any 0:36:11.690 --> 0:36:15.020 way the time of separation from the father and punishment 0:36:15.020 --> 0:36:17.750 by the father as our sin bearer might be eliminated. 0:36:17.750 --> 0:36:20.090 But then he quickly added, not my will, but thine. 0:36:20.090 --> 0:36:22.370 And very quickly. The second reason I don't believe Jesus 0:36:22.370 --> 0:36:24.680 was fearful in the garden is that the word used 0:36:24.680 --> 0:36:28.370 to describe his actual emotion at the time are sorrowful, troubled, 0:36:28.370 --> 0:36:31.339 overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. So I'd 0:36:31.340 --> 0:36:34.520 say he experienced intense sorrow and sadness, knowing what was 0:36:34.520 --> 0:36:37.160 about to happen, but not fear. 0:36:37.400 --> 0:36:39.680 Boy, a lot of questions we've gotten in today and 0:36:39.680 --> 0:36:41.719 they've covered a lot of ground. Thank you, Charlie, for 0:36:41.719 --> 0:36:43.730 your hard work on those. Thank you for keeping those 0:36:43.730 --> 0:36:46.819 questions coming. Fascinating to hear what you wonder about. Our 0:36:46.820 --> 0:36:52.310 email address is the land and the book@moody.edu. I'm looking 0:36:52.310 --> 0:36:55.130 forward to Charlie's devotional. It's coming up next here on 0:36:55.130 --> 0:37:09.790 the land and the book. You know, when you and 0:37:09.790 --> 0:37:12.190 I flip through our Bibles, it's easy to read about 0:37:12.190 --> 0:37:14.590 the city of Jerusalem. And and we almost presume it 0:37:14.590 --> 0:37:18.460 was always, always the capital city of Jerusalem. And there 0:37:18.460 --> 0:37:21.400 was a time when it was not. In fact, Jerusalem 0:37:21.400 --> 0:37:24.730 Day has everything to do with the celebration of its capturing. 0:37:24.730 --> 0:37:28.029 We'll talk about that and more in Charlie's devotional next. 0:37:28.030 --> 0:37:30.850 Welcome back, by the way, to this fourth and final segment. 0:37:30.850 --> 0:37:33.279 Before we turn things over to Charlie, let's take in 0:37:33.280 --> 0:37:35.860 this testimony from someone who's been to Israel and shares 0:37:35.860 --> 0:37:37.750 their own experiences with you and me. 0:37:41.770 --> 0:37:44.830 I used to be a flight attendant with TWA and 0:37:44.830 --> 0:37:50.020 spent many layovers in Israel, and I became a Christian 0:37:50.020 --> 0:37:54.160 just at that time also. And I remember staying at 0:37:54.160 --> 0:37:58.030 the Hilton Hotel there in Tel Aviv and sitting by 0:37:58.030 --> 0:38:01.840 the balcony on the balcony and reading my Bible and 0:38:01.840 --> 0:38:05.680 listening to the Mediterranean hit the shore, the waves hitting 0:38:05.680 --> 0:38:08.620 the shore. And it just I felt just so special. 0:38:08.620 --> 0:38:11.650 And I also did some trips into Egypt, and I 0:38:11.650 --> 0:38:14.680 have a pair of sandals that I wore both in 0:38:14.680 --> 0:38:18.250 Israel and in Egypt, and they, I think, have little 0:38:18.250 --> 0:38:20.830 grains of sand in them, and I've never gone to 0:38:20.830 --> 0:38:22.840 give them up until I die. I probably want to 0:38:22.840 --> 0:38:25.210 wear them when I when I get put in the grave, 0:38:25.210 --> 0:38:28.000 but I just thought I'd mention that. And I really 0:38:28.000 --> 0:38:31.029 enjoy your program. It's wonderful. Every Christian should go to 0:38:31.030 --> 0:38:34.779 Israel at least once. It's it's a tremendous experience and 0:38:34.780 --> 0:38:37.750 it would really open their eyes to what the Bible, 0:38:37.750 --> 0:38:40.030 how the Bible speaks to us. Thank you. 0:38:42.040 --> 0:38:44.110 All right, Charlie, where are we headed in today's devotional? 0:38:44.140 --> 0:38:44.560 Uh, we're. 0:38:44.560 --> 0:38:46.030 Heading to Jerusalem. John. 0:38:46.030 --> 0:38:49.210 Psalm 122 is our focus. I'm looking forward to it. 0:38:49.210 --> 0:38:51.430 With that, I'll hand it over to you. 0:38:51.670 --> 0:38:52.660 This week is. 0:38:52.660 --> 0:38:56.529 Jerusalem Day, Yom Yerushalayim. So follow me into the city 0:38:56.530 --> 0:39:00.430 for this rather patriotic celebration. Jerusalem Day marks the day 0:39:00.430 --> 0:39:04.750 back in June 1967, when Israel captured East Jerusalem during 0:39:04.750 --> 0:39:07.600 the Six Day War to reunite the city under Jewish 0:39:07.600 --> 0:39:11.380 control for the first time in nearly 2000 years. The 0:39:11.380 --> 0:39:13.420 first thing you see as you walk along the streets 0:39:13.420 --> 0:39:17.320 are the crowds of people waving Israeli flags. The surging 0:39:17.350 --> 0:39:19.870 sea of blue and white pushes its way along the 0:39:19.870 --> 0:39:23.500 already packed streets, forcing us to press against the wall 0:39:23.530 --> 0:39:26.680 to avoid being carried along by the flood of humanity. 0:39:26.680 --> 0:39:30.160 While this is technically a secular holiday, those here today 0:39:30.160 --> 0:39:33.460 are mainly religious Zionists. They believe God is fulfilling his 0:39:33.460 --> 0:39:37.029 promises to restore and bring back his people. But we're 0:39:37.030 --> 0:39:40.690 not here today to argue prophecy or politics. So follow 0:39:40.690 --> 0:39:43.840 me away from the mob and into the Davidson Center 0:39:43.840 --> 0:39:46.149 at the southern end of the Temple Mount. We're heading 0:39:46.150 --> 0:39:48.430 out to the southern steps that led to the temple 0:39:48.430 --> 0:39:50.860 at the time of Jesus. And while these steps do 0:39:50.860 --> 0:39:53.110 connect us to events in the life of our Lord, 0:39:53.140 --> 0:39:55.480 I simply want us to find a quiet place to 0:39:55.480 --> 0:39:59.469 sit and focus on Jerusalem, especially on this special day. 0:39:59.469 --> 0:40:04.180 Jerusalem Day reminds me of Psalm 122, a Song of 0:40:04.180 --> 0:40:07.960 Ascents written by David. Psalm 122 is a psalm that 0:40:07.960 --> 0:40:11.890 focuses especially on Jerusalem and Mount Moriah, the place where 0:40:11.890 --> 0:40:15.280 David erected a tent and where his son eventually constructed 0:40:15.280 --> 0:40:18.700 the temple. We're sitting on the slopes of Mount Moriah. 0:40:18.880 --> 0:40:21.910 These steps weren't here in David's day, but somewhere just 0:40:21.910 --> 0:40:24.910 above us is the spot where David purchased the threshing 0:40:24.910 --> 0:40:27.940 floor of a round of the jebusite in preparation for 0:40:27.940 --> 0:40:31.300 that future temple. With all that in mind, let's explore 0:40:31.300 --> 0:40:35.350 Psalm 122. David begins by putting himself in the sandals 0:40:35.350 --> 0:40:38.350 of those traveling to Jerusalem for one of the three 0:40:38.350 --> 0:40:41.800 annual feasts where God called on them to gather. He 0:40:41.800 --> 0:40:45.190 describes the sense of excitement and anticipation felt by those 0:40:45.190 --> 0:40:49.029 visiting Jerusalem, the city where God dwelt among his people. 0:40:49.030 --> 0:40:51.310 I was glad when they said to me, let us 0:40:51.310 --> 0:40:53.529 go to the house of the Lord. Our feet are 0:40:53.530 --> 0:40:58.000 standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. David's sense of excitement 0:40:58.000 --> 0:41:01.569 describes the crowd we just saw surging through the streets, 0:41:01.570 --> 0:41:04.750 and as he switches from the singular, I was glad 0:41:04.750 --> 0:41:08.470 to the plural. Let us go up. We are standing. 0:41:08.469 --> 0:41:11.620 It's as if David was reaching out to embrace every 0:41:11.620 --> 0:41:14.800 pilgrim entering through the gates into the city. But having 0:41:14.800 --> 0:41:18.220 described this excitement in the first two verses, David quickly 0:41:18.219 --> 0:41:21.790 changes the focus of this Jerusalem Day psalm. This isn't 0:41:21.790 --> 0:41:25.360 about us, it's about God and the place where he 0:41:25.360 --> 0:41:28.900 has chosen to place his name. In the next three verses, 0:41:28.900 --> 0:41:34.030 David shifts our attention toward Jerusalem itself and its significance. 0:41:34.030 --> 0:41:38.170 Jerusalem's importance didn't come from its physical size, though, when 0:41:38.170 --> 0:41:41.620 David describes it as a city that is compact. Together, 0:41:41.620 --> 0:41:44.739 he was referring more to its organic unity than its 0:41:44.739 --> 0:41:48.220 small size. The word for compact in verse three has 0:41:48.219 --> 0:41:51.250 the idea of being bound together. It could picture the 0:41:51.250 --> 0:41:54.070 spiritual unity of the people as much as the tight 0:41:54.070 --> 0:41:58.570 physical arrangement of the city's houses and walls. Jerusalem was 0:41:58.570 --> 0:42:02.530 David's capital city, and yet its true significance was the 0:42:02.530 --> 0:42:05.800 importance given to the city by God. God had commanded 0:42:05.800 --> 0:42:09.130 Israel to appear before him three times each year at 0:42:09.130 --> 0:42:12.640 the place he will choose, and the city ultimately chosen 0:42:12.640 --> 0:42:16.479 was Jerusalem. It was this place, David says, to which 0:42:16.480 --> 0:42:19.000 the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord. 0:42:19.000 --> 0:42:22.270 An ordinance for Israel to give thanks to the name 0:42:22.270 --> 0:42:25.570 of the Lord. Jerusalem was also the city selected by 0:42:25.570 --> 0:42:28.510 God to be the capital of the United Kingdom, the 0:42:28.510 --> 0:42:31.690 city from which his chosen king was to reign. It 0:42:31.690 --> 0:42:34.030 was the place where, he says, the thrones of the 0:42:34.030 --> 0:42:37.540 house of David were set up. Jerusalem became the city 0:42:37.540 --> 0:42:41.020 where God visibly dwelt among his people, and the city 0:42:41.020 --> 0:42:45.430 where God's anointed ruler led his people. Having explained why 0:42:45.430 --> 0:42:48.310 all the people were so joyously streaming into this city, 0:42:48.340 --> 0:42:51.609 David ended his short psalm by calling on these visitors 0:42:51.610 --> 0:42:55.120 to pray for his holy city. Verses six and seven 0:42:55.120 --> 0:42:57.790 explain what they're to pray for, and verses eight and 0:42:57.790 --> 0:43:01.900 nine describe why those prayers are so important. The two 0:43:01.900 --> 0:43:04.120 items all these visitors were asked to place on their 0:43:04.120 --> 0:43:08.259 prayer list were peace and security. Pray for the peace 0:43:08.260 --> 0:43:12.130 of Jerusalem. May peace be within your walls. And just 0:43:12.130 --> 0:43:15.580 as important as peace is the second item of prayer security. 0:43:15.580 --> 0:43:18.520 May those who love you be secure. May there be 0:43:18.520 --> 0:43:23.020 security within your citadels and asking God for peace. David 0:43:23.020 --> 0:43:25.120 is referring to more than just an absence of war 0:43:25.120 --> 0:43:29.469 or violence. Peace. Shalom refers to the health, the wholeness, 0:43:29.469 --> 0:43:32.919 the soundness and prosperity of the city. These pilgrims were 0:43:32.920 --> 0:43:36.219 to pray that Jerusalem would experience all the blessing that 0:43:36.219 --> 0:43:39.490 comes with a right relationship to the God dwelling in 0:43:39.489 --> 0:43:43.040 its midst, and one key aspect. That shalom would be 0:43:43.040 --> 0:43:47.479 physical security. May you be secure personally and may that 0:43:47.480 --> 0:43:52.760 same security dwell within her walls. Physical well-being and physical safety. 0:43:52.760 --> 0:43:56.870 Two important items of prayer. David then ended his psalm 0:43:56.870 --> 0:44:00.259 with a practical application why should all these pilgrims pray 0:44:00.260 --> 0:44:03.740 for the peace of Jerusalem? First? David said, it was 0:44:03.739 --> 0:44:07.520 for the sake of my brothers and friends. Peaceful, secure 0:44:07.520 --> 0:44:11.450 conditions allowed these visitors to fulfill their obligation to gather 0:44:11.450 --> 0:44:15.920 before God. A spiritually healthful and secure climate within the 0:44:15.920 --> 0:44:19.700 city also allowed the kings to rule in a righteous way. 0:44:19.700 --> 0:44:23.060 But second, David said that this divine peace and security 0:44:23.060 --> 0:44:26.299 would also benefit God's program here on earth. For the 0:44:26.300 --> 0:44:28.009 sake of the house of the Lord our God, I 0:44:28.010 --> 0:44:31.520 will seek your prosperity. The word translated by some as 0:44:31.520 --> 0:44:36.259 prosperity is the Hebrew word tov, which means good. It's 0:44:36.260 --> 0:44:38.360 often used in the Old Testament to refer to something 0:44:38.360 --> 0:44:42.440 that's agreeable or pleasing or pleasant or valuable, or appropriate 0:44:42.440 --> 0:44:46.760 or right, as well as having a good benefit or welfare, 0:44:46.760 --> 0:44:50.150 because God has chosen to place his dwelling in Jerusalem, 0:44:50.150 --> 0:44:53.210 David says that he, and by extension, all of us, 0:44:53.210 --> 0:44:56.690 should seek what's best for the safety, security and peace 0:44:56.690 --> 0:45:00.050 of Jerusalem because it's the place that God selected in 0:45:00.050 --> 0:45:03.530 this special way. In many ways, David's words at the 0:45:03.530 --> 0:45:07.820 end of Psalm 122 parallel Paul's words in first Timothy two, 0:45:07.820 --> 0:45:10.730 verses 1 to 4. First of all, then I urge 0:45:10.730 --> 0:45:14.630 that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be made on 0:45:14.630 --> 0:45:17.180 behalf of all men, for kings and all who are 0:45:17.180 --> 0:45:19.880 in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil 0:45:19.880 --> 0:45:23.120 and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is 0:45:23.120 --> 0:45:26.480 good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 0:45:26.480 --> 0:45:29.120 who desires all men to be saved and to come 0:45:29.120 --> 0:45:32.960 to the knowledge of the truth. Prayer for peace, for tranquil, 0:45:32.960 --> 0:45:36.739 quiet lives is pleasing to God and helps keep his 0:45:36.739 --> 0:45:40.070 good news from being hindered. Well, it sounds like the 0:45:40.070 --> 0:45:43.310 pulsating parade of waving flags has passed us by so 0:45:43.310 --> 0:45:45.860 we can head back out onto the streets of Jerusalem. 0:45:45.860 --> 0:45:48.020 But as we get ready to go, what can you 0:45:48.050 --> 0:45:52.700 carry along with you from Jerusalem Day and Psalm 122? First, 0:45:52.700 --> 0:45:55.880 how about this God wants us to pray for his 0:45:55.880 --> 0:45:59.270 peace on this special city. We know that ultimate peace 0:45:59.270 --> 0:46:02.840 won't come until the Prince of Peace arrives, so perhaps 0:46:02.840 --> 0:46:05.690 our prayer ought to match that of the Apostle John 0:46:05.690 --> 0:46:08.330 at the end of the book of Revelation. When Jesus 0:46:08.330 --> 0:46:12.500 said he was coming quickly, John responded, Amen. Even so, come, 0:46:12.530 --> 0:46:16.280 Lord Jesus. And then second, how about also committing to 0:46:16.280 --> 0:46:19.190 pray for Jerusalem and Israel as well as your own 0:46:19.190 --> 0:46:22.460 city and state and country? Ask God to help you 0:46:22.460 --> 0:46:25.430 be an instrument of his Shalom, his peace to those 0:46:25.430 --> 0:46:28.610 around you. As Jesus said in the sermon on the Mount, 0:46:28.610 --> 0:46:31.939 blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons 0:46:31.940 --> 0:46:32.690 of God. 0:46:32.690 --> 0:46:35.930 I like that thought, an instrument of his shalom, his peace. 0:46:35.930 --> 0:46:38.359 It's a great way to land this devotional and to 0:46:38.360 --> 0:46:42.259 end today's broadcast. Thanks for listening to the land and 0:46:42.260 --> 0:46:44.870 the book with our host, Charlie Dyer. For Dan Anderson, 0:46:44.870 --> 0:46:47.870 our producer, I'm John Geiger, inviting you to invite a 0:46:47.870 --> 0:46:50.359 friend to be with you next time for the Land 0:46:50.360 --> 0:46:53.360 and the book, a production of Moody Radio, a ministry 0:46:53.360 --> 0:46:54.980 of Moody Bible Institute.