S1: How do you reach restricted Muslim nations with the Gospel
S1: of Christ? Bibles aren't allowed in, missionaries are forbidden, and
S1: trading Islam for Christianity is often punishable by death. Just ahead,
S1: Bonny Sallah brings us stories of hope from restricted Muslim countries. Plus,
S1: we've got a fascinating set of listener Bible questions coming
S1: your way. Hey, welcome to the land and the book.
S1: It's the one hour program that makes you feel like
S1: you've traveled to the Middle East without ever leaving the
S1: comfort of your own home. Doctor Charlie Dyer is the
S1: man behind it all. He's an Old Testament scholar, a
S1: middle East expert, and a great friend. I'm John Gager,
S1: and maybe you have wondered sometimes, how do you share
S1: the gospel with a Jewish person and do it effectively?
S1: Because of cultural, historical, and religious differences, it's sometimes challenging
S1: to navigate a gospel conversation with somebody from a Jewish background.
S1: So have you ever wondered how the professionals do it?
S2: Yeah, and to answer that question, our friends at Life
S2: and Messiah want to mail you samples of the tracks
S2: their staff use as they share the gospel. This will
S2: serve a dual purpose of equipping you with methods of
S2: presenting the gospel, while also supplying you with tracks you
S2: can share with your Jewish friends and neighbors. Life in
S2: Messiah's Prayer is that those tracks will help further the
S2: spread of the gospel among the Jewish people. Now, to
S2: receive this helpful assortment of tracks, all you need to
S2: do is visit Life in Messiah org and click on
S2: the Moody Radio button there for more information. That's Life
S2: in messiah.org. Don't miss out on this great opportunity.
S1: And let's swing our focus now toward current events from
S1: the Middle East all unfolding this past week. Story number
S1: one President Biden's announcement of a freeze in sending key
S1: weapons and ammunition to Israel sent shock waves throughout the country.
S1: What's the real reason for the decision? And more importantly,
S1: what impact will all that have on the war with Hamas?
S2: Yeah, and Israel was in shock over the decision, in
S2: spite of assurances from the white House that the two
S2: countries remain firm allies. Following widespread criticism of the announcement,
S2: the administration told lawmakers it would send $1 billion worth
S2: of arms, including tank and mortar shells, but apparently not
S2: the bombs that they're withholding. Many are looking for deeper significance,
S2: or the real reason for the blunt message from President Biden.
S2: And in reality, there's likely no single reason for the announcement.
S2: The white House and Israel don't see eye to eye
S2: on the prosecution of the war. President Biden was especially
S2: concerned over what has turned out to be inflated casualty
S2: figures from Hamas and warnings of catastrophic famine from the
S2: UN officials and other aid groups. There's also concern in
S2: the white House over a growing rift in the progressive
S2: wing of the Democratic Party, and a growing fear that
S2: the demonstrations and riots could end up costing them the
S2: election in November. Talking tough on Israel could be their
S2: way to help calm the growing rebellion among the progressives. Now,
S2: all of those reasons might be true, but they still
S2: don't explain everything that's been taking place. Another key scenario
S2: is one I mentioned just briefly last week. It's possible
S2: the effort to keep Israel from going into Rafah is
S2: part of a larger attempt to push for a new
S2: grand design for the Middle East. The US is trying
S2: to broker a security pact with Saudi Arabia and other
S2: Arab states against Iran. The goal would be to connect
S2: the different Sunni Muslim countries, along with Israel, in a
S2: broad alliance to help thwart Iran's designs for the region.
S2: The major sticking point right now, from America's perspective, anyway,
S2: is the war between Israel and Hamas. The war was
S2: started by Hamas, in part to upend the push already
S2: underway to broker that peace treaty between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
S2: The US would like to bring the war to an end,
S2: even if it allows Hamas to remain in power and
S2: to reset the stage for that grand bargain. The problem,
S2: of course, is that Israel isn't willing to let Hamas
S2: remain in power. Israel also opposes a Palestinian state that
S2: could be taken over by Hamas to launch even more
S2: deadly attacks. The White House's threat to withhold weapons and
S2: ammunition could have been its way of trying to force
S2: Israel to bend to its will. Now, following the criticism,
S2: they seem to have backpedaled by offering to share information
S2: on where Hamas leaders are hiding in exchange for not
S2: attacking Rafah. But that raised questions as to why they
S2: weren't already sharing that information with Israel. And then they
S2: responded by denying they were withholding information, which raised questions
S2: as to whether that offer they were making was actually valid.
S2: These apparent misstatements placed the white House in an awkward position,
S2: and call into question its sincerity and its trustworthiness as
S2: an ally both to Israel and to other nations in
S2: the region to whom they're also making promises. Now, Hamas
S2: has been encouraged by all of this. It helps them
S2: stiffen their resolve to not give in. And of course,
S2: other nations are looking at this and saying, if that's
S2: what they do to their ally Israel, what will they
S2: do to us? So it's really creating more uncertainty in
S2: the Middle East, and that is not good.
S1: Well, bottom line though, Charlie, how does that impact the.
S1: The fight with Hamas militarily from a hardware standpoint, is
S1: it a big dent? Is it a hiccup? Is it
S1: a huge thing?
S2: Well, if Israel wants to go into Rafah and take Rafah,
S2: what they've seen is that the air power really does
S2: make a difference. And of course, Hezbollah is always there
S2: in the horizon. Israel is going to be very careful
S2: to not use up all of its ammunition fighting in Rafah.
S2: If they have another battle coming just over the horizon.
S1: As Israel celebrated its 76th Independence Day this past week,
S1: they also published information on the growth of the country's population.
S1: What are some of the key metrics for the state
S1: as it begins its 77th year?
S2: Well, perhaps the greatest metric was the fact that Israel's
S2: population has now grown to just under 9.9 million people. Now,
S2: of that amount, 73.2% are Jewish, 21.1% are Arab, and 5.7%
S2: are made up of other minority groups. If the current
S2: rate of growth continues by next year, Israel's population is
S2: expected to surpass 10 million. The population grew by 1.9%,
S2: which is slightly below the growth rate of a year ago. Now,
S2: part of the reason was a decline in the number
S2: of immigrants, probably in light of the war. One sad
S2: note is that 760 soldiers and 834 civilians were killed
S2: since the last Memorial Day. Most of those were the
S2: result of Hamas's October 7th attack and the subsequent war.
S2: And that's nearly 1600 Israelis killed. And that number continues
S2: to rise. That numbers, though, can become little more than
S2: mind numbing statistics. So in light of the vicious Hamas
S2: attack and growing worldwide anti-Semitism, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra prepared
S2: a virtual worldwide choir to sing Hatikvah, Israel's national anthem
S2: for Independence Day. The result? Jon, is quite moving. In fact,
S2: if people are interested in watching it, I posted a
S2: link to it on our land in the book Facebook page,
S2: and so if anyone's interested, go to Facebook, type in
S2: land and the book. You'll get to our page and
S2: you'll see a link there to Hatikvah. And let me
S2: tell you, it's definitely worth viewing. That's Doctor.
S1: Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger, this is the Land and
S1: the book from Moody Radio, where we're looking at current
S1: events from the past week based in the Middle East.
S1: Israel's government continues to face serious internal struggles and divisions
S1: that could force the coalition to disband and call for
S1: new elections. What are the major issues and could new
S1: elections be just around the corner?
S2: Yeah, there are reports that the emergency government is close
S2: to collapse. Now. That's not the same as the coalition.
S2: The emergency government was formed following October 7th, when Benny
S2: Gantz's National Unity Party crossed the aisle to join with
S2: the coalition. If Gantz's party leaves the emergency government, it
S2: will create a greater degree of uncertainty, but the government
S2: will still be intact. The key problems impacting Israel's unity
S2: right now are the hostages, the issue of drafting the
S2: ultra-Orthodox into the army, and the demands being made to
S2: expand settlements by the more right wing parties in the government.
S2: The hostage negotiations appear to have reached an impasse when
S2: the deal Israel thought it was reaching with Hamas was
S2: changed at the last minute, apparently with the countries mediating it,
S2: not telling Israel about the changes until they were announced
S2: by Hamas. The initial ultra-Orthodox draft proposal was also quite contentious,
S2: with opponents claiming it would not require the enlistment of
S2: ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students. The prime minister then advanced a proposal,
S2: previously endorsed by Gantz, to lower the age of exemption
S2: for yeshiva students from 26 to 21. However, it's still
S2: not clear if the plan will satisfy the opposition or
S2: the courts to the extent that the coalition depends on
S2: those more right wing parties and the ultra-Orthodox parties, it's
S2: going to continue to struggle to reach broad consensus on
S2: all of these issues. Now, all that to say, the
S2: collapse of the coalition might not be imminent, but the
S2: government still seems to be on shaky ground.
S1: Well, a new gel being developed in Israel aims to
S1: help broken bones heal back better and faster. Tell us
S1: about this latest innovation from amazing Israel.
S2: Anyone who's ever struggled with a broken bone knows the
S2: pain it can bring, and the healing process often includes
S2: having to wear a cast and having additional weeks of
S2: discomfort and misery. And that's where this latest innovation comes in.
S2: The Israeli company called Ortho Treat has developed a process
S2: that involves injecting a gel like substance at the site
S2: of the fracture. The gel is applied directly to the
S2: surface of the bone as a bonding agent, and rather
S2: than using external apparatus like grafts or screws, the gel
S2: facilitates the body's own healing mechanism. Over the next 21 days,
S2: the gel helps enhance the process of bone regeneration by
S2: up to 35%, improving outcomes and minimizing risk. Now they
S2: hope to have all the human trials completed and have
S2: this on the market by 2028. And one key advantage
S2: will be the price. They believe the cost will end
S2: up being less than the cost of a single screw
S2: now used by orthopedic surgeons.
S1: For that is amazing. Thank you Charlie. And that's a
S1: look at current events. Coming up, how do you reach
S1: restricted Muslim nations with the gospel of Christ? Bibles aren't
S1: allowed in. Missionaries are forbidden, and trading Islam for Christianity
S1: is often punishable by death. Well, just ahead, Bonny Sallah
S1: brings us stories of hope from restricted Muslim nations ahead
S1: here on the land and the book. Restricted access. Boy,
S1: that label describes many Muslim countries today in the Middle East.
S1: So how do you reach these people with the gospel,
S1: and what does it take to be effective in sharing
S1: the message of Christ? We've got some mighty encouraging stories
S1: you're going to love coming up. Hey, welcome to segment
S1: two of The Land and the book. I'm John Geiger.
S1: And you know, it's one thing to talk about sharing
S1: Christ with Muslims in restricted nations. But what about the
S1: Muslims in your neighborhood? In my neighborhood or at the office?
S1: Here's a quick thought. When engaging your Muslim friend, how
S1: upfront can you be about your own faith in Jesus? Well,
S1: you know, I've had the experience being on a train ride,
S1: and the Muslim friend next to me immediately commented about
S1: my reading the Bible and wanted to engage me about
S1: his faith versus mine. So it sounds to me like
S1: Muslims are open to a pretty aggressive discussion about religion.
S1: True or false? Stefano Farah with call of Hope. What
S1: do you say?
S3: True and false? Okay, it depends on the person here
S3: in the US, in American. Are all Americans open to
S3: talk about their faith? No, they are not. No, some
S3: of them are. Some of them are not the same
S3: with Muslims, you know, some are open, some are not.
S3: But when they are open, like this person on the
S3: train talking to you, hey, then they even expect you
S3: being open. And you can make no mistake. Tell them
S3: what you believe. No mistake can happen.
S1: Okay, so it's just like here in America, uh, non-Muslims
S1: not always open to discussions about faith, Muslims. Same thing.
S1: Good advice to keep in mind as you reach out
S1: to your Muslim friends. Stefano Farah is with call of Hope,
S1: always a pleasure to visit with him here on Moody
S1: Radio's The Land and the book. Bonnie Sylla is president
S1: and CEO of guidelines, a ministry started by her parents,
S1: Harold and Darlene Sylla. But Bonnie has taken guidelines global
S1: in its second generation, expanding the ministry through enthusiastic cultivation
S1: of great Commission partnerships among the body of Christ worldwide.
S1: Bonnie writes and voices the Daily Reset audio devotional. Maybe
S1: you've heard her share from her time spent with Jesus
S1: and His Word. We are really glad to reconnect with
S1: you today. Bonnie, thank you for joining us on the
S1: land and the book. Thank you.
S4: John, it is a pleasure to talk with you.
S1: Well, let's start with a quick definition. We use the
S1: word restricted to describe many Muslim countries in the Middle East.
S1: What is this restriction thing look like?
S4: Well, the restriction really applies to or describes the fact
S4: that you are not allowed to change your religion. In
S4: many countries of the Middle East, you are born into
S4: a religion. If you are born Muslim, for example, in
S4: the country of Egypt, it will appear on your driver's
S4: license and it is actually against the law to become
S4: anything other than Muslim. It also refers to the fact
S4: that you cannot share your faith. You cannot share faith
S4: in Jesus with anyone else. So if you are a Christian,
S4: it is illegal to share that faith and to try
S4: to convert anyone. So obviously you're not allowed to broadcast,
S4: you're not allowed to have Christian books or publications.
S1: I understand one strategy that your team is using is
S1: online programming like guidelines, devotionals in Arabic. My first question is,
S1: how do nonbelievers in a restricted Muslim nation even find
S1: out about this content?
S4: Well, in many countries of the Middle East, they do
S4: have access to the internet. You know, it's not like
S4: it's North Korea where that shut down. So through the internet,
S4: through satellite, there's such a thing as satellite radio and
S4: of course satellite TV. They are able to search and
S4: they are able to find the programming and the content.
S4: And of course, on social media, let's not forget about
S4: social media. That's a huge venue of access for people
S4: who want to inquire about Jesus.
S1: Bani Salah is president and CEO of guidelines. Joining us
S1: today on the land and the book. Many listeners might
S1: not understand the misconceptions that Muslims have about God. What
S1: have you learned in your journey here?
S4: Yes, it's been very interesting as we've been working with
S4: our partners in these restricted access countries of the Middle
S4: East and other parts of the world, and we've come
S4: to understand that all their lives, Muslims are taught the
S4: wrong things about Jesus. You know, they're taught incorrect things.
S4: In fact, it's an entire worldview that their minds have
S4: soaked in all of their lives. And so I'd love
S4: to share some stories today as we're talking. Well, I'm.
S1: Going to let you jump right.
S5: In. I sure was the first one that comes to mind.
S4: I have a story here from a woman named Heba.
S4: She says. I'm a 24 year old young woman. I
S4: often feel inadequate in my worship of God, and as
S4: a result, I believe I am missing out on everything
S4: in my life. Once I spoke with the counselor of
S4: the page and I'm not going to mention the name
S4: of the page who elaborated on the significance of worship
S4: and its goals in our lives. He began to correct
S4: my perceptions of God, who is not lurking around or
S4: seeking to have us fall into sins or transgressions to
S4: punish us. From that point forward, I began to understand
S4: God's love and the type of relationship he yearns for
S4: us to have. Later, I learned the reasons for Jesus's incarnation, crucifixion,
S4: and resurrection. So I trusted in Jesus and accepted the love, redemption,
S4: and deliverance he had already prepared for me. I accepted
S4: him as my Savior. I am immensely grateful to the
S4: Lord for what he has done for me and for
S4: the gift of eternal life. And she mentions, you know,
S4: the fear of a God who was just waiting to
S4: punish them. And so we hear that many, many times
S4: in those who have come to Christ out of Islam
S4: is that they had a dread of God and a
S4: dread of being punished for their sins, which they didn't
S4: really have any sure way to rid themselves of.
S1: Now, how do you establish contact, or do you, by
S1: way of follow up with somebody like that?
S4: Well, we work through partnerships. So guidelines has partners throughout
S4: the Middle East. One of them that these stories are
S4: coming from is called Miracle Connect. And they have an
S4: online ministry. Like I said, it is largely through social media.
S4: And so they will post the guidelines, content and content
S4: that they develop in Arabic. And there will be a
S4: call to action. There will be a question maybe that's
S4: asked and people will respond over social media through, you know, Facebook,
S4: through Instagram, on WhatsApp, the different messaging platforms. And they
S4: will actually, as they continue to contact them with questions,
S4: they'll be assigned to a counselor one on one, who
S4: will develop a friendship with that person. And the goal
S4: is and what is happening is that they will come
S4: to relationship in Jesus and be able to be discipled.
S4: It's called digital discipleship.
S1: I love it. Bonnie Salah of Guidelines, joining us today
S1: on the land and the book. Another insight you've learned
S1: along the way is the. Irresistible attraction of unconditional love.
S1: Elaborate on.
S6: That.
S4: Well, it really is true. Much of what we're posting
S4: through our partners really does talk about God's love. And
S4: when we talk about how irresistible it is before I
S4: share a story, let me share a few numbers for you.
S4: In the last year, between 2022 and 2023, the engagement
S4: of our one particular partner went from 7 to 15
S4: million engagements on Facebook and on Instagram. They went from
S4: 302,000 to 1 million engagements. Wow. And this is what
S4: is drawing people. Here's a story from someone named Fatma
S4: from Morocco who said, I contacted one of the pages.
S4: This is the online pages. I was wondering why Satan
S4: always tries to prevent us from performing our duty of praying.
S4: Though prayer is essential in life, it is easy to
S4: become distracted and follow Satan's deviations. I quite often have
S4: the impression that God is dissatisfied with me, and that
S4: he does not love me because of my sins and
S4: other transgressions. The counselor spoke to me about God's unchanging love.
S4: It is an unconditional love. It has nothing to do
S4: with my current situation, if either good or bad. I
S4: was thrilled to hear such a statement, I felt relief.
S4: Since then, she has been telling me about God's love,
S4: which sets free those who are bound. She went over
S4: the redemption story from the beginning to Christ's incarnation, crucifixion,
S4: and resurrection. Then she prayed with me. And since I've
S4: been reading the gospel and feeling God's presence in my life,
S4: my heart is overflowing with joy.
S1: God is at work and your ministry guidelines is living proof.
S1: How does that tweak your own soul as you show
S1: up in the office and get one of these emails?
S4: Well, what tweaks my soul is having been able to
S4: visit some of these counselors who are receiving these messages,
S4: and they are the most joyful believers I have ever met.
S4: Our partner ministry, Miracle Connect in Egypt has a group
S4: of young people that that are trained, you know, Bible
S4: background to do this counseling and they are absolutely filled
S4: with joy, although they are constantly in danger, constantly paying
S4: the price. I mean, I have actually met people that
S4: have been imprisoned and have been beaten, and I've never
S4: met more joyful people, and that just humbles me and
S4: inspires me. I have a story here from a young
S4: woman in Algeria. Her name is Sarah. She says. I
S4: was once engaged to a man who was ten years
S4: older than me. I never had feelings for him. I
S4: did contact the ministries page and they advised me to
S4: be honest with my family about my thoughts and attempt
S4: to clear the true situation. I did so and it
S4: was a relief. My family agreed with me. Later, the
S4: team sent me a message about God's love for me,
S4: which caught my attention because I'd always wanted to learn
S4: more about God's love for humanity. I was convinced at
S4: first that the Prophet Muhammad was the only one who
S4: was sinless, but eventually I discovered otherwise. Jesus was the
S4: only one without sin. He became a human in order
S4: to save me. But on the other side of the story,
S4: I've never heard of God becoming flesh and living among
S4: the people. I was so excited that I couldn't stand
S4: any interruptions in learning the conclusion of the story. So
S4: I told the counselor to keep on. I fervently sought
S4: to understand Christ and find out the truth. I spent
S4: a lot of time alone in my room, giving up
S4: any other occupation I may have had in order to
S4: learn more about Jesus. When they asked, I couldn't help
S4: but beg for the Lord Jesus to come into my
S4: life and believe in him. I could never have expressed
S4: how happy, excited, and relieved I was at that moment.
S4: I could feel something has changed in my inner soul.
S4: My heart clung to Christ so that I pleaded the
S4: counselor not to hold on, but to continue talking about him.
S4: I felt like I was born again. Since then, anytime
S4: the counselor is not available to chat with me online,
S4: I always left a note urging her to tell me
S4: more about Jesus. My heart was on fire inside of
S4: me and as I started reading the Bible she sent me.
S4: I could not get enough. As a result, I'm looking
S4: forward to further spiritual growth and maturity in my faith.
S4: I've engaged in the discipleship program.
S1: Wow. I mean, these are very powerful stories.
S6: They really are.
S1: And these are deep people. I mean, these are not
S1: lightweight letters that you're getting either.
S6: No.
S4: And another thing to note is that these people are
S4: not just hearing the gospel and they're just necessarily automatically,
S4: you know, springing to faith. This this is a process.
S4: And this is why media is so intimate and it's
S4: so powerful because they hear of God's love over and
S4: over and over, and the Holy Spirit really begins to
S4: transform that mindset and that worldview that has been so,
S4: you know, it's been deeply seated for all of their lives.
S1: Bonnie Salah of Guidelines joins us today on the land
S1: and the book. Earlier, we referenced some of the false
S1: notions that Muslims have about Christianity, about God himself. What
S1: are some of those things that maybe we wouldn't think
S1: about that they bring as a starting point to any
S1: conversation about Christ?
S4: Well, the question that I hear frequently is that they have.
S4: Heard of Jesus. Esau is one of the prophets in Islam,
S4: but they are longing to know, is he God? They're very,
S4: very skeptical. They just, you know, that's such a hard
S4: thing for them to comprehend. But they want to know.
S4: And frequently, you know, we've had stories of Jesus appearing
S4: to people in dreams saying, I am Jesus, I am God.
S4: And so I think that's really the major stumbling blocks.
S4: And isn't it true for all of us? The most
S4: important question is Who is Jesus? And we each have
S4: to answer that question.
S1: Muslims teach that the Bible is corrupted. So here you
S1: are teaching from the Bible, you know, how do you
S1: leap over that hurdle? What's the solution there?
S4: You know, just like Jesus did when you meet each
S4: person with what they're ready for. And so I think
S4: in the beginning, you know, you may start from a
S4: place of need in the person's life. You may, you know,
S4: address their loneliness or their fear or their anxiety. And
S4: then as you address those problems, they come to you
S4: introduce the source of our power of, you know, the
S4: only source of transformation that we as humans will ever have.
S4: And then you begin to introduce the claims of Christ
S4: and and Scripture bit by bit.
S1: As best you know, God, of course, is the one
S1: doing the leading and the doing itself. What do you
S1: see on the horizon for ministry to Muslims through guidelines?
S4: Well, we continue to see God opening doors for more
S4: versions of language programs. You know, you think you have
S4: a program in Arabic, but no, you don't. There's Lebanese Arabic,
S4: there's Egyptian Arabic, there's Tunisian Arabic, you know, so as
S4: we're talking with our partners and they're saying, could we
S4: have this version and that version, we're praying that God
S4: will provide for some new versions of Arabic, our devotional contexts,
S4: in different types of Arabic.
S1: Any last story you want to leave us with? This
S1: is your shot.
S4: I do, I think that as we think of our
S4: Muslim background believing brothers and sisters, we always have to
S4: remember the high cost that they're paying for their faith.
S4: And I have a letter here from a man named Amar.
S4: He says I'm a married Iraqi man with a family.
S4: I tried to contact numerous Christian websites to learn about
S4: the Bible because it has captured my interest for a
S4: long time. I did contact Miracle Page. That's a page
S4: of our partner and my yearning for the Lord has
S4: grown since then, especially after learning that Christ is God incarnate.
S4: There you go. At the outset, in a dream, I
S4: heard a voice telling me, this is my son, the
S4: chosen one. Listen to him. I began searching the internet
S4: for this phrase, so I found out it was from
S4: the Bible. My faith in Jesus began to grow. From
S4: that moment on, I kept on reading the Bible and commentaries.
S4: Things were going smoothly and peacefully until my family discovered
S4: my tendency to Christianity. They literally ruined my life and
S4: militias have started to go after me. I hurried out
S4: of that region since it was legal for them to
S4: shed my blood. Wow, he says, I'm still looking for
S4: a local church to join, so we don't know where
S4: he's landed. But this is the price that many, many
S4: pay for following Jesus and we should remember them in prayer.
S4: And I think that we should remember our own opportunity
S4: as our Bible is sitting next to us on the shelf.
S1: Well, always enlightening to sit down with you. Bonnie Salah,
S1: president and CEO of guidelines. Thanks for these stories, for
S1: your courage, for your ministry. It's always a.
S6: Pleasure. Thank you so much.
S1: And as we head into segment three, I'm curious about
S1: what makes you curious when you open your Bible and study.
S1: Looking forward to that question and answer time. Next on
S1: the land and the book. Little else is more satisfying
S1: than getting an answer to a question that's really been
S1: kind of rattling around in your brain, right? Well, get
S1: ready for a whole lot of satisfaction as you stay
S1: with us on this third segment at The Land and
S1: the book. I'm John Gager. Our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer,
S1: is the one with the answers. You're the one with
S1: the questions. And those questions are welcome anytime with a
S1: quick email to the land and the book@moody.edu. Well, here's
S1: a question. How do you share the gospel with a
S1: Jewish person? Because of cultural, historical, and religious differences, it's
S1: sometimes kind of challenging to navigate a gospel conversation with
S1: somebody from a Jewish background. You ever wondered how the
S1: quote professionals do it? Well?
S2: And to answer that question, our friends at Life and
S2: Messiah want to mail you samples of the tracks their
S2: staff use as they share the gospel. This will serve
S2: a dual purpose of equipping you with methods of presenting
S2: the gospel, and also of supplying you with tracks you
S2: can share with your Jewish friends and neighbors. Life in
S2: Messiah's prayer is that these tracks will help further the
S2: spread of the gospel among the Jewish people. To receive
S2: this helpful assortment of tracks, all you need to do
S2: is visit Life in Messiah org and click on the
S2: Moody Radio button for more information. That's life in Messiah org.
S2: Don't miss out on this great opportunity.
S1: I see that Charlie's Bible is open. I see there's
S1: a smile on his face, and I see we've got
S1: a big stack of questions we need to get to,
S1: so let's dig in. Jackie's question is first, she says,
S1: whenever I've thought about God's glory in the past, I
S1: thought of him occupying the temple with a cloud at
S1: Solomon's dedication. Now I'm learning. Glory and glorify is a verb.
S1: Can you please help me understand how God and Jesus
S1: glorify each other and how I glorify God?
S2: Yeah, okay. I divide that answer into several parts here. First,
S2: the word for glorify or glory has the idea of
S2: exalting or holding in honor. You know, one lexicon says
S2: that use is not found in secular writings. It has
S2: the idea of bringing renown or causing dignity and worth
S2: of a person or or object to be manifest and acknowledged.
S2: You're actually making it known. Second, in that, especially in
S2: John 13, where Jesus used the verb for glorify five
S2: times and the first three uses the verbs in the
S2: aorist passive, and the last two it's in the future active.
S2: And and that's actually important as we talk about what
S2: Jesus was saying there just after Judas left the upper room,
S2: Jesus seemed to describe all that was about to happen
S2: as a single event, which is why he uses what
S2: in Greek, it's the aorist tense. Through his imminent death
S2: and resurrection, Jesus would be glorified in the sense of
S2: being vindicated and exalted by God the Father through his
S2: victory over death, and at the same time, God the
S2: Father would be exalted and honored by Jesus's obedience and
S2: willingness to go to the cross, each joined together to
S2: exalt or lift up the other in bringing about the
S2: work of salvation. And Jesus then switches from the heiress
S2: to the future in the final two uses of the
S2: verb to affirm that God will ultimately glorify Jesus through
S2: the resurrection. By the way, I see a parallel between
S2: Jesus's words here and what Paul wrote in Philippians two.
S2: Paul connects Jesus's willingness to humble himself and go to
S2: the cross with two results. He says, Therefore God exalted
S2: him to the highest place and gave him the name
S2: that's above every name. And then in doing that, it
S2: says it ultimately caused people to confess that Jesus Christ
S2: is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So
S2: Jesus's death and resurrection are the events that ultimately display
S2: the glory, honor, and renown of both God the Father
S2: and God the Son. And in that passage, Paul tells
S2: us to have this mind in us that was also
S2: in Christ Jesus. In other words, the application to us
S2: is that we glorify God through our obedience to His
S2: Word and His will, and we can do so knowing
S2: that he will honor us at the proper time.
S1: Mark is puzzling over Luke chapter seven. Here the centurion
S1: asks some elders of the Jews to request healing of
S1: a valued servant. Jesus went with them, and as he
S1: neared their house, some friends of the centurion came with
S1: this message. Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I don't deserve
S1: to have you come under my roof. But say the word.
S1: When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him and
S1: turned to the crowd. I'm surprised that Jesus was amazed
S1: if if he means he was taken by surprise. Time
S1: and again, Scripture tells us that he knew what they
S1: were thinking or he knew what was in their hearts.
S1: Can you clarify this phrase? Jesus was amazed.
S2: Yeah, this event's only one of two accounts in the
S2: Bible where it says Jesus was amazed. In this case,
S2: and in Matthew 810, Jesus was amazed or astonished at
S2: the faith of this Gentile centurion. And in Mark six,
S2: Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith on the
S2: part of the people at Nazareth. But now, to answer
S2: the question, I start with the assumption that as God,
S2: Jesus wasn't taken by surprise by the centurion's response or
S2: by his faith, you know, he knew that was going
S2: to happen. It's possible Luke is describing an emotional reaction
S2: rather than. Simply an intellectual one on Jesus's part. It's
S2: not that he's saying Jesus wasn't expecting the response, but
S2: rather he's portraying Jesus's response and very human terms as
S2: admiring this amazing example of faith on the part of
S2: a Gentile. The word used for astonished or amazed is
S2: thou matzo. It means to wonder at, to be surprised by,
S2: or be astonished by, or even to admire. It has
S2: that range of meaning. For example, in Luke 218, people
S2: were amazed at what the shepherds reported in connection with
S2: the birth of Jesus. So I think perhaps using the
S2: word admire might be the better understanding of what happened
S2: in Jesus there. Now, if I can use a personal example,
S2: I have a sweet granddaughter who's on the autism spectrum.
S2: I was the matzo when she texted me the other
S2: day to wish me a happy birthday and say she
S2: loved me. Her feelings didn't take me by surprise because
S2: I know she's expressed him before, but her thinking of
S2: me and taking time to send that message on my
S2: birthday was something I definitely admired. Jesus knew what was
S2: in this man's heart, and he admired the man's grasp
S2: of the essence of faith.
S1: Naomi says, when the angel of the Lord appears to
S1: Gideon in Judges six, verses 11, was this an angel
S1: or the pre-incarnate Christ? I've always been taught it was
S1: the pre-incarnate Christ. But now I'm wondering why your thoughts?
S2: Yeah, one of the main reasons is that the characteristics
S2: and attributes given to the angel of the Lord are
S2: identical to those given to the Lord himself. For example,
S2: in judges six, he's called the angel of the Lord.
S2: But in verses 14 to 18 he's then referred to
S2: as the Lord. He also receives the sacrifice offered by
S2: Gideon in verses 18 to 21. Now in another passage,
S2: the angel of the Lord spoke with Hagar in Genesis 16,
S2: but she responds by saying to him, you are the
S2: God who sees me. In Genesis 22, the angel of
S2: the Lord appears to Abraham on Mount Moriah, but in
S2: verses 15 and 16 the angel of the Lord says,
S2: I swear by myself, declares the Lord, and then reissues
S2: the Abrahamic Covenant. And my point is that the actions
S2: ascribed to the angel of the Lord always parallel actions
S2: ascribed to God Himself. So he's God, and yet he's
S2: also the angel or messenger of God. And this division
S2: within the persons of the Trinity is also why I
S2: believe the angel of the Lord is also the pre-incarnate Christ,
S2: and not simply a manifestation of God the Father.
S1: If you're joining us midstream, this is the land and
S1: the book segment three Questions and Answers, and yours is
S1: welcome anytime at the land and the book@moody.edu, Naomi says,
S1: I really appreciated studying the life of Jephthah in the
S1: Book of Judges. So much in his life was just
S1: tragic and the consequences of sin. Yet I was very
S1: surprised that he knew Israel's history so well. Here's my
S1: question about his daughter. Did he offer her as a sacrifice,
S1: or was she simply never allowed to marry?
S2: I suspect there will be some people listening who will
S2: disagree with me, but I don't believe he took his
S2: daughter's life in sacrifice. He had made a vow to
S2: sacrifice whatever came out of his house. Assuming I believe
S2: that he thought it was going to be an animal.
S2: But when he returned and it turned out to be
S2: his daughter, I believe he gave her to the Lord
S2: as a servant for the tabernacle. Now I say that
S2: for several reasons. First, the stress in the text is
S2: that she remained a virgin, not that she was killed
S2: if he was about to kill her. I don't think
S2: the main thing that they would have been concerned about
S2: was not having been married or having engaged in sexual relations. Second,
S2: there's also a stress in the text that she was
S2: his only child. Uh, the point there is that there's
S2: no other heirs to carry on his family line. And third,
S2: in first Samuel 222, we're told how Eli's sons slept
S2: with the women who served at the entrance to the
S2: tent of meeting, which suggests that there were younger women
S2: given to serve the Lord, much like Samuel was given
S2: by his mother. Anyway, I believe that rather than physically
S2: killing his daughter, Jephthah gave her over to the Lord,
S2: willingly bringing to an end his own family line rather
S2: than breaking the vow he had made.
S1: Isabel asks, why wouldn't the Israeli people have the right
S1: to build homes and live wherever they want to in
S1: Judea and Samaria, Israel? What's the basis for it all
S1: being so controversial?
S2: That's a good question, and unfortunately it's a little bit
S2: complex for an answer. But I have a book coming
S2: out with Moody Publishers later in the year that answers
S2: the question, and it's entitled Who Owns the Land now?
S2: The bottom line God did promise the land to Abraham
S2: and his descendants through Isaac. But historically, Abraham only owned
S2: a small portion which he purchased. When Israel came into
S2: the land under Joshua, they were to take possession of
S2: all the land. But the Book of Judges makes it
S2: clear they failed to accomplish it, and throughout their history
S2: they never fully occupied the land. Uh, in 1947, the
S2: UN partitioned the land between the Jewish people and the Palestinians.
S2: The Jews reluctantly accepted, but the Palestinians and other Arab
S2: states did not. Uh, in 1967, that's when Israel conquered
S2: the West Bank and Gaza Strip and Golan Heights. And
S2: that's where the issue of building in Judea and Samaria
S2: came up. So much of the land on which the
S2: Jewish people have built since 1967 was unoccupied. And the
S2: ownership of some is disputed. But basically Israel has a
S2: right to the land since it was deeded to them
S2: by God. But the Palestinians also have legitimate claims to
S2: their houses and property, and that's part of the struggle.
S2: I've just provided a real simplistic history of it all,
S2: but the reality is far more complex. And my fear
S2: is the US and other countries are trying to impose
S2: simplistic solutions on a very complex reality. And that might
S2: not be a very satisfying answer, but I hope that
S2: it helps at least somewhat.
S1: Well, Charlie's devotional is next. He's going to take a
S1: passage of Scripture, take us to a place in Israel,
S1: and I think you'll never forget either one of them.
S1: That's next here on the land and the book. Face it,
S1: you're looking for an adventure. Something different. Well, the good
S1: news is, on segment four of The Land of the book,
S1: we've got something in store for you. It's a climb.
S1: Not just any climb. A climb to the top of Azekah. Charlie,
S1: I'm looking forward to your devotional.
S2: Well, thank you, John, I am too.
S1: All right. We're going to get to that after this
S1: quick thought from somebody who's been to Israel and wanted
S1: to share this from their point of view.
S7: It has been a dream come true for my husband
S7: and I to be here. Um, before we left, there
S7: were so many Jewish friends of ours, in addition to
S7: Christian friends who were talking so much about Israel and
S7: their experiences there. I was afraid that somehow they were
S7: building up my expectations too much. And so I had
S7: several people pray that I was going to get everything
S7: I needed to get out of it every day. Being
S7: here with the group who is wonderful, all of you
S7: who have privileged us by being so organized and detailed,
S7: has far surpassed any expectations I could have ever had. And, um,
S7: it's just hard to express the contents of my heart
S7: every moment. It's so much to take in, but God
S7: is making all that happen. And so we just thank
S7: you so much.
S1: Jeremiah 34. That's where we're headed today, Charlie. I'm looking
S1: forward to what you got for us.
S2: Well, thank you, John. You know, six weeks ago we
S2: hiked together to the top of Telascica in the foothills
S2: or Shfela, between the hill country of Judah and the
S2: Philistine plain. And I said at the time, I wanted
S2: to bring us here to witness three historical conflicts. Then
S2: three weeks ago, we returned to view the second of
S2: the three battles connected with Azekah. And today we're climbing
S2: to the summit one last time to view the third
S2: and final contest. But if the battles connected with Joshua
S2: and David ended with Israel being victorious, at today's outcome
S2: ends much differently. But before we watch the battle unfold,
S2: let's once again get our bearings from up here on
S2: the summit. Off to the west is the Philistine plain flatland,
S2: where travel was easy from before the time of Moses,
S2: a well traveled route extended from Egypt through the plain
S2: on its way north, connecting Egypt with the civilizations along
S2: the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Depending on the time in history,
S2: we could have watched the chariots and soldiers of Egypt
S2: march north along that international highway or Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian,
S2: Greek and Roman soldiers marching south along the same roadway.
S2: Now follow me over to the east side of the hill.
S2: Off in the distance you see a ridge of higher mountains.
S2: That's the hill country of Judah. A road extends along
S2: the ridgeline in those hills and stretches from Jerusalem to Bethlehem,
S2: and then on to Hebron, before ending at Beersheba. Following
S2: the breakup of the Kingdom of Israel after the death
S2: of Solomon, those hills were the heart of the southern
S2: Kingdom of Judah. And between those hills and the spot
S2: where we're now standing were the low foothills, the Shfela,
S2: which guarded the approach into the hill country. The cities
S2: in the Shfela were the front lines of defense. Here
S2: on the western edge of the kingdom, protecting Judah from attack.
S2: Three particular cities are worthy of note. At the northern
S2: end of the Shfela stood Gezer, given to Solomon by Pharaoh.
S2: It guarded the main roadway from the plain up to Jerusalem. Sadly,
S2: it was recaptured by Egypt from Rehoboam, Solomon's son. The
S2: two other cities were strategic for Judah and Jerusalem's defense.
S2: One was Lachish, just to the south of where we're
S2: now standing. It was the second largest city in the
S2: Kingdom of Judah. Only Jerusalem was larger, and the third
S2: major city was Azekah. The spot where we are now standing.
S2: Lachish guarded the road that led up toward Hebron, while
S2: Azekah guarded a road that led up toward Bethlehem. In
S2: Judah's history, both the Assyrians and the Babylonians understood the
S2: significance of those last two major cities. Both realized they
S2: had to be taken before Jerusalem could be captured. They
S2: were also the secret to stopping the Egyptian army from
S2: coming to Jerusalem's aid, and from keeping the people of
S2: Jerusalem from fleeing south toward Egypt. King Sennacherib of Assyria
S2: never succeeded in taking Jerusalem or Azekah, but he did
S2: capture Lachish and decorated a room in his palace at
S2: Nineveh with reliefs illustrating the fall of that vital city.
S2: But for Nebuchadnezzar, failure wasn't an option. And that's what
S2: brings us back here to the top of Azekah the
S2: situation for Judah looks grim. Nebuchadnezzar has placed Jerusalem under siege,
S2: planning to starve the city into submission. Meanwhile, the rest
S2: of his army has been systematically working its way through
S2: the land, capturing all the cities and villages in its path.
S2: The 30 month siege was temporarily broken when reports arrived
S2: that the Egyptian army was coming to Judah's aid, but
S2: the Babylonians made short work of the Egyptian threat. And
S2: now time is running out for Judah, the last king
S2: of Judah. Zedekiah rules over a steadily shrinking kingdom, as
S2: hope gives way to despair and panic inside the capital.
S2: In chapter 34 of his book, God calls on Jeremiah
S2: to deliver a series of messages to Zedekiah as the
S2: end approaches and Jeremiah pauses in verses six and seven
S2: to provide a historical marker, a time stamp describing exactly
S2: when the message was delivered. Then Jeremiah the prophet told
S2: all this to Zedekiah, king of Judah in Jerusalem, while
S2: the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against
S2: Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah that were still
S2: holding out Lachish and Azekah, these were the only fortified
S2: cities left in Judah. Only three fortified cities remained standing
S2: Lachish and Azekah. In the Shfela and the capital city
S2: of Jerusalem. All the other cities were gone, destroyed, ravaged, looted.
S2: The people killed or deported. Apart from resistance fighters still
S2: roaming the countryside, the defenses of Judah were almost totally shattered.
S2: But Nebuchadnezzar isn't finished yet. He won't stop until all
S2: the cities are gone. But do we know the order
S2: in which they fell? We do, though not from the Bible.
S2: That information came from a broken piece of pottery found
S2: in the city gate of Lachish. It was part of
S2: a series of 18 letters or corresponding. Sent to the
S2: commander at Lachish from Jewish forces still out in the
S2: field fighting against the Babylonians. Written in ink. These letters
S2: provide a fragmentary and one sided report from these forces.
S2: The most significant for us today is referred to as
S2: Lachish Letter number four, in part. Here's what's inscribed on
S2: that broken piece of pottery. May Yahweh cause my Lord
S2: to hear this day tidings of good. And now, according
S2: to everything that my Lord has written, so has your
S2: servant done. I've written on the door, according to all
S2: that my Lord has written me. And let my Lord
S2: know that we are watching for the signals of Lachish,
S2: according to all the indications which my Lord has given,
S2: for we cannot see Azekah. Don't miss that last phrase.
S2: We cannot see Azekah. Evidently the city's lit signal fires
S2: to communicate with the remaining forces in the field. The
S2: writer was continuing to watch for the signal fires from Lachish,
S2: but the ones from Azekah were no longer visible. Azekah
S2: had fallen. Azekah was overrun in then Lachish and finally Jerusalem.
S2: They were the last three dominoes to fall, but they
S2: did fall along with all of Judah. Just as God
S2: had announced, the people who stood right where we're standing
S2: now no doubt felt safe in their high perch when
S2: the rebellion against Babylon began. And even as the war
S2: dragged on, they could look around and see how much
S2: more secure they were than the smaller towns and villages
S2: in the region. But the Babylonians were relentless, and one
S2: by one the lights of the surrounding towns flickered out
S2: until just Jerusalem, Lachish and Azekah remained, and then Azekah
S2: ceased to exist as well. Let's face it, this third
S2: trek to the top of Azekah is depressing. Those who
S2: hadn't died of starvation or disease were either killed by
S2: the Babylonians when they finally broke into the city, or
S2: taken away as slaves, but why did this have to happen?
S2: And what application can it have for us today? Earlier
S2: in the book, Jeremiah explained in part why the nation
S2: would collapse so dramatically. It was the logical outcome of
S2: the choices the people had made. Or as he writes,
S2: the prophets prophesy lies. The priests rule by their own authority.
S2: And my people love it this way. But what will
S2: you do in the end when human wisdom replaces God's wisdom?
S2: When leaders substitute their opinions for God's revealed truth, and
S2: when people prefer good times and short term pleasure over
S2: God's standards of right and wrong, then a nation is
S2: careening toward catastrophe. And, as Jeremiah so poignantly adds as
S2: a PS but what will you do in the end?
S2: And that's the question I leave you with today. This
S2: empty hill on which we're standing is the stark reminder
S2: for both individuals and nations. We can choose our course
S2: of action, but we can't choose the consequences. In Jeremiah 21,
S2: the prophet had one final word about God. This is
S2: what the Lord says. See, I'm setting before you the
S2: way of life and the way of death. And our
S2: task today is to make sure we choose wisely.
S1: I like to think about in that devotion a lot
S1: of details there, and you can hear it all again
S1: at our website. The land and the book org. Our
S1: time is gone, but we thank you for listening to
S1: our program today. On behalf of our team, Charlie Dyer,
S1: our host, and Anderson, our producer, I'm John Gager. The
S1: land and the book is a production of Moody Radio,
S1: a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.