S1: Next week, the Jewish people will be celebrating Purim. This
S1: holiday is derived from the Book of Esther in the Bible,
S1: a book which contains a biblical mystery. Stay with me
S1: and we'll talk about that in just a moment. Hello, friends.
S1: Welcome to Open Line, Moody Radio's Bible study across America.
S1: My name is Michael Radonich. I'm the academic dean. I'm
S1: a professor of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute.
S1: I'm so grateful that you're joining me around the radio
S1: kitchen table, because we're talking about your questions about the Bible, God,
S1: and the spiritual life. If you have a question you'd
S1: like to call, the phone number here is (877) 548-3675. Let
S1: me give you a clue. Sometimes people say I can't
S1: get through I try and I try. Well, the way
S1: to get through is to call at the beginning of
S1: the hour. And so if you're listening, you're thinking, I
S1: want to call today. Now's the time to call the
S1: phone number (877) 548-3675. Tricia McMillan is sitting there in the
S1: producer's chair. Omar Mendoza is our tech guy today. Lisa's
S1: answering the phones. We're grateful for that. And the phone
S1: number here again is (877) 548-3675. So go get yourself a
S1: cup of coffee. Open your Bible. We're about to study
S1: the scriptures together. Can you imagine someone writing a history
S1: of the birth of the United States, including the Revolutionary War,
S1: the Constitutional Convention, the first federal government, and omitting George Washington,
S1: the indispensable man? That would be inconceivable. How much more?
S1: When we look at the book of Esther, and the
S1: one who is central to the entire story isn't even mentioned.
S1: That's right. God is never mentioned directly, even one time
S1: in the book of Esther. The book tells of a
S1: Jewish girl, Esther, who becomes the Queen of Persia. Her
S1: cousin Mordecai, who advises her and Haman's ultimately thwarted plot
S1: to destroy all the Jewish people. Jewish people still celebrate
S1: Purim because of this great deliverance. The name of the
S1: festival is derived from the Hebrew word poor, which means lots,
S1: and the book recalls the overturning of Haman's plan, but
S1: it still omits God's name. This certainly couldn't have been
S1: an accident. It's not an oversight. The author must have
S1: had some purpose since Purim, the Jewish holiday that celebrates
S1: the deliverance of the Jewish people in the Book of Esther,
S1: will be celebrated next week. I thought it would be
S1: good to answer the great Purim mystery. Where is God
S1: in the book of Esther? There are four possible answers
S1: that have been given. Some say this is the first one,
S1: that the book is too profane for God to be
S1: in it. According to this view, the King in the
S1: Book of Esther. Xerxes is essential despot. Esther is a
S1: manipulator who uses her beauty to advance herself. Mordecai is
S1: considered insolent because he refused to bow to Haman, and
S1: the whole book is merely about vengeance. One author says, morally,
S1: Esther falls far below the general level of the Old
S1: Testament and even the Apocrypha. A second view is that
S1: the Scroll of Esther is merely nationalistic propaganda, and it
S1: has no spiritual message, since this view, says Esther, is
S1: merely a tale of national defense and struggle against Hellenism,
S1: one commentator said, God forbid that God should appear in
S1: such a story. A third approach is to view the
S1: Book of Esther as a picture, or an allegory in
S1: which God is hidden in the book through various characters.
S1: Mordecai represents the Holy Spirit. The king represents the believer's flesh.
S1: Esther represents the redeemed believer. Haman represents Satan. This allegorical
S1: approach is far too subjective. It's actually far fetched and
S1: we can't take it seriously. A fourth, and the most
S1: likely explanation is that the Book of Esther is about providence.
S1: The book deliberately conceals the name of God to reveal
S1: his actions. Providence means that God is lovingly guiding all
S1: of history with his good purposes and intentions. It refers
S1: to God's invisible hand. Someone wants to find Providence as God,
S1: performing a miracle but deciding to remain anonymous. The Scroll
S1: of Esther reveals that the Jewish people had adopted the
S1: Persian culture, but forgotten their god. The message of this
S1: book is that even when Israel forgets God, God always
S1: remembers his people. So the name of God is deliberately
S1: left out, just as the Jewish people of Persia had
S1: left him out of their lives. It declares that God
S1: is working even when we don't acknowledge him. Providence is
S1: evident throughout the Book of Esther. Here are just a
S1: few examples. It's all the just happens. Esther just happens
S1: to find favor with the royal official in charge of
S1: the beauty contest. Mordecai just happens to overhear the plot
S1: To against the king. The king just happens to welcome
S1: and point his scepter at Esther. The king just happens
S1: to have insomnia and hear the story of Mordecai saving him.
S1: And Haman, the genocidal maniac and hater of Jews, just
S1: happens to perish on the very day that he planned
S1: to murder all the Jewish people, and on the very
S1: gallows that he prepared for Mordecai. Well, what does this
S1: all have to do with today? Well, first of all,
S1: God was active in preserving the Jewish people so the
S1: Messiah Jesus could come if God hadn't intervened in the
S1: days of Esther. The Messiah wouldn't have been born. God
S1: secured the safety of the Jewish people so the Jewish
S1: Messiah could come and redeem the whole world. Second, God
S1: remains active in preserving and protecting the Jewish people today
S1: and always in light of the huge explosion of anti-Semitism
S1: around the world and in particular in the United States.
S1: In fact, in the United States, there's been a 400%
S1: increase in anti-Semitic incidents in 2024 alone. Well, this should
S1: give us comfort to know that God will always keep
S1: his promises and preserve the Jewish people. Third, God is
S1: active in the lives of all followers of Jesus today,
S1: caring for us, accomplishing his purposes, protecting us even if
S1: we neglect him sometimes. All those coincidences that happen for
S1: our good are not coincidences at all. They're the invisible
S1: hand of God, working all things together for our good.
S1: To this day, the Jewish people continue to celebrate their
S1: deliverance by God from the genocidal plans of Haman. The
S1: celebrations include reading the Scroll of Esther in the synagogue,
S1: complete with noisemakers, to drown out the name of Haman
S1: every time his name is read. It's also customary to
S1: deliver baskets of foods and sweets to neighbours, just as
S1: in the Book of Esther, chapter nine, verse 22, it's
S1: customary to eat tri cornered pastries reminiscent of Haman's hat, or,
S1: some say, his ears. It's reminiscent, and as a result,
S1: we perform plays re-enacting the defeat, reenacting the defeat of Haman.
S1: And in light of Hitler's Holocaust, these celebrations have broadened
S1: their meaning to remember God's preservation of his people at
S1: all other times. And so, just as the Passover liturgy states,
S1: we remember, for not only one enemy has risen up
S1: against us in every generation they rise up to destroy us.
S1: But the Holy One, blessed be he, always delivers us
S1: from their hands. Well, I hope that will be an
S1: encouragement to you the next time you read the Book
S1: of Esther, and maybe a good week to read it
S1: as you prepare for Purim. Well, we're going to go
S1: to the phones right now. We're going to talk to
S1: Patty in Arlington Heights, Illinois, listening on Wmbi. Welcome to
S1: Open Line, Patty. How can I help you today?
S2: Thank you. Michael, my friend posed a question to me
S2: the other day. Is it commonplace for kings to ride
S2: into the city of Jerusalem on mules or donkeys? She
S2: read that in the Book of Kings. And I said, well,
S2: I know the Messiah did, but I didn't know anybody
S2: else did. Is that a normal thing?
S1: Well, in fact, that's what was considered something that, uh, like,
S1: for example, uh, behold, your king comes to you, uh,
S1: and the Lord Jesus comes on, on a riding on
S1: a donkey. It was I've heard some people say, well,
S1: that's the royal animal. I think that the verse in
S1: Zechariah nine nine. By the time Zechariah is writing in
S1: the Post-exilic age, kings are not coming in on donkeys,
S1: and that's why it says he's coming to you lowly
S1: and seated upon a donkey. So a horse would be
S1: what you would expect the king to come on, not
S1: a donkey. Uh, and so, uh, and of course, we
S1: have the imagery of the Lord Jesus returning in revelation 19,
S1: and he returns. How? On a white horse. So I
S1: think that not.
S2: I'll pass that on.
S1: Great. Okay. Thanks for your call. Really appreciate it. And
S1: we're going to talk to Theo in Stickney, Illinois, listening
S1: on wmbi. Hi, Theo. How can I help you today?
S3: Um. Shh.
S4: Wait wait, wait. Theo, before you ask me a question,
S4: are you. Are you all.
S1: Alone? Are you with your folks?
S3: I just I'm just talking to somebody. Okay.
S1: Ah! Hey. Hey, Theo. You know what? Uh. Are you
S1: alone yet? So that you can. We can hear you.
S3: I'm not lonely at my grandma's. Still by me.
S5: Hear, hear.
S1: Oh, good. Well, I'm glad your grandma's by you. You. Hello.
S1: You keep. You keep talking. How old are you? Theo. Hey,
S1: I'm not sure. Theo. How old are you?
S3: I'm six.
S1: You're six years old. And you decided to call the
S1: program by yourself, or did someone put you up to it?
S3: My grandma put me up to it.
S1: I thought so. Yeah. And so your grandma listens to
S1: the program? She thought you. Did you ask her this
S1: question first?
S3: Um, yes.
S1: Yes. Okay. And how? What grade are you in, Theo?
S3: First.
S1: First grade. Okay. And do you go to school or
S1: are you homeschooled? How do you go to school?
S3: I'm going to school. I'm not at home.
S1: At home? You're homeschooled. Gotcha.
S6: No, I'm not okay.
S3: I'm not. I'm not at homeschool. I'm at regular school.
S6: Oh.
S1: Are you okay? Good good good good. Do you still
S1: have first grade? You're studying everything. Do you have a
S1: favorite subject?
S3: Yes, it's kind of. It's Jim.
S1: Jim. That's always was my favorite subject, too. That's great. Well, Theo,
S1: what's your question? Maybe I can help you.
S3: Is God real or not? I might not. My grandma
S3: told me that he was there always in the sky
S3: when nothing was there. Well, I'm kind of. It's hard
S3: to believe.
S1: Huh? Well, what do you think is harder to believe
S1: that God always Existed or that this world came out
S1: of nothing. Think about it. You know that there's an
S1: old thing that nothing comes from nothing, that there's always
S1: something that causes anything else. Like, for example, do you
S1: have a favorite toy?
S3: Um, yes. It's my Legos.
S7: What is it?
S1: Your Legos. Ah, my grandson loves Legos, too. Now, do
S1: you think those Legos just appeared, or were they made?
S7: No.
S1: Well, who made them?
S6: They were.
S3: Made.
S1: At a factory, right? At a toy factory?
S6: Yeah, right.
S3: They were.
S1: And and, uh. And that's the point. When you look
S1: at the world, it's really important to remember that this
S1: world didn't come from nothing. The Bible teaches us that
S1: God alone is the Eternal One. He always existed. And
S1: then everything else that came. The very first part of
S1: creation came because God created it. We. When we look
S1: at the world, we have to assume that there's a creator.
S1: And not only that, he's the master engineer. Think about
S1: how great this world is, how everything works just so wonderfully.
S1: The sun comes up and the and the earth rotates,
S1: and all the things that we're supposed to know about
S1: the world. How does that all happen without a great
S1: designer making it happen? So I think it's important to
S1: listen to your grandma and believe her when she says
S1: that God is absolutely real. But I'm going to tell
S1: you one more thing. God not only made the world,
S1: he not only designed it to be perfectly, but the
S1: Bible teaches that he made you, and he designed you
S1: perfectly because he has a wonderful purpose and plan for
S1: your life. He wants to use you in a great way.
S8: So would you be like Jesus?
S3: I it is. It was. It's really easy to believe
S3: that Jesus rose again because literally, there's an afterlife. It
S3: kind of, um, it makes a lot of sense how
S3: he died for our sins.
S9: We're having some technical difficulties with Michael's connection. But, Theo,
S9: thank you so much. I'm glad that's making sense to you. Um.
S9: And that we could have this. Um, we're going to
S9: take a break, and we'll come back and reconnect with Michael.
S9: You're listening to Moody Radio's Open Line with doctor Michael Melnick.
S9: I'm producer Trish McMillan. We'll be back in just a moment.
S10: What did he say? What happened? Okay.
S1: And we're back. Seemed that had a little bit of
S1: a technological technology glitch there. I'm glad that Tricia was
S1: able to pick up the the microphone and keep on going. Uh,
S1: glad that, uh, you know, it's always great to have
S1: a team like we have at Open Line. I don't
S1: know how I could do it without this team and
S1: Tricia picking up the the the break. There is just
S1: an example of why a team is so necessary. Omar, uh,
S1: part of the team, uh, getting getting me back connected
S1: in with the studio. Into the studio. My studio. Into
S1: the studio there. So that's that's really about teamwork. And
S1: I so appreciate it. I met a member of the
S1: team last week that I didn't even think about. It's
S1: a it's someone that that hosts, uh, on their station.
S1: It's one of our affiliates. They have open line and
S1: the station manager said to me, uh, I'm a kitchen
S1: table partner. And I thought, really? He not only has
S1: the program on his local station, but he's also a
S1: kitchen table partner. And that's part of the team, too.
S1: We've got a lot of partners, and they are the
S1: ones who, uh, help keep us on the air by
S1: giving every month. They keep us on the air every week.
S1: And so if if you are interested in becoming a
S1: kitchen table partner, one of the things that we do
S1: is every other week we send out a Bible study moment.
S1: Trish and I prepare it, and it's a Bible study
S1: moment designed to give you a little brief Bible study
S1: about 8 or 10 minutes. It's a way of saying
S1: thank you for being part of the team. If you're
S1: interested in becoming part of the team, all you have
S1: to do is call 447122. That's (888) 644-7122. Or go to
S1: open line radio.org. And we're going to go to the
S1: phones right now. Uh, and our uh next caller is
S1: Amy in Chicago listening on Wmbi. Welcome to Open Line, Amy.
S1: How can I help you?
S11: Good morning, Doctor Adele. God bless you.
S1: Thank you.
S11: Um, I have a question that's really not important, but
S11: is something I've been wondering about. Like, okay, this morning
S11: I was reading Psalm 130, which says, and it's this
S11: particular phrase that I'm wondering about. It's he's talking about
S11: how his hope is in the Lord and he's waiting
S11: on the Lord. And he says, I wait on the
S11: Lord more than they that watch for morning. And I'm
S11: wondering what what is the context of this in ancient times?
S11: Do you happen to know what? Who are the people.
S1: That.
S11: Wait for the morning?
S1: Yeah, The the idea is that every city had watchmen
S1: on the walls and they were watching not just for
S1: the to make sure that no enemy was coming and
S1: that people were safe, but they waited for the morning
S1: when they could see better, because the most dangerous time
S1: was when attack would come. And at night. And so
S1: they would watch not just through the night, but they
S1: would watch for the morning to come, because it would
S1: always be safer than a surprise attack at night. And
S1: so that's there was a real longing, a desire for
S1: morning to come.
S6: And I.
S1: Think it's, uh, Isaiah 62 that talks about the watchmen
S1: on the walls. Uh, uh, it says, uh, Isaiah 62 six, uh, Jerusalem.
S1: I have appointed Watchmen on your walls. They will never
S1: be silent day or night. There is no rest for
S1: you who remind the Lord. Do not give him rest
S1: until he establishes and makes Jerusalem the praise of the earth.
S1: And so it's using the watchmen on the walls, kind
S1: of metaphorically there to represent, just as there are watchmen
S1: on the walls to protect the city. So there are
S1: a watchmen on the walls for the Jewish people, praying
S1: for them and protecting and seeking God's help. So that's, uh,
S1: that's what that's about. Does that help, Amy?
S11: Absolutely. Thank you so much. God bless.
S6: You.
S1: Thanks for your call. Appreciate it. Uh, Judy in Round
S1: Lake Beach, Illinois, listening on wmbi. Welcome to Open Line.
S1: How can I help you?
S12: I was hoping you could help explain, um, the feast
S12: of Passover and what we have traditionally called Good Friday
S12: as believers. And I've heard it both ways. Um, for
S12: years and years I was taught, oh, Jesus was crucified
S12: on Friday. And then someone explained, well, it was probably
S12: Thursday because of the High Holy Days. Can you explain
S12: all that to me?
S1: Well, it's it's kind of complicated, but I do think
S1: he was crucified on Friday. Uh, the reason that people
S1: say that it was Thursday is, uh, that they are
S1: looking for, uh, a an explanation because Jesus says in
S1: Matthew 12 that the Son of Man will be in
S1: the belly of the earth for three days and three nights.
S1: And so they get out their fingers and they count
S1: three days and three nights and Friday, Saturday, Sunday just
S1: doesn't compute to three days and three nights. And so
S1: they say Thursday. And then there's a reference in the
S1: book of Mark to the high holiday, the High Sabbath, actually.
S1: And so the the explanation, I think that's more reasonable
S1: is that in both the Bible and Jewish literature of
S1: that time, they use something called inclusive time reckoning. Inclusive
S1: time reckoning. And what inclusive time reckoning means is that
S1: any part of a day constitutes a day and a night.
S1: So it's just a term. It's used in the Book
S1: of Esther, for example. Uh, Esther had them pray for
S1: three days and three nights, but it was on the
S1: third day that deliverance came. So, uh, that she was
S1: able to go to see the King. So the point being, uh, that, uh,
S1: when it says three days and three nights, it just
S1: means a part of three days. So Friday would be
S1: a day and a night. Saturday would be a day
S1: and a night, and Sunday morning would be a day
S1: and a night. It's just an idiomatic expression for three days. Uh,
S1: and then the other issue is there's no evidence of
S1: Passover ever being called a high holy day, which is
S1: what you have to believe, uh, for the high Sabbath
S1: thing that that happens, uh, in the book of Mark
S1: that mentions it's just talking about Sabbath, and it's considered
S1: a high Sabbath because it's the weekend of Passover. And
S1: if you go back in the Jewish calendar, uh, that, uh,
S1: first night of Passover was Thursday night, and then Friday
S1: was the the day of the Passover in A.D. 33.
S1: And it was on a Friday that the Lord Jesus
S1: was crucified. So that's how I understand it. But you
S1: know what? Uh, it's kind of, uh, I hope that
S1: explains it somewhat to you, but there's a little more
S1: detailed explanation. In a book I wrote called 50 Most
S1: Important Bible Questions. And, uh, maybe what you could do
S1: is you hang on. Trish will get your name and number, Judy,
S1: and I'll mail you a copy. We'll mail you a
S1: copy of 50 most important Bible questions. Okay?
S12: Okay. Well, I have one of the Chosen People calendars
S12: you had mentioned on the program, and I have one
S12: of those. And this year I think Passover is on
S12: the previous Thursday, like the week before. So I was
S12: wondering if anybody traced it back to see which day
S12: it was that year.
S6: Yeah, yeah.
S1: It was on a Friday.
S6: Uh, it.
S12: Was on a Friday.
S1: Yes. The first day. Uh, and and just so you know,
S1: that that there's a difference between when Passover and Good
S1: Friday come out today is because since the Council of Nicaea.
S1: The date of the observance of the crucifixion has changed,
S1: and and the Christian calendar is based on a solar calendar,
S1: and the Jewish calendar is based on a lunar calendar.
S1: So since the fourth century, things are really different. So
S1: you hang on and what we're going to do is
S1: send you a copy of the 50 Most Important Bible questions.
S1: That'll go into it a little bit more detailed. And
S1: if you're listening and you think, I have a lot
S1: of Bible questions and I can't always get through, what
S1: you can do is you can go to your local
S1: Christian bookstore and pick up that Moody Publishers book I
S1: wrote called 50 Most Important Bible Questions that probably the
S1: most common questions that we get here on Open Line.
S1: And I'm always grateful that when someone asks a question
S1: that I actually answered on in the book 50 Most
S1: Important Bible Questions because because that that gives me confidence
S1: that that I, I really did answer the right ones.
S1: So anyway, we're going to come right back with more
S1: of your questions in just a moment. In fact, the
S1: mailbag is coming in with Tricia in just a bit
S1: the Febc mailbag. So don't go away. You're listening to
S1: Open Line with Michael Radonich. Welcome back to Open Line.
S1: It's time for the Febc mailbag. Febc far Eastern Broadcasting
S1: Company partners with Open Line to bring us the mailbag
S1: every week. And I so appreciate this ministry. They bring
S1: the gospel to people all around the globe with the
S1: use of media and also personal engagement with people. People
S1: to people. I so appreciate this ministry. You should check
S1: out their their podcast. It's called Until All I've Heard.
S1: The way to find out about Febc and the podcast
S1: is by going to their website febc.org. And joining me
S1: right now, back from being away for a couple of weeks. Uh,
S1: is Tricia McMillan here? How you doing, Tricia.
S9: I'm doing okay. Yeah.
S1: Okay. Hey, so here's a really interesting thing that one
S1: of the most common questions I get from people is,
S1: how did we get the Bible? You know, I love
S1: the Bible, but how did we get it? How do
S1: we know it's inspired? How do they choose the books?
S1: You know, after The Da Vinci Code, people are like, well,
S1: was there some conspiracy in choosing the books? Uh, how
S1: did how did they get it transmitted down from generation
S1: to generation? How did they translate it? Like, for example,
S1: what version of the Bible do you usually use?
S9: I mostly use the ESV, the English Standard version, and
S9: then my fallback is the new American standard. Yeah.
S1: See. And I use the the Hcsb, the Holman Christian
S1: Standard Bible. And then I also fall back to the
S1: new American Standard. Or if I'm really, really serious, I
S1: read the Hebrew and the Greek, but that's not what
S1: everyone else can do. So but anyway, the the the
S1: reason I mention this is because I get this question
S1: so much. Here's the resource I've picked for this month
S1: and next month. It's called The Story of the Bible.
S1: It's written by a friend of mine, Carl Laney. Uh,
S1: and it takes you on this journey to understand from
S1: inspiration to canon to transmission, copying the texts, ultimately to
S1: English translation. And it really shows how God worked to
S1: preserve his word. And that's that's the resource that we're
S1: using this month and next. And if anyone would like
S1: to give a gift to Open Line, it's theirs. Uh,
S1: as our thank you to them. Uh, it's it's theirs.
S1: All you have to do is give a gift of
S1: any size and ask for the story of the Bible.
S1: It's a really wonderful little book, and it will really
S1: help you with those questions. Uh, if you'd like to
S1: give a gift, go to Open Line radio.org or call (888) 644-7122.
S1: And make sure to ask for the story of the
S1: Bible by Carl Laney. Have you seen the book yet, Tricia?
S9: I have, I haven't had time to look through it.
S9: It arrived.
S1: Yeah, it arrived and I'm so glad I saw it.
S1: And I thought, yep. When I first, you know, I
S1: found this book. He's a friend of mine. I saw
S1: that he published it, and I found the book, and I.
S1: He didn't send me a copy. Well, not that good
S1: a friend, huh? So he just. I bought a copy,
S1: and I just liked it so much that I said, hey,
S1: let's use this as a resource.
S9: Yeah. And when there's a good resource, we want to
S9: pass that on as a thank you.
S1: Yeah. And, you know, we've got an unusual audience about
S1: the resources we use. I listen to some of the
S1: other radio programs that have resources, and they're not quite
S1: as content driven as Open line listeners. Like. They like
S1: to know books that are. I think it's because they
S1: love the Bible. Our listeners and they. Okay. Well, give
S1: me a book that explains something to me that really
S1: helps me. And and that's why I think they respond
S1: to books like this.
S9: Yes. And I think that the books that the resources
S9: that we find are designed to help you in your
S9: Bible study. We're really trying to focus on resources that
S9: would talk about or help you study the Bible, God
S9: or theology and the spiritual life. And so those kinds
S9: of things, um, are what we're looking to help you do,
S9: because that's what we're trying to do on the program.
S9: And so we're out of out of that. We're also
S9: trying to pick resources that would also help you do that.
S1: Yeah yeah I agree. So hey, well, let's let's get
S1: to the mailbag.
S9: All right. Again these are these are also a little
S9: bit different than some of the questions we've had before.
S9: So I love it. Um, and this one from Lori.
S9: She wrote us on Facebook and said, did Moses, Joshua
S9: and other Old Testament authors walk around with pen and
S9: papyrus or the New Testament authors? Were they following Jesus
S9: with no pads of some sort, like they're depicted in
S9: The Chosen? And then I have a yeah, go ahead.
S1: Well, like they're depicted in The Chosen. I think that's
S1: kind of funny. Well, I don't know if they walked
S1: around with it or what they did. I know Moses
S1: had I'm sure they carried things with them, but I
S1: don't when I picture when I am. And in my mind,
S1: I can't speak to this absolutely, categorically. But I think
S1: Moses had a lot of time on his hands, for example,
S1: because of the wilderness wanderings. And he, you know, 40
S1: years in the wilderness. So he just sat down and
S1: would go into his tent, his sukkah, he would take
S1: out his papyrus or his actually probably was more leather
S1: than papyrus, uh, his skin that he would write on.
S1: And then he would write there. I don't think he
S1: carried around with him like a memo book and the
S1: same thing, I don't know, I haven't seen that part
S1: of The chosen where they carry around paper. Uh, but, uh,
S1: I think the same thing that, uh, first of all,
S1: because writing and reading, reading was common, but, you know,
S1: billboards and all the different things that we see all
S1: the time, all the it wasn't quite as common. So
S1: people had a much greater memory. And so they would
S1: really work to remember and memorize what they saw and,
S1: and heard. And I think as a result of that,
S1: then they would go and write it down after they
S1: memorized it. And so what you have when Matthew writes
S1: the book of Matthew somewhere, I think in the mid 40s,
S1: that's I put it very early in the mid 40s,
S1: about 12, 13 years after the resurrection of of Jesus.
S1: He's writing it down from memory, and maybe he had
S1: taken some notes through the years after, let's say he
S1: heard the sermon on the Mount, and then he wrote
S1: it down. But then what he does when he writes
S1: his book, The First of the Gospels, he puts it
S1: together in a literary fashion. He's got a structure to
S1: it that he wants to follow. And, uh, and so
S1: they're not writing down. They're not they were not like, uh.
S9: Like journalists, like at a, at a press conference where
S9: they've got their notepads or their iPads. Now, obviously they
S9: wouldn't have had iPads, but where they have their little
S9: notebooks and they're just taking notes and writing down the
S9: quotes in this.
S1: Even more so they're not court stenographers is what I
S1: wanted to say. Okay. You know who who get down
S1: every word. Exactly. Even the US and the ums. Yeah.
S1: You know.
S9: Okay. So now you you had mentioned my follow up
S9: to this is you had mentioned a few weeks ago,
S9: we had talked about, um, the, um, the people that
S9: it was a passing comment, but I'm, I was teaching
S9: through my Sunday school class, teaching about the the exodus
S9: and the wilderness time in the Pentateuch. And Moses had
S9: selected 70 leaders to help him lead. And they had
S9: even leaders. There were like leaders to the, you know,
S9: a leader for the hundreds and the leaders for the
S9: down to the tens kind of a thing.
S1: To take tens.
S9: Yes. To to to help him lead these people and
S9: answer these questions that they had that that he just
S9: didn't need to spend his time on while he was
S9: also leading these people through. And you made some passing
S9: comment about that may have been so that he could
S9: be writing down the law. I was like, what? Like that.
S9: Had I I've never actually thought about like, when would
S9: he have written all of these words, which I have
S9: to imagine the specificity of the law in the Pentateuch
S9: in those first, you know, those, um, Exodus, Leviticus, numbers, Deuteronomy,
S9: those would be very important, much like a court stenographer.
S9: But but that, that that you were like, that's that
S9: would be part of the reason that he didn't need
S9: to settle these disputes between brother and brother or different
S9: tribes and things. And he also needed to write down
S9: the first five books of the Bible. And I was like, oh,
S9: you're right, because he has to do that before he dies.
S9: He dies at the end. So somewhere he has written
S9: that down.
S6: And.
S1: I think it's really important to understand the, the Torah,
S1: the it's one book really. Genesis in five volumes. And
S1: it's a story. Yeah. And, uh, you know, you've got
S1: you've got creation, you've got the patriarchs, you've got the
S1: deliverance from Egypt, you've got that whole story. Then all
S1: of a sudden laws get dropped in. Uh, I like
S1: to consider it. So think about it. I think Moses
S1: was very quick to write down the laws as he
S1: received them from God. Like when he went up on
S1: top of Mount Sinai, he wrote them down. But that's
S1: really not the Torah, what the Torah is. He took
S1: those laws and dropped them into the narrative. Uh, it's
S1: like the way I when I teach at Moody, I
S1: show a screen with the narrative, you know, just a
S1: timeline with the different creation. Uh, and primeval history, patriarchal history,
S1: redemptive history from Exodus, wanderings. And then a bag of
S1: laws gets dropped in, and it. And the timeline kind
S1: of animates and goes all around the bag of laws.
S1: And it's a book about the law. It's a story
S1: of how God gave the law to Israel. It's not
S1: the law itself. It's the story about the law. Okay?
S1: And it's and there's there's real. We're taking too long
S1: on this, but it may help people. There's real literary
S1: art in that book. One of the things that that
S1: you can see is that there's a long narrative. Then
S1: there's a this happens four times long narrative, long, long story.
S1: Then there's a poem or a song like in Genesis
S1: one through 48. And then there's Genesis 49, this oracle
S1: by In Poetic Fashion by Jacob. Then there's an epilogue,
S1: the death of Jacob and Joseph. And then you start
S1: the next story, which is the enslavement in Egypt and
S1: God's deliverance, then the song of Moses, and then the
S1: travel to Sinai is the epilogue, and then you've got
S1: the next story and it goes on and on like that.
S1: And so it shows. Narrative poem, epilogue. It shows structure.
S1: Moses wasn't just saying, where do I dump the laws, right?
S1: He had a whole strategy in what he was doing.
S9: And I think even, even the reminder that the Bible
S9: has structure, each book has structure. And each author, even
S9: if they had written down notes, they went back and
S9: they added the structure, or they wrote it with structure,
S9: depending on who it was. They may have done that too. Um,
S9: but that there is it's not just like I think
S9: we think about those first five books, like, oh, this
S9: is the law, okay. And I just have to slug
S9: through it. And it's really hard. I've been surprised in
S9: teaching through it that how many, how many again, how
S9: many stories I've read it before, but how many stories
S9: are in there? This narrative that you're talking about is there.
S9: And then there's, you know, 2 or 3 chapters of
S9: laws or Are more but but often I think at
S9: this time of the year, this beginning part of the year,
S9: people can get lost in, oh no, I have to
S9: read through all of these laws and in even just
S9: the idea is overwhelming. And so they may not even
S9: start or they'll just skip it. But there's a lot
S9: of narrative in there.
S6: Yeah.
S1: And there are blocks of laws that's very interesting to
S1: me there. There are whole sections and then they have narrative.
S1: One of the things you're going to find is every
S1: time Israel sins, they get another block of law and
S1: the sin leads to the next block. And the point
S1: of that is, is someone I think it may well,
S1: I know it was Paul in the book of Galatians
S1: the law was added because of transgression. Yeah. So, hey,
S1: we're going to take a break here. All right, Tricia, but, uh,
S1: it's interesting. I think Paul was reading the Torah as
S1: a narrative, and that's how he got the law was
S1: added because of transgression. Well, we're going to come back
S1: with more of your questions right here on Open Line.
S1: That was Tricia McMillan. I'm Mike Radonich. We're glad to
S1: be with you and talking about the scriptures together with you.
S1: Stay with us. We'll be right back. Welcome back to
S1: Open Line. So glad to be with you today. You know,
S1: people often ask me, do Jewish people still need to
S1: hear about the Messiah Jesus? Do they still need to
S1: put their trust in him? Well, I think it's absolutely
S1: essential that Jewish people hear the good news. And there's
S1: a booklet that Chosen People Ministries is offering. It's called
S1: To the Jewish People First, to the Jew First. And
S1: it was written by Doctor Al Mohler, who is the
S1: president of Southern Baptist Seminary, He said that the cause
S1: of reaching Jewish people with the good news is the
S1: test of faithfulness to the gospel today, that we have
S1: to continue with that commitment. And I think it's a
S1: great booklet. I hope you'll you'll get a copy of it.
S1: The way to get it is by going to our website.
S1: That's Openline radio.org. Scroll down. You'll see a link that
S1: says A free gift from Chosen People Ministries. Click on that.
S1: You'll be taken to a link where you can sign
S1: up a form that you can fill out and sign
S1: up for your very own copy of Al Mohler's booklet
S1: To the Jew first. And we're going to talk now
S1: with Mike in Alabama, uh, listening on Wmw. So glad
S1: you called. Let me just remind people the phone number here, (877) 548-3675. Uh,
S1: you can give us a call right now. We've got
S1: a couple of lines open, and, Mike, uh, Calling from
S1: Alabama on Wmw. How can I help you today?
S13: Thank you for taking my call. And good morning to you.
S13: I'm wondering about Hebrews chapter six, verses four, five and six.
S13: It came up in Wednesday night Bible study. The you're
S13: not going to be able to restore that person crucifying
S13: Christ afresh. What are your thoughts on it?
S1: What are your thoughts on it?
S13: Well, what came up was can you lose your salvation?
S13: And yeah, there's there was three points made. Yes you can.
S13: No you can't. And the writer of Hebrews is just
S13: trying to scare them to death, to stay into Christianity
S13: and not go back into Judaism. Uh, but my personal
S13: thought is that these people were never saved.
S6: Mhm.
S1: Well, it's it's kind of an interesting discussion. I had
S1: a real hard time with this passage. I really believed
S1: in the security of the believer. Or even better, I
S1: like to call it the perseverance of the Savior, not
S1: the perseverance of the saints that Jesus holds us. But
S1: I came to this passage and it really bothered me.
S1: And I remember being a freshman at Bible college and
S1: bringing it up in class when we were talking about
S1: the security of the believer, and the professor tried to
S1: give me all sorts of explanations that just didn't satisfy me.
S1: And then finally he said, I'm going to teach you
S1: one of the most important Bible principles that you'll ever learn.
S1: And I was ready, and it really is, he said,
S1: always interpret the unclear in light of the clear.
S13: Right.
S1: And what that means is what is the clear teaching
S1: of Scripture. Then you come to something against it. You've
S1: got to kind of build your interpretation of that over
S1: what overall what Scripture says. And I'm going to share
S1: with you one of the clearest verses there is. Uh,
S1: it's John six, and in John six it says, all
S1: that the father gives me will come to me. You
S1: know that verse, I think, uh, yeah.
S13: Where he says he never lost no one.
S1: Uh, here's what he says of all that he has
S1: given me. This is the I've only come to do
S1: the will of the one who sent me. And then
S1: he says in verse, uh, uh, this is the will,
S1: verse 39, this is the will of him who sent me,
S1: that I should lose none of those he has given me,
S1: but raise them up on the last day. And so
S1: Jesus stakes his entire identity as the Messiah on the
S1: fact that he cannot lose one of us. So I
S1: hope that clear teaching of Scripture that nothing will ever
S1: separate us from the love of God that's in Messiah.
S1: In Romans eight, the clear teaching of Scripture that we
S1: are sealed with the spirit until the day of redemption.
S1: And who's going to break that seal? No one. Uh,
S1: all those are good evidence that we are secure. However,
S1: Hebrews six is a difficult passage, but I'll tell you
S1: what clears it up for me. First of all, in
S1: Hebrews three six it says that Christ was faithful as
S1: a son over his household, and we are that household.
S1: If we hold on to the courage and confession of confidence,
S1: of our hope. But if we don't hold on to it,
S1: then what it's saying is that we are not his household.
S1: In other words, if we don't hold fast, we're not
S1: his household. Uh 314 if we hold firm until the end,
S1: the reality we had at the start, we have become
S1: companions of the Messiah. If we hold firmly, if we
S1: don't hold firmly, then we have not become companions of
S1: the Messiah. And then in chapter six, when it starts
S1: describing those moving on, a lot of people think he's saying,
S1: leave the elementary message, meaning the the foundational principles of
S1: being a Christian. But that's not what he's saying. When
S1: he says leave the elementary message. He's talking about the
S1: Old Testament predictive element about the Messiah. And the reason
S1: I know this, he says that we have to move
S1: on from teachings about ritual washings. In verse two that's
S1: talking about Old Testament washings, not about Christian baptism. So
S1: he's telling them, you need to move on from an
S1: Old Testament faith to a full New Testament faith. You
S1: have to move on from looking for the Messiah to
S1: to believing in the Messiah. And, uh, then what? He says,
S1: if you abandon this faith now, it's impossible to renew
S1: you to repentance. Uh, you've come close. You've tasted, you've
S1: been in the congregation. You've seen the signs and power.
S1: If you abandon the faith now. And that's what they
S1: were thinking of doing because they were being persecuted.
S6: Right?
S1: There's nothing going to renew you. So it's not talking
S1: about losing your salvation. It's talking about you need to
S1: get saved. Is what he's saying to these Jewish people.
S1: You need to go to the. The to a full faith,
S1: a complete faith in the Messiah. Not just some sort of.
S1: Superficial that you're going to abandon until such time that
S1: the persecution goes away. That's his warning in Hebrews six.
S1: So I hope that helps, uh, understand it when, uh. Uh,
S1: just trust the that which is clear, uh, rather than unclear.
S1: Interpret the unclear in light of the clear. Well, thanks
S1: for your call. Thanks for listening. That's the first hour.
S1: We're going to come back with more questions in the
S1: second hour. Check it out. Uh, our web page, open
S1: line radio.org. During the break, uh, shows you everything you're
S1: looking for. Our Bible study across America will continue in
S1: the second hour, so stay with us. Open line with
S1: Doctor Michael Radonich is a production of Moody Radio, a
S1: ministry of Moody Bible Institute. Stay with us. We'll be back.