S1: Last night, Netflix released a new biblical epic about the
S1: life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Of course, it's
S1: being protested. Some are calling for a boycott of Netflix.
S1: What's surprising is the reason for the protest. Stay with
S1: me and we'll talk about that in just a moment. Hello, friends.
S1: Welcome to Open Line. My name is Michael Riedel. I'm
S1: the academic dean and professor of Jewish studies and Bible
S1: at Moody Bible Institute. And now it's time for our
S1: Bible study across America. Here we are sitting around the
S1: radio kitchen table and we're taking your questions about the Bible, God,
S1: and the spiritual life. If you have a question and
S1: you'd like to call, the phone number, here is (877) 548-3675.
S1: Let me give you that again 775483675. Tricia McMillan is
S1: producing as is. To hear Haynes and am I saying
S1: it right? I get them all confused. I get all
S1: these names confused. They're jumping around all at me. And
S1: also Chris Sieghart is is our engineer today. And tiara.
S1: That's why tiara. Tiara. Tiara is answering the phones. Well, again,
S1: the number (877) 548-3675. Go get yourself a cup of coffee.
S1: Thank you, by the way, for this one, I have
S1: right here. And open your Bible, because we're about to
S1: study the scriptures together. This new Netflix biopic about Mary
S1: was released for streaming just last night. And for the
S1: sake of authenticity, Director D.J. Caruso selected a young Israeli actress,
S1: a Jewish actress, Noah Cohen, to play Mary. And that's
S1: the reason for the internet protests, with calls for a
S1: boycott of Netflix. According to The Times of Israel, critics
S1: of the casting choice accused filmmakers of erasing what they
S1: called the Palestinian identity of Jesus parents. One online protester wrote,
S1: there's something profoundly offensive about having an Israeli actor play Mary,
S1: the mother of Jesus. How absurd. This anti-Semitic protest is
S1: rooted in identifying Mary or Miriam, her actual name, as
S1: a Palestinian, and says she is not Jewish. This is
S1: just a revivalism, a revival of Marcionism. It's the second
S1: century Heresy. Marcion sought to remake the scriptures without any Jewishness.
S1: He dropped the Old Testament, most of the Gospels, most
S1: of the epistles, and just kept part of Luke and
S1: the letters of Paul. And that's it. That's it for
S1: the Bible. Although condemned by the church, Marcion's anti-Semitism did
S1: influence most of the Church Fathers that followed him. But
S1: was Mary a Palestinian or was she Jewish? Clearly. Clearly
S1: in Scripture, Mary was a young Jewish woman. That's evident
S1: in her genealogy found in Luke three, showing that she
S1: was a descendant of King David through his son Nathan.
S1: Also in Luke 222 through 24, Mary completes her days
S1: of purification, goes to the temple, and offers two turtle
S1: doves as prescribed for Israelite women in Leviticus 12. Not
S1: only that, but the Christmas story celebrates Mary giving birth
S1: to the Jewish Messiah Jesus called the Son of David.
S1: He was circumcised in Jerusalem in Luke 221. It records that.
S1: And when Simeon saw him, he called the Lord Jesus,
S1: the baby Jesus, the glory of your people Israel. That's
S1: why Paul says the Lord Jesus is physically descended from
S1: the Jewish people in Romans nine five. All these birth
S1: events of the Messiah happened in places like Bethlehem in
S1: Judea and Jerusalem in Judea. In fact, the New Testament
S1: never names these places as Palestine. Palestine was a word
S1: coined by the Romans and applied to Judea in the
S1: second century AD, to try to erase the Jewishness of
S1: the land, and the birth of the Jewish Messiah through
S1: a virgin was foretold in the Jewish scriptures. The book
S1: of the prophet Isaiah predicted that a pregnant virgin would
S1: bear a son who would be God with us. Listen,
S1: here's my point. Mary, the Jewish mother of the Jewish Messiah.
S1: Jesus gave birth to him in the Jewish land of
S1: Judea according to the Jewish scriptures. Nothing could be more Jewish.
S1: So why would these protesters object to the casting of
S1: a Jewish woman to play Mary? The only explanation is
S1: the same one given for Marcionism hatred of the Jewish people.
S1: And just a reminder. Do you know the last group
S1: that tried to efface the Jewishness of the Bible, of
S1: Mary and of the Lord Jesus? That would be the
S1: Nazis who tried to replace the Bible with Mein Kampf,
S1: while claiming that both the Lord Jesus and Mary were
S1: actually Aryan. We need to be on our guard, not
S1: just to oppose this wicked hatred of Jewish people, but
S1: also to always take our stand for the truth of
S1: God's Word. Well, I hope you. I haven't checked out the, uh, the, uh,
S1: movie Mary, but I will, and I'll let you know
S1: what I think of it if it's accurate. Not accurate.
S1: I never find that these films are all that accurate,
S1: but I'm still glad that they made a movie about
S1: her and what a godly young woman. I love reading
S1: about her in the book of Luke. Well, we're going
S1: to go to the phones right now and talk with
S1: Charlene in Laurel, Mississippi, listening on WMU. Welcome to Open Line. Charlene.
S1: How can I help you today?
S2: Oh. Thank you. I want to grow in my worship
S2: and praise of God. And we know God is love
S2: and and perfect in all his ways. And I want
S2: to know what is the purpose of his creation of
S2: the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?
S1: Well, what did you think the purpose was? Do you
S1: have any idea?
S2: Well, I knew you were going to ask me, so
S2: I thought that very, very carefully. I know he's perfect,
S2: and I. I know that he created it for good.
S2: It's just to me, it seemed like Eve was trying
S2: to know something she wasn't prepared to know. And I
S2: think my perception might be wrong, but I know that
S2: she was asking something too soon. God would have revealed
S2: that to her in his own time, and we should
S2: always wait for his sovereignty and his time in revealing purposes.
S1: Well, the first thing I think that there we say, oh,
S1: she wasn't ready yet. She wasn't prepared for it. God
S1: made her with untested, creaturely holiness. He gave her the direction,
S1: told her not to eat from the tree of the
S1: knowledge of good and evil. Told Adam the same thing.
S1: They knew what was what, and they could have chosen
S1: not to.
S2: Okay.
S1: And so to say that they weren't ready is a mistake.
S1: God's creation made them ready. Secondly, I think that he
S1: had to put, I don't know, had to be a tree.
S1: You know, C.S. Lewis, in his novel Perelandra, uses a
S1: different kind of thing on the Venus New World with
S1: the first woman and first man there. Uh, about the
S1: island and the and the different things that go on
S1: in Perelandra. I think it's rather arbitrary, whether it's fruit
S1: or something else. The point is, God had to put
S1: something out there so that they could choose because they
S1: had untested, creaturely holiness. If God made it impossible for
S1: them to choose good and impossible for them to choose evil,
S1: just then they would have just been computers. They would
S1: have been programmed automatons. That's it. And so to have
S1: an actual relationship. Um, well, that needs, uh, that needs choice.
S1: For God to engage in a relationship with humanity, we
S1: have to choose. Now, I know a lot of people think, well,
S1: we don't have free will any longer, but somehow God
S1: gives us responsibility to choose today, to trust in Jesus. Uh,
S1: just seems to me that even though Adam and Eve
S1: had not yet sinned, were not fallen, they still had
S1: the imperative to choose to obey God. And and that's
S1: what they failed to do. So I think the ultimate
S1: design was not to teach, not to teach them something,
S1: but to give them an opportunity to obey God. Uh,
S1: that would be the the test of their their willingness
S1: to engage in a relationship with him.
S2: Then what would be the purpose of evil in the world.
S2: And why would God allow it?
S1: Again, without evil, there are many. The issue becomes this
S1: that without evil the world isn't as good as it
S1: could be. God is perfect. The best of all possible
S1: worlds is not a world in which there was no evil,
S1: but a world in which evil has been overcome. So for,
S1: for example, is our world better with certain virtues that
S1: wouldn't exist without evil? I'll give you an example. Uh,
S1: a soldier that leaps onto a grenade to save his
S1: platoon and gives his life and sacrifice. The Bible says
S1: greater love has no man that, but that he give
S1: his life for his friends, right? Yes. So their love
S1: could have existed. But without evil, that greatest love couldn't exist.
S1: And so what God did.
S3: Is.
S1: He created a world in which there was evil, so
S1: that the best of all possible worlds could be a
S1: world in which evil has been overcome, because there are
S1: so many virtues that are only becoming evident because evil
S1: has existed. Does that does that help?
S2: It does. Okay. It's wonderful. I praise God for your answer,
S2: and I thank you.
S1: Sure. Thank you so much for your call. Uh, call again. And,
S1: you know, before we go to a break, I do
S1: want to mention our current resource. Uh, you know, people
S1: love reading the word, and I am so grateful for it.
S1: And there are some terrific, uh, uh, resources out there
S1: to help you understand it. And some books like Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,
S1: Colossians are filled with real great wisdom for us as individuals,
S1: for for people in the body of, of the congregation
S1: of the Messiah, the, the church. Sometimes we need a
S1: little help unpacking those books, and I am grateful that
S1: what Moody has done is they've pulled an excerpt of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,
S1: and Colossians and made a separate little book and is
S1: making it available to the Open line listeners. And if
S1: you would give a gift of any size, whatever you'd
S1: like to give, we so appreciate your gift that we
S1: want to send you a copy of this excerpt from
S1: the Moody Bible Commentary. I know it'll give you insight
S1: and help as you read those books and understand them.
S1: It'll help you really understand them a lot. I know
S1: it helped me as I read them done by our
S1: wonderful Bible professor here, Doctor Gerald Peterman. So if you'd
S1: like to give a gift, call (888) 644-7122 or visit openline radio.org.
S1: And when you go there, you can give your gift.
S1: Remember to ask for the the Galatians. Ephesians, Philippians and
S1: Colossians booklet. We're going to be right back with more
S1: of your questions. (877) 548-3675. Call me. We'll talk about your
S1: questions in just a moment. Welcome back to Open Line.
S1: I'm Michael Ray Dolnick. So glad to be with you
S1: this Saturday morning talking about your questions about the Bible,
S1: God and the spiritual life. The phone number here again, (877) 548-3675.
S1: And we're going to go right back to the phones
S1: and speak with Heath in Florida listening on keys. Welcome
S1: to Open Line. Heath. How can I help you?
S4: Hey, Michael. Good morning. I'm, uh, I'm being divorced by
S4: my wife. Um, it's been going on for about a
S4: year now. There's been no infidelity, nothing. No violence. Uh.
S4: Something happened. She decided to divorce me. Something with the family.
S4: I'm wondering, what does the Bible say about a wife
S4: divorcing her husband? I can't find anything. Only what? What
S4: it says about a man divorcing his wife. Even though
S4: it says God hates divorce.
S1: Well, let me ask you. Let me. I'm going to
S1: just give you a forewarning. Are you in a local church? Yes. Okay.
S1: If I were your pastor, I wouldn't just take this
S1: call on the radio. I would need a whole lot
S1: more information to understand what in the world is going on. Okay. Okay.
S1: And and so let me just encourage you. Go see
S1: your your pastor. Okay. This is I'm going to give
S1: you an answer as best I can. Uh, but nevertheless, um,
S1: I don't think you should take my answer. Be gotcha.
S1: Because I don't have enough information to really give you
S1: a good answer. So I can talk about what the
S1: scriptures say. The scriptures say I command the married, not I,
S1: but the Lord. A wife is not to leave her husband.
S1: That's first Corinthians seven, verse ten, but then verse 11,
S1: but if she does leave, if she does leave, she
S1: must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And
S1: a husband is not to leave his wife. So, uh,
S1: those are verses that's not talking about separation like we
S1: have in our legal system, where there's separation in some
S1: states and then divorce. That's just talking about divorce right
S1: there in Scripture. Don't leave your husband. Don't leave your wife.
S1: If you do. Now, that's a general Statement. If you do,
S1: then stay unmarried and then be reconciled if you can be.
S1: But that's a general statement. There's much more in Scripture.
S1: There's the, uh, charge in Matthew 19 where the Lord
S1: Jesus gives the exemption, uh, of, of uh porneia is
S1: the word that he uses, uh, except for cause of immorality, uh,
S1: which is a very broad term. Uh, then there's abandonment
S1: here in first Corinthians seven by a nonbeliever. That's a
S1: different issue. I think that breaking of vows indicates that
S1: there's reasons sometimes that are not even specified. For example,
S1: it says if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A
S1: brother or a sister is not bound in such cases.
S1: What does that mean? It means that there are cases
S1: like this that maybe are not even specified where a
S1: vow is broken and that I would put the in
S1: such cases things of breaking vows like violence that you mentioned. Uh,
S1: and so for me, uh, I'm a real strong affirmer
S1: of staying married, working out your problems. You can't force
S1: your wife to do that, but you can try. And
S1: it sounds like you are the best thing to do
S1: at this point, in my judgment, is for you to
S1: go talk to your pastor and get pastoral care. It's
S1: very tough, very tough to go through something like this.
S1: You need spiritual strengthening and oversight through this. Okay.
S4: Wonderful.
S1: Thank you. Okay. Thanks, Heath. Thanks for your call. Appreciate it. Uh,
S1: we let me just say I need to know my
S1: limits of things I can answer. I can give you
S1: a lot of verses about marriage and divorce in the Bible. But, boy,
S1: every marriage is a story of its own and needs
S1: to be discussed with with pastoral care. That's why Open
S1: Line is not a substitute for being part of a congregation.
S1: It's not a substitute for being part of a small group.
S1: It's you need. We all need to be in community
S1: in our congregations. So that's that's really important. Okay. Let's
S1: talk to Charles in Springfield, Illinois. Oh, we just I
S1: just just just lost him. Uh, Anne in Illinois, listening
S1: on wmbi. Welcome to Open Line, Anne. How can I
S1: help you?
S5: Hi, Michael. Thanks so much for taking my call. I
S5: have two scriptures in conflict by Paul. First Timothy, he
S5: says women are saved through childbearing. And in Ephesians two
S5: eight and nine he says, for by grace are you
S5: saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It's a
S5: gift of God, not through works, lest anyone should boast.
S5: Is there a difference?
S1: Yeah, there's a big difference. They're talking about two completely
S1: different things. In first explained. Sure, sure. Ephesians two Paul
S1: is talking about eternal salvation. It's through the kindness, undeserved,
S1: unmerited kindness from God. Uh, by. And how to how
S1: is it activated faith? Uh, for by grace or God's
S1: undeserved kindness through faith, trusting in what he has provided
S1: the gospel, the Lord Jesus, that he died for us
S1: and rose again. That's how we're saved. And by the way,
S1: if you're listening and have never made that decision, you
S1: think I'm kind of intrigued by the Bible. And that's
S1: why I listened to this program. But or I'm just
S1: driving along in my car and I'm listening. The best
S1: gift is out there. Right there. Don't wait for Christmas.
S1: It's right now. You can receive.
S5: It changed my life forever.
S1: Exactly.
S5: That's why this is confusing at first Timothy.
S1: Yeah. So God's indescribable gift is the Lord Jesus. And
S1: if you're listening, that's a free gift of forgiveness forever.
S1: An eternal relationship. We become his child if we trust
S1: in Jesus. All we have to do is say, I
S1: know I've done things wrong. I'm putting my trust in
S1: the fact that Jesus died as a substitution for me
S1: and was raised again, proving He's God. Now I'm just
S1: trusting in him and and you. We will all, if
S1: we trust in him, enter into that relationship. I want
S1: to challenge you to do that. But an you've got
S1: a really good question. Uh, what is first Timothy 215 mean?
S1: It says she will be saved through childbearing. What? What
S1: about I mean, what about women who can't have children?
S1: Does that mean they can't be saved? Well, what about
S1: single women? They can't be saved. Obviously. Let me just
S1: say that the word sozo in Greek has a wide
S1: sense and based on context is what we get it,
S1: how we understand it. The word sozo can mean delivered
S1: physical deliverance. But there are godly women that have died
S1: in childbearing. So it doesn't just mean physically delivered through childbearing. Uh,
S1: here's what I think. Let's put it in context. That's
S1: always the best way to understand a verse. And the
S1: context here is Paul says women should not pursue being
S1: an elder to, uh, to teach or exercise a authority
S1: over men. Now, he's not saying that women can't teach
S1: small groups, or they can't teach children, or they can't
S1: teach other women, or they can't teach men in a
S1: Sunday school class. He's talking about the authoritative proclamation of
S1: the Word of God. When the community gathers together, that's
S1: what elders do. They exercise authority with that kind of teaching.
S1: And he says, women shouldn't don't look to make your
S1: mark as an elder. You can have a far greater influence,
S1: is what he is saying a far greater ministry. And
S1: then he says he gives the two reasons why. But
S1: then he says, but she will. And if I would
S1: take the word save her life, find her meaning, find
S1: her deliverance, find her significance through childbearing. If in my
S1: version says she, but it literally is they. If they
S1: continue the the children continue in faith, love and holiness.
S1: In other words, what Paul is saying is and this
S1: is just a general statement, it's not true for every woman,
S1: but a woman will find her significance not by being
S1: an elder, but by being a mom, and she will
S1: have far greater influence on other people through winning her
S1: children to the love of the Lord and following the Lord.
S1: That's what he's saying. She will find her significance be
S1: delivered in meaning and significance when she raises children. Now,
S1: what do you do with women who first of all, couldn't, uh,
S1: can't have children? Well, or they're not married? That doesn't
S1: mean that they can't have ministry in the lives of
S1: young people. Uh, just a couple of weeks ago, a
S1: dear friend of mine went to be with the Lord
S1: at 88 years old. She she her husband. When I
S1: when I came to faith, my dad disowned me. Her
S1: husband took me sort of as an adopted son, and
S1: she was always there and built into my life and
S1: also into the lives of many other teens through the years.
S1: And dear Arlene Rigney is now with the Lord. She
S1: never had kids, she was never able to have kids,
S1: but she really cared for young people and ministered in
S1: our lives. She was a second mom to so many.
S1: So even though that this is first of all written
S1: to about actual child rearing, bearing and rearing, uh, it's uh,
S1: it's also for other women who can have that kind
S1: of ministry in the lives of others. I think of
S1: my missions prof. Here at Moody, she had never married,
S1: but she had a wonderful has. Well, uh, Rosemary Turner
S1: now with the Lord. But her her adopted daughter Carrie
S1: still walking with the Lord, having a great impact in life.
S1: So it doesn't it doesn't just apply to people who
S1: are married and have children. It can apply to married
S1: people who can't have children. It can apply to, uh,
S1: single women who who have this kind of impact in
S1: an adopted child. Uh, it is it is important that
S1: we see that a woman's significance, her deliverance, is going
S1: to be found in the children, that she impacts even
S1: more than she would as she as an elder or
S1: a pastor of a congregation. But again, that limitation doesn't
S1: mean women can't minister in the church. It doesn't mean
S1: women can't minister to other women. There are all sorts
S1: of great opportunities. It's just referring to being an elder.
S1: Does that help you at all, Ann?
S5: Yes, but the key is that salvation is by grace
S5: through faith, right?
S1: That's that's what I was trying to emphasize. That's what
S1: Ephesians two eight and nine. Yeah. And this is talking
S1: about a different kind of salvation. This is deliverance of
S1: significance and meaning. Okay.
S5: Thanks so much for for that answer. I appreciate your help. Yeah.
S1: Michael, I appreciate you calling so much. Well, uh, let's
S1: see how much time have we got here? Okay. Let
S1: me just tell you, I so appreciate those of you
S1: who have become kitchen table partners, and I know some
S1: of you are thinking about it. I want to encourage
S1: you to maybe consider becoming part of the team. If
S1: you do, call (888) 644-7122 or go to open line radio.org
S1: ran out of time. I'll talk about this a little
S1: bit more when Tara comes in with the mailbag. So
S1: stay with me. We'll be right back. Welcome back to
S1: Open Line. I'm Michael Radonich. So glad to be with
S1: you again. I'm glad to be back. You know, a
S1: couple of weeks ago, I was in California and did
S1: the program with pastor Mike Fabares from Compass Bible Church.
S1: Focal Point Radio had a great time with him sitting
S1: in his little midsize office, I would say with with
S1: the sound equipment there, he had it all set up.
S1: It was great. We had a great time together. And
S1: I think of of Mike, he's a regular backup. I
S1: think it was really the first time we did the program,
S1: just taking questions together. I've had him on when he's
S1: written books and we've talked about his books, but the
S1: first time we just took questions together and we had
S1: so much fun doing that. He's part of the team.
S1: He's regular. When I'm not here. He's the he's our
S1: go to guy to see if he could be on
S1: the program. And also Trish is part of the team
S1: always making sure that I'm here on time and getting
S1: ready to do what I'm supposed to do and getting
S1: everything ready. That's team member and to to hear you're
S1: here every week now it seems like, uh, whether Trish
S1: is here or not. And I am so glad you're
S1: here today. So to hear as part of the team,
S1: here's my point. Uh, open line doesn't just happen with
S1: me showing up. There's a team that that works it
S1: all together. And part of that team are our kitchen
S1: table partners, people who give monthly so we can be
S1: on the air weekly. They pray for us, they care
S1: about us. And I appreciate our kitchen table partners so much. Uh,
S1: some of you are thinking about becoming a kitchen table partner.
S1: One of the things we do for kitchen table partners
S1: is we send out a Bible study moment every other
S1: week via email. And, uh, and it's just a brief
S1: Bible study prepared exclusively for our kitchen table partners. You
S1: might enjoy receiving that. If you'd like to become a
S1: kitchen table partner, all you have to do is call
S1: (888) 644-7122 or go to open Line radio.org. Really, really appreciate
S1: all of you. Whether you become a kitchen table, kitchen
S1: table partner or not. We really do appreciate you listening
S1: to Open Line. And here is Takehiro with the big
S1: mailbag that Tricia produced. Right.
S6: That is correct. And thank you. I'm happy to be here.
S6: Thank you. Michael, I'm really.
S1: Glad you're here. Now, you know, to hear this is.
S1: Have you seen miracle on 34th Street?
S6: I have, it's been a while, but I have, you know.
S1: At the end, when they bring in all those mail
S1: bags from the New York City postal system made out
S1: to Santa Claus, and they deliver them. That's what I
S1: envision every week when Tricia comes in with the mail bag,
S1: with those bags coming out one after another and pouring
S1: them on the judge's desk there on the bench. And
S1: so that's it doesn't look quite that full today. But
S1: we've got a lot of questions we do.
S6: And that is great imagery, especially for this Christmas season. So. Exactly. Yes.
S1: Theater of the mind. Just make something up in your
S1: head there and listen. That's what radio is.
S6: I like it.
S1: Yeah. Okay. Let's go ahead with some questions.
S6: Absolutely. Our first question is from Ginny and Georgia, and
S6: she listens through Wmw. If Christmas has pagan origins, why,
S6: as followers of Christ, are we participating? She says this
S6: is something that she struggled with for years, and she's
S6: referencing Deuteronomy 12.
S1: Well, you know, it's hard to say that that Christmas
S1: is pagan. Here's what it was. Many pagans came to
S1: faith in Jesus, and the result was that the church
S1: wanted to make sure that they didn't stay in the.
S1: There were always these seasonal pagan celebrations around December 25th,
S1: and the church didn't want them to say, well, we're
S1: followers of Jesus now, but we're going to still keep
S1: these pagan festivals. So they said, let's make this pagan
S1: festival into a Christian festival. And what they did is
S1: they made it a celebration of the birth of Jesus.
S1: Is it the birth of Jesus? We don't know when
S1: the Lord Jesus was born, but that's what they did.
S1: And they and so that was the point of it
S1: to to Christianize a pagan festival. People say, well, you
S1: shouldn't do that. You have to tear it down. Well, actually,
S1: that's not exactly true. When someone asked me once about
S1: Christmas trees and all the stuff that I don't even
S1: have a Christmas tree, you know, I like them, but
S1: I don't have one. I'm Jewish, you know, we. I
S1: was raised without Christmas trees. I don't want my neighbors
S1: to think that I only follow Jesus now so I
S1: can have a Christmas tree. So I've never I don't
S1: have a Christmas tree. But someone asked me about it,
S1: and I said, it's okay. And they said, what do
S1: you mean, it's pagan? I said, well, I'm not sure
S1: that verse in Jeremiah is really talking about Christmas trees,
S1: but even if it were, uh, it's just meat sacrifice
S1: to idols. That's what I said. And what I mean
S1: by that. You look at first Corinthians eight and there
S1: there's the issue of, can you go and buy meat
S1: at the pagan Markets and and buy that and eat it. Now,
S1: some Christians didn't have conscience for it. Others did. And
S1: Paul says it's without moral significance. And what what I
S1: mean by that is it's neither right nor wrong. And
S1: so you don't have to have a Christmas tree or,
S1: or even celebrate Christmas. But if someone wants to, it's
S1: without it's sort of like, you can go to Zeus's market.
S1: You can, you can, you know, or Zeus's butcher shop,
S1: get a Zeus burger. It was no problem. Paul said,
S1: if your conscience could bear it, if your conscience can't,
S1: then don't do it. That's what I would say about Christmas. It's, uh,
S1: just like those sacrifices had a pagan origin. Mhm. Still
S1: they were, you know, you weren't using them for paganism.
S1: So if you, if your conscience is okay with it,
S1: celebrate Christmas. Go ahead celebrate Christmas. Uh that's what I
S1: would say. And so not to worry about it. But Jenny,
S1: if it bothers you, don't celebrate Christmas. It's no big deal. So.
S6: Well, thank you so much for that context and for
S6: that clarity. And thank you, Jenny, for that question. Another
S6: question is also Christmas related is how many kings were there?
S6: And this is from Carol on Facebook.
S1: I'm going to tell you big important answer. Ready. There
S1: were no kings that that the problem I love Christmas
S1: songs but we three kings of Orient are. I mean really,
S1: you know, I think we we. Uh, what what we
S1: need to do is remember that. That it says that
S1: wise men from the East, Magi probably from Persia or. Yeah,
S1: probably Persia. Where, where where Daniel the prophet had been. Mhm. Uh,
S1: he was one of the wise men. He left the
S1: legacy of Scripture there. They were probably informed by Scripture.
S1: These were wise men who looked at the stars. Astrology.
S1: Not astrologers, but astronomers. And they saw a sign, and
S1: they put it together with what they had read from
S1: the scriptures. And they knew that the Messiah had been born,
S1: and they were wise men, and they brought gifts of frankincense, gold,
S1: and myrrh. Right? Yes. Uh, so frankincense, some people say,
S1: because incense is offered to God. That was a symbol
S1: of the Messiah's deity, the gold, uh, of his royalty. Uh,
S1: a very expensive gift and myrrh being a spice used
S1: for burial. So even at his birth, it was anticipated
S1: that he would die for us. Uh, and then, of course,
S1: be raised again. Whether that's true, I don't know, but
S1: there were three gifts. Does that mean there were only
S1: three wise men?
S6: We don't know.
S1: Don't know? No clue. So, uh, could have been two
S1: wise men with three gifts. Could have been ten wise
S1: men with three gifts. We just don't know. So, uh.
S1: So that's. That's what I would say.
S6: Thank you for that. Thank you. And then we also
S6: have a question from Judy in Florida who listens through
S6: w r m b. She says, I love your program
S6: in Genesis 315. What would be the understanding of your
S6: offspring or seed in the original language as it pertains
S6: to the serpent? And Genesis 315 reads, I will put
S6: hostility between you and the woman and between your seed
S6: and her seed. He will strike your head, and you
S6: will strike his heel.
S1: There's a lot more to that verse than, you know,
S1: than we can just superficially go over. But this is
S1: the curse on the the serpent. It begins in verse 14.
S1: And this is how I understand it, that the serpent
S1: will have to continue to crawl on its stomach to,
S1: to be and eat dust, meaning symbols of, of eternal, uh,
S1: oppression or defeat. Okay. Okay. But then in verse 15,
S1: God doesn't speak to snakes. He's speaking to the power
S1: behind the snake. This was not an ordinary snake. Uh,
S1: because just so you know, this snake could talk. And
S1: even in Genesis three, it was not Narnia. That was
S1: very unusual for a snake. God didn't make animals. Only
S1: supernaturally can snakes talk, and and or any animal can talk.
S1: And numbers 22. A donkey talks because God opened its mouth.
S1: Genesis three. Someone else supernaturally opened its mouth. The reason
S1: we know is because the snake was tempting to evil.
S1: So that couldn't have been God that opened its mouth
S1: so we know it was the enemy. And, uh. And
S1: so God speaks to the enemy, the power behind the
S1: serpent and the word seed that's used there can mean
S1: physical offspring, and also it can mean followers. It's used
S1: in a variety of places in Scripture. Uh, like offspring
S1: of wickedness in the book of Isaiah. That doesn't mean
S1: that wickedness gave birth to to wickedness. Uh, it means
S1: followers of wickedness. Okay, so what it's saying there is
S1: I will put hostility between you and the woman, between
S1: the enemy or Satan and the woman, between your followers.
S1: That would be the demons that fell and her physical descendants.
S1: And he will strike you one of her physical descendants.
S1: An individual one will strike your head. That's the Messiah,
S1: the descendant of the seed of the woman who crushed
S1: the head of the serpent. And you will strike his
S1: heel in death, just as a serpent bites a person
S1: on the heel with a deadly blow. A nahash is
S1: the word for a serpent, so this one will strike
S1: him on the heel. Just as in the crucifixion, when
S1: the Lord Jesus had a nail put through his his, uh,
S1: his ankle. So.
S6: Thank you. Yeah.
S1: That's it. It's the first that's the first messianic prophecy,
S1: by the way. The protoevangelium. That's what it's called, the
S1: first gospel.
S6: Thank you. Yeah.
S1: So we're going to come back. Thank you to hearer
S1: for those questions. And we're going to come right back
S1: with more questions coming up straight ahead.
S7: O come, O come, Emmanuel.
S1: Well, since we're talking about Christmas and Genesis 315, the
S1: first gospel, that was why there was an anticipation of
S1: the Messiah coming because of the predictions in the Hebrew Bible.
S1: We're going to do a very special Christmas pre-record about
S1: many of these prophecies in the Hebrew Bible. Uh, as
S1: a special Christmas program that's coming up in a couple
S1: of weeks. But, uh, nevertheless, uh, Genesis 315 and others,
S1: the we, the three Kings of Orient. Right? Or the
S1: wise men from the East came so it's appropriate to
S1: have a song like that. O come, O come, Emmanuel.
S1: And you know, it's also appropriate for me to remind
S1: you that many people think that Paul is the one
S1: that turned the Bible. The message of Jesus into something
S1: for Gentiles, uh, that that God was finished with the
S1: Jewish people, according to Paul, that there's nothing further from
S1: the truth. And most important is to understand Romans nine
S1: through 11, what Paul's great heart for the Jewish people was.
S1: And so there's a book called The Heart of the Apostle,
S1: and Chosen People Ministries is offering it for free to
S1: Open line listeners. If you'd like a copy of this book,
S1: The Heart of the Apostle, that shows Paul's great love
S1: and concern for his own Jewish people. Uh, that's the
S1: book for you. What you have to do is go
S1: to Open Line radio.org. Scroll down all the way to
S1: the bottom. That's our website Openline radio.org. Scroll to the
S1: bottom and as you scroll down, you'll see a link
S1: that says A Free gift from Chosen People Ministries. Click
S1: on that and you'll be taken to a page where
S1: you can sign up for your own free copy of
S1: The Heart of the Apostle. So I'd like to speak
S1: with Robin in Idaho, listening on 107.9 FM. Welcome to
S1: Open Line. Robin. How can I help you today?
S8: Hi, Michael. Hi. I am just calling and never heard
S8: your show today, but.
S1: This is your first time. Robin. Did we lose Robin? Oh, Robin,
S1: I can't hear you. Okay, we're going to we're going
S1: to put you on hold. Robin. Maybe come back to you. Uh,
S1: Steven in Pennsylvania listening on 107.5 WCAU. Welcome to Open Line. Stephen,
S1: how can I help you?
S9: Oh. Hi, Michael. I have a question for you. And
S9: what it is, is, uh, I know that in the tribulation,
S9: there's going to be 144,000 witnesses. And they're from all
S9: from the nation of Israel. And I was wondering how
S9: how they could come about, like through the years. It's
S9: been a long time since there were 12 tribes. I
S9: think from what my studying has shown, that there was
S9: 12 areas that from the 12 sons of Jacob that
S9: lived in Israel.
S1: Yeah. Stephen, we know about the tribes. So let me
S1: ask you, what is your question? Okay.
S9: Well, it's this is what it is. It's that. Do you?
S9: Do you think that these people that that they are
S9: actually from that tribe, that it remains to this day
S9: that that people are.
S1: Are Jewish people still descendants of the 12 tribes? That's
S1: your question.
S9: Well, that that in the tribulation that they would represent
S9: that that it's pure and true.
S1: Okay. So the 144,000, are they these Jewish people who
S1: are from the 140 or who are the 144,000 from
S1: the 12 tribes? Are they actually descended from the 12 tribes?
S1: So I would say, first of all, today, uh, Jewish
S1: people are actually descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel. Now,
S1: we don't know who what tribe. There's only one tribe
S1: that we actually have kept up to know which tribe
S1: we're from. And that's the tribe of Levi. Because, uh,
S1: There was always the anticipation that the temple would be restored,
S1: so father to son would always relate. Whether you're a priest,
S1: which is from the tribe of Levi, a Levite, or
S1: a or an Israelite, meaning a just one of the
S1: lay people of Israel. So we've always maintained knowledge of
S1: whether a person is a Levite, whether a priest or
S1: a Levite. So that's one thing I like. That's how
S1: I know I'm a Levite, because my dad was a Levite,
S1: his dad was a Levite, and so forth and so
S1: forth and so forth. So that's that's right, right at
S1: the outset. We do know some things. The other thing
S1: is Jewish people have maintained their distinctive Jewish identity. There
S1: may have been some intermarriage in the different countries of
S1: the diaspora, but truth to tell, Jewish people were dispersed
S1: among the Christians and among the Muslim world. And it
S1: was very rare in the 2000 years since the close
S1: of the New Testament 2000 years, almost since the destruction
S1: of the temple where the records were kept. Uh, in
S1: in that time, Jewish people did not intermarry in the
S1: places where they were, because they were forbidden to. The
S1: church wouldn't allow Christians to marry Jewish people, and the
S1: the mullahs wouldn't allow Muslims to marry Muslim women to
S1: marry Jewish men. Uh, a Jewish woman could marry a muslim,
S1: but then they would have to convert to Islam and
S1: they would be lost to the Jewish community. So for
S1: that reason, there was just not a whole lot of intermarriage.
S1: Up until modern times. And so Jewish people have preserved their, uh,
S1: ethnicity through all these years. And the the end result
S1: will be in the tribulation period. Yes. God knows that
S1: there are what tribe people are from, and he will
S1: he keeps good records in heaven there, and he's going
S1: to distinguish who it is that that is the one that, uh,
S1: that that is really Jewish. I, I hope that helps. Uh,
S1: I'm going to quick take a call with Robin. Robin,
S1: just go ahead and ask your question.
S8: Hi. Did I hear you say that God created evil? No, no.
S8: It's contrast to good. It sure sounded like it. No.
S1: The person was asking, why did God allow evil?
S8: Okay.
S1: God is not the author of evil.
S8: Okay. Uh.
S1: And listen, ultimately, you know God. God is sovereign. There
S1: would be no tree of knowledge of good and evil
S1: if he didn't put it there. What I said was
S1: that God created humanity with, uh, untested creaturely. Holiness gave
S1: him the opportunity to obey because, first of all, uh,
S1: so that we wouldn't be automatons. We have to. We.
S1: He didn't want us to be computers or machines. He
S1: wanted us to have choice. And then secondly, and this
S1: is important, why did God allow evil to enter the world?
S1: Because the best of all possible worlds is a world
S1: in which evil has been overcome. That's what I understood.
S8: Okay. Okay. That part I did. But you're leaving out
S8: something very important, I think. Yeah. Where evil originated in
S8: Ezekiel 3815.
S1: Evil originated with the enemy. But why did God allow it?
S1: That's another story. Thanks for your call, Robin. Appreciate it.
S1: Thanks for listening, everyone. That's the first hour. Second hour
S1: is coming up straight ahead, so don't miss it. Check
S1: out our our website open Line radio.org. During the break
S1: our Bible study across America will continue in the second hour,
S1: so stay with us. Open line with Doctor Michael Melnick
S1: is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody
S1: Bible Institute.