S1: Why do so many of us evangelicals ignore or minimize
S1: the Jewishness of the New Covenant? How does that impact
S1: the way we view the end times? And where does
S1: the American church fit into all of this? Those are
S1: big questions with important answers. We'll dig into them. Coming
S1: up today on the land and the book. Plus, we'll
S1: make you the smartest kid on the block as you
S1: join us for Bible questions and Charlie's answers. That's all
S1: ahead on our program. Again, we call it the Land.
S1: In the book, our host is the one and only
S1: doctor Charlie Dyer, Middle East expert, author, conference speaker. I'm
S1: John Jaeger and Charlie. Many people wonder, how do I
S1: share the gospel with my Jewish friend? It's a good question.
S1: And the question, though, recognizes the need that we have
S1: for a sensitive approach to sharing with Jewish people. Yeah, John.
S1: And that's why our friends.
S2: At Life in Messiah want to help answer that question.
S2: They put together a series of helpful articles on how
S2: you can share the good news with Jewish people around you.
S2: You'll learn about Jewish cultural sensitivities, how anti-Semitism affects Jewish evangelism,
S2: the importance of messianic prophecy, and more. To access the articles,
S2: visit Life in Messiah. Org click on the Moody Radio
S2: logo and sign up. You'll receive the articles to equip
S2: you with practical ways to share the good news with
S2: Jewish people around you or online. Again, click on the
S2: moody radio icon at Life in messiah.org.
S1: Well, as the war between Israel and Hamas continues, two
S1: key questions remain unchanged. First, what was Hamas trying to
S1: achieve by starting a war and then continuing to fight
S1: even as Gaza is being decimated? And second, why didn't
S1: Hezbollah or Iran do more to aid Hamas? Or are
S1: we just now maybe starting to see that take place?
S2: Well, the one key thing we need to remember is
S2: that Hamas is driven by its religious beliefs. All the
S2: land belongs to Allah. So Israel needs to be eliminated
S2: and replaced by a muslim government that will implement Sharia law.
S2: Now they knew their attack wouldn't topple Israel, but they
S2: hope to shake Israel's faith in itself by capturing as
S2: many hostages as possible, and then by hiding in their
S2: tunnels and using Gaza's civilians as human shields. They hope
S2: to cause more Israeli casualties, while also bringing about a
S2: worldwide condemnation on Israel. For all the casualties, and at
S2: least to some extent, their plans succeeded. A report earlier
S2: this week said the initial attack plan was originally prepared
S2: back in 2014, and then updated in 2021. While Hamas
S2: might have underestimated the ferocity of Israel's response to their attack.
S2: They kept fighting, believing the hostages and worldwide pressure will
S2: eventually force Israel to stop and withdraw. And as long
S2: as the leadership is still alive and in place, they'll
S2: claim victory. Now, Hezbollah and Iran didn't jump in to
S2: help Hamas, at least to the extent Hamas hoped for
S2: two reasons. First. Hezbollah and Iran are Shiite Muslims, while
S2: Hamas are Sunnis. There's an underlying religious conflict between the two.
S2: And second, Iran wasn't yet ready for an all out
S2: conflict with Israel. Hezbollah could harm Israel with its rockets,
S2: but Israel could also demolish Hezbollah and much of southern
S2: Lebanon in an all out war. And Israel also has
S2: the means of hitting Iran. Iran doesn't want that to
S2: happen until it's developed nuclear weapons that it can use
S2: as a threat for retaliation. That's why, at least so far,
S2: they've been engaged only enough to be able to claim
S2: they do support the Palestinians, but not enough to lead
S2: to an all out war. However, the potential still remains
S2: for the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah to escalate should
S2: either side miscalculate. The US is trying to defuse the situation,
S2: though it's unclear how effective those efforts will be now. Hopefully,
S2: we'll see a decline in provocation along Israel's northern border
S2: with Lebanon as the fighting in Gaza begins to subside.
S2: But events over the next few weeks could make all
S2: the difference.
S1: Charlie two quick follow ups one. It seems to me
S1: that if Hamas were to simply stop their violence, their
S1: fighting even now, they could swing more of public opinion
S1: on their side. But they don't. They fight. Why? And two.
S1: What of the hostages? I'm hearing rumors that most of
S1: them are pretty well dead anyway. That's that's a non-issue.
S2: A lot of them are dead. We frankly don't know
S2: how many. And yet the other reports you hear is
S2: that Israel knows where Sinwar, the main Hamas leader, is.
S2: But he surrounded himself with those hostages, so any hostages
S2: remaining alive would likely be killed if Israel tried to
S2: attack him.
S1: Well, last week you mentioned Israel's High Court decision to
S1: strike down the reasonableness clause inserted as part of their
S1: basic laws. The response thus far has been relatively mild.
S1: Is this because of the war or is something else
S1: taking place?
S2: Yeah, well, there was some public controversy following the High
S2: Court's decision, but it was more muted than might have
S2: been expected. That's almost certainly due to the focus of
S2: the war in Gaza and the other existential threats that
S2: Israel is facing. For the most part, people on all
S2: sides of the political spectrum decided to remain focused on
S2: those greater threats, which right now is uniting the country. Now,
S2: that doesn't mean things aren't happening behind the scenes. The
S2: unity and statesmanship that characterized Israel right after October 7th
S2: has started fraying around the edges as the different leaders
S2: and parties begin to switch into a campaign mode. Now, officially,
S2: elections aren't scheduled until October 2026, but virtually everyone in
S2: Israel believes new elections will take place this year, shortly
S2: after the current fighting ends. So you can be sure
S2: that the High Court's decision and the surprise attack by
S2: Hamas are going to be two of the central themes
S2: raised by parties on all sides. In a recent poll
S2: conducted in Israel, if elections were to be held today,
S2: Benny Gantz National Unity Party would garner 33 seats, while
S2: Netanyahu's Likud party would receive just 20. Another significant drop
S2: would be Lapid's Tea Party, which would drop from 24
S2: seats to 14 seats. But such polls can be very unreliable,
S2: especially when they don't account for other variables. And earlier
S2: polls showed former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett would receive 20
S2: seats if he formed a party and ran. But he
S2: wasn't included in the most recent poll. And another poll
S2: suggests the former head of Mossad, Yossi Cohen, would garner
S2: up to 12 seats should he form a party and
S2: choose to run. And that illustrates the major problem until
S2: things settle down and specific candidates and parties announce their intentions,
S2: polls are basically meaningless. Israelis will be focused on security
S2: and on finding some sort of national consensus and compromise
S2: in the issues that were tearing the country apart prior
S2: to October 7th, but that will all start taking place
S2: once the war ends.
S1: Would it be your opinion that Netanyahu's slippage in those
S1: polls is a reflection of sentiment against his war policies,
S1: or is it just a fluke of polling or something else?
S2: I think it's a sentiment against the fact that he
S2: was in charge when Hamas gained power, when they, when
S2: they finally launched this attack on Israel, was taken by surprise.
S2: And a combination that he's been in power so long,
S2: you build up a natural resentment to leadership at that point.
S2: So it's a combination of a lot of factors. But frankly,
S2: he probably is in some trouble as they would approach
S2: new elections. This is the.
S1: Land in the book from Modi Radio with our host,
S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Jaeger. We're looking at current
S1: events from the region. Egypt's new administrative capital now has
S1: residents moving in. What do we know about this city
S1: designed to eclipse Cairo as the country's capital?
S2: Yeah, this new capital is rising in the desert 28
S2: miles east of Cairo. And the second phase of the
S2: project is just starting to get underway. Six months after
S2: 48,000 government employees began transferring to ministries and offices in
S2: the first phase. The project was launched eight years ago
S2: and 100,000 housing units have already been completed. A major
S2: banks and businesses are scheduled to move their headquarters this spring.
S2: Each of the first two phases is projected to house
S2: 1.5 million residents. Phase one will be fully completed by 2027,
S2: and work is already underway to draw up a master
S2: plan to incorporate phases two, three and four. Each phase
S2: encompasses 65mi², which makes this a truly massive undertaking. Phase
S2: one has a six mile long park, an area known
S2: as Knowledge City, which is intended to support research, development
S2: and entrepreneurial ship. It also includes the Egypt Informatics University,
S2: which will focus on high tech. The initial price tag
S2: for this venture was put at $58 billion, but that
S2: was before Egypt went through a series of economic struggles
S2: with declining income and a devalued currency. No one knows
S2: the expected price today, so this is a vision that
S2: will help transform Egypt and propel it into a future
S2: high tech hub. At least that's their hope. Or it
S2: could be a boondoggle that will soak up Egypt's limited resources,
S2: only to be abandoned before it ever reaches its potential. Now,
S2: only time will tell which vision is true, but in
S2: many ways, Egypt's leaders are trying to recapture the sense
S2: of vision and grandeur that produced the pyramids, the Sphinx
S2: and former cities like Karnak and Luxor in days gone by. Now,
S2: for Egypt's sake, let's hope they can pull it off.
S1: A new Israeli medical tech company is working to reduce
S1: incidence of delirium in ICU patients. Tell us about this
S1: latest innovation from Amazing Israel.
S2: Yeah, many don't realize that up to 80% of ICU
S2: patients who are sedated and intubated end up experiencing delirium,
S2: including nightmares and hallucinations, which are caused by disorientation and
S2: lack of communication. An Israeli company called AI control is
S2: working to help reduce or eliminate the delirium and stress,
S2: and they're doing it through the use of a plastic
S2: headset originally designed for use by those with ALS, Lou
S2: Gehrig's disease. The headset includes an infrared camera. It follows
S2: the patient's eyes, along with a bone induction headset that
S2: they wear for most of the day. And night, families
S2: and friends can send messages that are played to the
S2: patient several times a day. Messages are given to them
S2: telling what day it is, what time it is, and
S2: the headphones that allow them also to listen to their
S2: favorite music. They use the camera to track the patient's
S2: eye movements when they ask nonverbal responses to questions. The
S2: study is still ongoing, but their hope is that the
S2: individuals intubated and sedated in ICU will end up with
S2: a more positive experience and with less incidents of delirium,
S2: and that would definitely be a major contribution both to
S2: patients and to their families from amazing Israel.
S1: And that's a look at current events up next Messiah's
S1: seven congregations. A look at the Jewishness of the New
S1: Covenant right here on the land. And the book. Why
S1: do so many of us evangelicals ignore or minimize the
S1: Jewishness of the New Covenant? How does that impact the
S1: way we view the end times? And where does the
S1: American church fit into all of this? Those are big
S1: questions with important answers, and we're going to dig into
S1: them in just a moment. Welcome back to the land
S1: and the book. I'm John Jacob, and here's a really
S1: important idea about sharing the love of Christ with a
S1: Jewish friend or neighbor. I want you to listen carefully.
S1: So you've got this Jewish friend and you've been hanging
S1: out together. The friendship's deepening and you can talk about
S1: spiritual things. Is it possible to use prophecy in Scripture
S1: in a conversation? What do you think? Roy Schwartz have chosen?
S1: People ministries. Your answer?
S3: Well, I would say prophecy is a great tool to
S3: discuss Israel, to discuss current events. You know that certain things,
S3: I mean, you need to understand it patiently and and
S3: not do ISIS's. That is projecting what's going on, but
S3: to begin a discussion. Do you think the State of
S3: Israel has anything to do with God? Do you think
S3: God brought about the state of Israel and then go
S3: from there and then talk about Ezekiel and Daniel and
S3: the times of the Gentiles? You know, who knows where
S3: the conversation will lead? But prophecy especially focused on the
S3: Old Testament, never mind the New Testament, just focus on
S3: the Old Testament, the Jewish scriptures that will enable you
S3: to get into conversations about the God of Israel.
S1: That's Roy Schwartz with Chosen People Ministries here on the
S1: land and the book. Sam Nadler is the president and
S1: founder of Word of Messiah Ministries. He's a Jewish believer
S1: in Jesus, and during 40 years in messianic ministry, he
S1: has focused on raising leaders who plant congregations and make
S1: disciples of Yeshua. It's good to have you back on
S1: the land in the book. Sam.
S4: Shalom, John, wonderful to be back with you.
S1: And let's zoom out for just a moment. What is
S1: the true purpose of the Book of Revelation?
S4: Well, it's confusing as it may seem to some people.
S4: The title is everything. The actual title of the book
S4: that was recorded by John the Apostle is the revelation
S4: of Yeshua the Messiah. It's about Jesus. It's about Yeshua
S4: the Messiah. And so we want to understand him in
S4: order to understand the book of the outline of the
S4: book in revelation 119 has to do with three areas
S4: the things you have seen the past that John was
S4: was revealed to John, and revelation chapter one. Messiah's eternal
S4: glory revealed in heaven, and then things which are revelation
S4: two and three. Messiah's present sovereignty among the seven congregations. Uh,
S4: and then finally the things which will shortly take place.
S4: Revelation for 22, for the 22 Messiah's future victory as
S4: the lamb over the adversary. And so that is the
S4: general idea of it. Uh, we can go into more detail,
S4: but that's why I write books. You know, they can
S4: read the book.
S1: Well, in the book of revelation, the first several chapters
S1: mentioned the seven churches. And these seven congregations, of course,
S1: are representative of the spiritual condition of believers everywhere. And
S1: the messages from Messiah himself to those believers contain vital
S1: information for us. Um, you know, how deliberate do you
S1: think it was on the part of of God to
S1: make sure that I suppose every kind of church from
S1: the beginning of the church itself, up until this day,
S1: was included. Uh, throughout those particular passages.
S4: You know, I think that God seemed a future, you know, from, uh,
S4: he sees all things at once. Of course he's omniscient. Uh,
S4: but let's say, well, knowing but also let's understand he
S4: sees our condition. And so it is. And if we
S4: can think of this, it is written to those with
S4: ears to hear. And so that's really the question will
S4: people pay attention to what he's trying to tell us,
S4: that people need to return to their first love? Yes,
S4: they need to be faithful by faith in Jesus and
S4: his cross. And so this is actually the message for
S4: everyone to listen to for sure.
S1: For sure. You know, we often decry the fact that
S1: we're not, uh, you know, theologically astute, sufficient to all
S1: the details and imagery of revelation. But the fact of
S1: the matter is, those opening chapters have a ton of
S1: truth that is incredibly applicable. And we better have ears
S1: to listen. That said, how would you characterize the evangelical
S1: church today in America? Which church in revelation would you
S1: say matches us the most closely and why?
S4: Well, as you mentioned my position, I think this is
S4: what the what it's actually teaching there is that during
S4: this age, all seven congregations represent the whole body of Messiah.
S4: That's why the word seven and seven congregations is used
S4: to speak of the completeness of it. But in any case,
S4: it's a the body Messiah. In the United States, it's
S4: a combination thereof. There are courageous and very faithful believers,
S4: just like Smyrna and Philadelphia. And then there are compromised
S4: and faithless believers like it's Sardis and Leo the Seer.
S4: But the question that everyone needs to ask, do we
S4: have ears to hear what the spirit is saying to
S4: all of us? For all of us are being called
S4: by the Messiah to be faithful and to demonstrate our
S4: faithfulness by proclaiming his good news.
S1: Sam Nadler is the president and founder of Word of
S1: Messiah Ministries, written many books, including Messiah's Seven Congregations, a
S1: reference to the seven churches that were addressed in the
S1: Book of Revelation. All right. That said, what course corrections
S1: do you see right now? Uh, America needs to take
S1: from a church perspective. Where do you think we're weakest?
S4: Well, we actually discussed this quite a bit at our website.
S4: We have a lot of free material on the literature
S4: for our listeners to avail themselves of. If they go
S4: to Word of messiah.org, where the Messiah talk to see
S4: a lot of free downloads, a lot of helps as well,
S4: as well as the number of books we've written on
S4: this very subject. And so when we think about the
S4: course corrections, we want to remember that not much has changed. Uh,
S4: you may not be old enough, John, but back in
S4: the day, I remember books written. We need to get
S4: the salt out of the salt shaker. 40 years ago,
S4: they were saying such things. The same needs to be
S4: said today. We need to get the salt out of
S4: the salt shaker. We need courage in the pulpits that
S4: they might have an expectation of holiness and faithfulness for
S4: all the saints because of budget problems, most churches, uh,
S4: need more people coming in the front door than going
S4: out the back to. Many do not want to preach
S4: deal breakers. That is an expectation of godliness that results
S4: from dependence on the cross of Messiah. And so, of course, correction.
S4: They need to preach the blood of Yeshua and our
S4: total dependence upon him to live out the victorious life.
S1: Well, you know, some might say that's all well and good,
S1: but I'm just one person. What can I do? How
S1: can my little life help change the course of the
S1: church in America?
S4: God is at work in the heart of every believer,
S4: and I would suggest they demand justice from the wicked judge.
S4: In other words, you need to go to your pastors,
S4: and you have to insist upon the discipleship that will
S4: focus on the cross and be expressed to the Jew. First, uh,
S4: you need to have your pastor expecting every believer to
S4: live boldly for the Lord Jesus to proclaim the good
S4: news to the neighbors and friends. This is what must
S4: be taught, and therefore each person can make a difference.
S4: Each one reach one, then each one to each one.
S4: This the calling every believer has.
S1: So what happens if we fail to take this seriously?
S1: And this is a serious book, a serious conversation.
S4: Well, certainly. Of course. We read in first John 228
S4: that there will be those who be quote unquote ashamed
S4: as his coming. They're living in unprepared life. They're living
S4: for the world. They're not living for the Lord. And
S4: so there are many nominal believers in churches who are
S4: too easily welcomed. Uh, these tares will be left behind
S4: and be the apostate Babylon the harlot. And many genuine
S4: believers need to resist the influence of our modern culture.
S4: How do they do that? By faith in the cross.
S4: Submit to God. Resist the devil. He will flee you.
S4: That submission to God is faith in the cross of Jesus.
S4: That's that's what it means to submit to God. And therefore,
S4: by trusting in the shed blood of the Messiah, uh,
S4: then we can actually declare to this world a good
S4: news message that they desperately need to hear. Otherwise, genuine
S4: believers living unfaithful lives. They may be saved, but they
S4: will go into heaven unrewarded. That's not God's desire. He
S4: wants to reward the faithfulness of his saints.
S1: You're right. This book is written to continue to show
S1: not only the Jewishness of the New Covenant, but that
S1: the calling of God through the New Covenant and the
S1: revelation of Yeshua the Messiah has not changed. And I
S1: can hear some people saying, why does the Jewishness of
S1: the New Covenant matter that much? After all, Paul himself
S1: wrote in Galatians 328, there is neither Jew nor Gentile,
S1: neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you
S1: are all one in Christ Jesus. How do you respond?
S4: Well, it's certainly true. I mean, regarding our salvation, there's
S4: only one way of salvation. That's what Paul was referring
S4: to in Galatians 328. Uh, of course we're all one
S4: in the cycle, one family. But we want to remember that,
S4: you know, uh, that those who are males, you're still male,
S4: aren't you? And you, those who are female are still female. Orange.
S4: You and those who are Gentile are still Gentiles, and
S4: Jews are still Jews. So it doesn't mean we've lost
S4: our wonderful diversity. It just means there's no division. We
S4: have unity in the cross of our Messiah. But that
S4: being said, we want to appreciate the fact that what Jesus,
S4: how he lived and what he did. In other words,
S4: we follow him. We follow not just who he is,
S4: but what he did. We follow his example. Life is
S4: all about Messiah and how he expressed himself. And therefore
S4: when he said, salvation is of the Jews, we want
S4: to appreciate that was in the past tense matter. Salvation
S4: is of the Jews, not was. And so we want
S4: to appreciate the fact that we are called to be
S4: to the Jew. First, the apostle to the Gentiles told
S4: every believer that the good news is the power of
S4: God and salvation to all who believe, to the Jew
S4: first and equally to the Gentiles praise God. And so
S4: we need to understand God's program is to the Jew first,
S4: and therefore there needs to be an understanding of the Jewishness,
S4: a new covenant, to proclaim and teach it clearly and accurately.
S1: Some listeners hear us talking about the New Covenant, and
S1: they say, look, I accepted Jesus as my Savior. I'm
S1: going to heaven. So why do I need to be
S1: concerned with this New covenant stuff?
S4: Okay, well, the New Covenant speaks of the new relationship
S4: you have with God in the Messiah. Uh, in other words,
S4: you're not under the law. You're not under the authority
S4: of the law. And the New Covenant tells us that
S4: we have a new life to be lived out. And
S4: it explains how to live out that life as we
S4: trust in the cross of Messiah, and therefore live out
S4: the new life we have in Yeshua, in Jesus. And
S4: so we want to understand this new life through the
S4: New Covenant or New Testament as it's translated.
S1: You know, you used a phrase a moment ago that
S1: caught my ear an unprepared life. How can we be
S1: absolutely sure we are ready for Messiah's return versus living
S1: an unprepared life?
S4: Well, I can certainly appreciate the importance of this matter.
S4: I we only want our listeners to understand. The only hope, uh,
S4: now and forever is trusting in the blood of Messiah.
S4: The shed blood of the Messiah is the only hope
S4: for now and forever. He is our blessed hope because
S4: of what he did for us in the cross. And
S4: if you're listening and have not personally trusted in Jesus,
S4: you may have gone through various Christian activities and ceremonies.
S4: But they cannot save you. You must trust in the
S4: shed blood of the Messiah, and then you will be
S4: ready for his return.
S1: Sam, would you lead us in a model prayer that
S1: someone could could pray as they're listening to you? Praying? Who?
S1: Somebody who wants to receive Jesus could use that prayer.
S1: I'm going to invite you to do that.
S4: Lord, forgive me for my sins. See the blood of
S4: Messiah through his finished work. Cleanse me of all my sins.
S4: So I will be ready for heaven. Whether it's soon
S4: or just in the near future. Even now I trust
S4: wholly in the blood of Messiah. Thank you for loving me.
S4: Thank you for saving me. For in Jesus name I pray. Amen.
S1: Hey friend, if you just prayed that prayer along with Sam,
S1: we'd love to hear from you. And email is always
S1: welcome and particularly welcome from you at the Land and
S1: the book@moody.edu. Sam Nadler has written Messiah seven congregations, a
S1: link to that book and his website. When you visit
S1: the land and the book.org. Thanks for your time, Sam.
S4: God bless you all.
S1: Shalom and Charlie Dyers popped back into the studio. I'm
S1: looking forward to sitting down with him and getting his
S1: take on your Bible questions. That's just around the corner
S1: on the land and the book. Hope you're having a
S1: good day. This is the land in the book from
S1: Moody Radio. I'm John Geiger. If we never met before.
S1: And the guy you really need to know, that's Doctor
S1: Charlie Dyer, our host, who is a former pastor, a
S1: Bible teacher, and a guy who loves answering your questions. Charlie,
S1: I'm looking forward to our questions. I'm always amazed at
S1: the variety that come in, aren't you?
S2: It is truly fascinating and I do love it. I
S2: love questions and it lets us know where the listeners are.
S2: So as I said in the past, it's like saying
S2: sic them to a dog to ask me a question.
S1: Israel, of course, has been on all of our minds
S1: for months, many of us struggling with what to think
S1: and feel. But God's heart for the Jewish people remains unchanged.
S1: I'm so glad that he is faithful to his chosen people.
S2: Yeah, and that's why our friends at Life in Messiah
S2: would like to help you better connect with this crucial
S2: aspect of God's character. They're offering their new book, Sharing
S2: God's Heart to Land. In the book listeners, this 30
S2: day guided reflection will help connect you with God's heart
S2: for his precious people. The articles, which were all written
S2: by Life in Messiah staff, provide insight into Jewish life
S2: and culture. They can help prepare you to share with
S2: your friends the peace of Messiah that they so desperately need. Now,
S2: if you'd like one of these insightful books for yourself
S2: or as a gift for someone else, visit Life in
S2: Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button there
S2: to find out how you can receive your copy. That's
S2: life in messiah.org.
S1: All right. Linda has the honor of being our first
S1: questioner today. She heard our discussion in a previous broadcast
S1: about whether John the Baptist telling his disciples to ask
S1: Jesus if he was the one is really what we
S1: think it is. She says, I believe it's quite possible
S1: that John knew that he was about to be martyred.
S1: He sent his disciples to Jesus for their sakes, and
S1: when John was gone, they would know who to follow.
S1: After all, John began his ministry declaring that he must increase,
S1: while John must decrease. Your thoughts, Charlie?
S2: Yeah, well, I have to say the suggestion is possible,
S2: but I do have some difficulties with it. The first
S2: is that John had already been telling his disciples about Jesus.
S2: You know, John chapter one John told his followers that
S2: Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the
S2: sin of the world. Uh, in that same chapter, he
S2: told two of his disciples, one of whom was Jesus's
S2: brother Andrew, that Jesus was the Lamb of God. And
S2: then as a result, they chose to follow Jesus. So
S2: John's message seems to be consistent from the very beginning.
S2: And yet, as you noted later in John three, some
S2: of John's disciples became concerned that Jesus's ministry was beginning
S2: to eclipse John's and John's response. He must become greater.
S2: I must become less so. Prior to his imprisonment, John
S2: was absolutely clear on who Jesus was, and he had
S2: been sharing that with his disciples. But the second. Then
S2: in Matthew 11, there are signs that it's John who's
S2: now having doubts. He's been imprisoned. And so he now
S2: asks his disciples to go and ask Jesus, are you
S2: the one who's to come? Or should we expect someone else?
S2: Now that suggests the element of doubt is behind John's question.
S2: And after telling John's disciples to report back to John
S2: what they had seen and heard, Jesus then says, blessed
S2: is the man who does not fall away on account
S2: of me. That suggests to me that Jesus was encouraging
S2: these disciples to go back and encourage John himself by
S2: reporting what they had seen and heard. Now, within the
S2: context of these passages, it looks to me like John's
S2: imprisonment had caused him to doubt what he had earlier
S2: affirmed so clearly. Likely it was because things hadn't turned
S2: out as he had expected, which we also see true
S2: in our lives. Often Jesus didn't rebuke John. He just
S2: simply reminded John of the larger picture to encourage him.
S2: And I believe John was encouraged as a result.
S1: Gabe asks, have you heard about the book The Oracle,
S1: The Jubilee and Mysteries Unveiled by Jonathan Kohn?
S2: Yeah, well, I have to start by saying I've not
S2: read the book. I am familiar with con's writings, and unfortunately,
S2: I can't accept his approach to interpreting God's Word. I
S2: feel like he tries to read into the Bible rather
S2: than letting the Bible speak for itself. People are attracted
S2: to the idea that there are deeper, quote hidden messages
S2: in God's Word. This approach isn't new. It's been around
S2: a long time, but those trying to find that deeper
S2: meaning end up missing the mark by making the Bible
S2: say something God hasn't clearly said. It's always best to
S2: stick to the plain meaning of the text. When I
S2: was in Bible college, I learned a principle of Bible
S2: interpretation that has stuck with me over the years. It
S2: goes like this when the plain sense of scripture makes
S2: common sense, seek no other sense lest it result in nonsense.
S1: That's pretty good. You're listening to The Land in the
S1: book from Moody Radio, our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, working
S1: his way through a list of questions that have been emailed.
S1: I'll share our email contact info later. Todd asks, Does
S1: God promise a blessing to individuals and nations who help
S1: the Jewish people? Is this included in God's promise to Abraham?
S2: Well, I think God's promise in Genesis 12 three applies
S2: to both individuals and nations. The very first line is plural.
S2: That is, God promises to bless those plural who bless.
S2: But the second line then switches to the singular. The
S2: one singular who curses Abraham and his descendants will be
S2: cursed by God. So the message is true whether it
S2: applies to individuals or groups, and I actually see it
S2: in the rest of the Old Testament, applying to entire
S2: nations as it unfolds there. For example, in Obadiah 15,
S2: God says to the nations, the day of the Lord
S2: is near for all nations, as you have done, it'll
S2: be done to you. Your deeds will return on your
S2: own head. And the next verse makes it clear that
S2: God's referring to what the nations had done to Israel.
S2: In Amos chapter one, God announces his judgment on Damascus, Gaza, tyre,
S2: Edam and Amman. And he says it was because of
S2: what they had done to his people. In Zechariah one
S2: get to the end of the Old Testament, God announces
S2: he's very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. But I'm very
S2: angry with the nations that feel secure because of what
S2: they've done to his people. So throughout the Old Testament,
S2: I see God judging Israel based on their obedience or
S2: disobedience to his revealed will. But he judges the nations
S2: and individuals based on their response to those people. He
S2: blesses individuals and nations who seek to bless his people,
S2: and he curses those who seek to harm his people.
S2: And since that was part of God's unconditional covenant with
S2: Abraham and Israel, I don't think it's ever been revoked.
S1: Can you please explain Ezekiel 20 verses 25 and 26,
S1: where God says, moreover, I gave them statutes that were
S1: not good, and rules by which they could not have life.
S1: Passages such as Psalm 119 tell us God's statutes are good.
S1: So how do we reconcile these two?
S2: Yeah, and this is another case where it's so important
S2: to look at the whole context in context. Ezekiel 2025
S2: isn't referring to God's law, but to the false religious
S2: worship and accompanying regulations that the people had turned to
S2: in their idolatry. And I say that for two reasons. First,
S2: the preceding verse specifically says the people had not obeyed
S2: my laws, but had rejected my decrees, and their eyes
S2: lusted after their fathers idols. And then second, in the
S2: very next verse, after verse 25, it illustrates the kind
S2: of statutes they turn to that were not good. He says.
S2: I let them become defiled through their gifts, the sacrifice
S2: of every firstborn. So the laws that were not good
S2: included pagan regulations requiring child sacrifice. One other thought a
S2: word needs to be supplied in verse 25 to have
S2: the verse make sense in context, instead of I gave
S2: them statutes that were not good. It needs to be
S2: understood in the sense of I gave them over to
S2: statutes that were not good. It's picturing a judicial act
S2: of divine judgment. Once the people rejected God and His
S2: law and turned to idolatry, God handed them over to
S2: the logical results of their choices. And in this case,
S2: it was the decision to offer their own children as
S2: human sacrifices. By the way, I see something similar in
S2: Romans one, where God judicially gave people over to the
S2: consequences of their own sinful actions.
S1: Interesting question here. Should we thank God for things we
S1: don't feel thankful for? But no, we should be thankful for?
S1: Isn't that disingenuous?
S2: Well, I got an answer two ways. First, I think
S2: first Thessalonians 518 provides the basic answer give thanks in
S2: all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in
S2: Christ Jesus. Now that suggests we can choose how we
S2: respond in spite of our physical or emotional circumstances. But second,
S2: then I'm reminded of Paul's second letter to the Corinthians.
S2: Paul gave a general principle in chapter one he says,
S2: praise be to the God and Father of our Lord
S2: Jesus Christ, the father of compassion, the God of all comfort,
S2: who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we
S2: can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we
S2: ourselves have received from God. And then later in the book,
S2: in chapter seven, he explains how he was able to
S2: move from despair to comfort and thanksgiving. He says, when
S2: he came into Macedonia, we had no rest. We were
S2: harassed on every turn, fierce without. But God, who comforts
S2: the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and
S2: not only by his coming, but also by the comfort
S2: you'd given him. Now all that to say, I think
S2: God wants us to be thankful for all things. That
S2: doesn't mean such thanks comes automatically, but we start by
S2: remembering God does work all things together for good, even
S2: when those all things might not in and of themselves
S2: be good. And we can be honest with God about
S2: our struggles. We can ask him to bring someone along
S2: who can help us remember to be thankful by helping
S2: us look beyond ourselves and see the beauty and joy
S2: in life around us.
S1: And our last question for this segment comes from Steve.
S1: He says, I'm interested in getting a Bible timeline from
S1: creation all the way to the start of the church age,
S1: and I have resource various outlines and found some agree
S1: closely like the creation date, but others vary widely. The
S1: birth of Abraham, for example. The question is who do
S1: I trust? Does Moody have a resource that dates creation, Noah,
S1: the flood, the Tower of Babel, Abraham, etc.?
S2: I mean, I understand the frustration because there are so
S2: many different chronologies out there. I've personally not found one
S2: source I can agree with completely, but I can recommend
S2: two books I found helpful. The first one is called
S2: Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament, and it
S2: was written by John Walton, and the second is chronological
S2: and background charts of the New Testament by H. Wayne House.
S2: Now both are published by Zondervan. They're both available on Amazon,
S2: and I found both of them very helpful in terms
S2: of providing basic information that helps me date things and
S2: put them in place.
S1: Well, as always, it's a fun trip through these questions.
S1: And by the way, I promised I'd share our email address.
S1: If you'd like to get a question to Charlie, here's
S1: how to do it. The land and the book@moody.edu. That's simple.
S1: The land and the book@moody.edu. We'll look forward to getting
S1: your question. Well, the program has more yet to come.
S1: It's Charlie's devotional right here. Next. What's that old line?
S1: The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain. Well,
S1: welcome back to the land in the book where. Charlie,
S1: your devotional has to do with weather bulletins and rain.
S1: Is that correct?
S2: That's right. We're continuing that series on weather bulletins from
S2: the Bible. And today we're looking at rain.
S1: Okay, but we're not going to Spain at all. We're
S1: headed to Deuteronomy chapter 11. Right.
S2: That's exactly.
S1: Right. Okay. We'll get to that devotional and its implications
S1: for you and me after we hear this Holy Land
S1: experience testimony.
S5: I had the wonderful experience of visiting the Holy Land.
S5: I cannot express how much it meant to me just
S5: to walk the streets and just to go to places
S5: that are so familiar in the Bible.
S6: The Bible truly come alive to me. After visiting Israel,
S6: the Dead Sea was one of my favorite spot the
S6: garden tombs. Oh, I love that. Mount Olive was wonderful.
S6: I mean so many places to enjoy and to see.
S6: My desire is to return again. I'm now in school
S6: doing a degree and as soon as I finish.
S5: That will be my place of giving myself a tree
S5: to visit Holy Land again with my granddaughter. Anybody who
S5: have the opportunity to do this should do it and
S5: enjoy to the best of their ability. God bless you
S5: and thanks for sharing. Your program have been a blessing
S5: to my heart daily as I sit at work and
S5: listen to you.
S1: All right, Charlie, I have my, uh, rain boots on
S1: my umbrella at the side. Ready to go for your devotional.
S1: Take it away.
S2: Uh, thanks, John. I'm glad you're carrying that umbrella, because
S2: I am starting today's devotional by describing two unusual occurrences.
S2: For the first, imagine a sudden August storm descending on
S2: a city along the coast. As rain pours down, residents
S2: spot a waterspout whirling ominously just off shore. Now, while
S2: that might not be too unusual if you live in Florida,
S2: this took place in Haifa, Israel. One resident who posted
S2: a video of the waterspout said the end of the
S2: world has come to Haifa. The second occurrence took place
S2: years ago when I was with a group of students
S2: at Yarden. Neat! The baptismal site near the southern end
S2: of the Sea of Galilee in June. There were dark
S2: clouds in the sky, but I assured our group not
S2: to worry. It never rains in Israel. In June. About then,
S2: the sky opened up and a torrent of rain soaked
S2: all of us before we could make it inside. Later
S2: there I talked with a 70 something kibbutz Nick, who
S2: worked at the site, and I asked him about the rain,
S2: and he said, I've lived in Israel all my life.
S2: I've never seen it rain here in June. What made
S2: both of these events so memorable was their uniqueness. While
S2: I learned never to say never, the reality is that
S2: Israel has a mediterranean type climate that's more like Southern
S2: California than like the rest of the United States. Generally,
S2: they experience a rainy season from October through April and
S2: a dry season from May through September. Each season can
S2: extend for a longer or shorter time, depending on when
S2: the rains start and stop. The Bible refers to those
S2: as the early rains and the latter rains, but in
S2: general the pattern is predictable. Moses provided the first long
S2: range weather forecast for the children of Israel as they
S2: were preparing to enter the Promised Land. Those who had
S2: been born in Egypt or during Israel's time in the wilderness,
S2: had no experience with the meteorology of this new land.
S2: They had always lived in a desert where they got
S2: water either from the Nile River or from the wells
S2: and wadis in Sinai. Moses explained what was in store
S2: for them in Deuteronomy 11. The land you're about to
S2: enter to take over is not like the land of
S2: Egypt from which you've come, where you planted your seed
S2: and irrigated it by foot, as in a vegetable garden.
S2: But the land you're crossing the Jordan to take possession
S2: of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks
S2: rain from heaven. And if they remain faithful to God,
S2: he promised to send rain on your land in its season,
S2: both the early and late rain, so that you may
S2: gather in your grain, new wine and oil, rain from heaven,
S2: rain that would begin in the fall and extend through
S2: the winter into the spring. But with that promise came
S2: a warning. If the people chose to disobey God, he
S2: threatened to shut the heavens so that it will not
S2: rain in the ground, will yield no produce, and you
S2: will soon perish from the good land the Lord is
S2: giving you. Water is essential for life, and God's supply
S2: from heaven would be dependent on Israel's faithfulness. Perhaps that's
S2: why so much of the Bible revolves around the issue
S2: of rain, or the lack thereof. With the crazy exceptions
S2: I mentioned at the beginning, the weather is fairly predictable
S2: in Israel, at least in the summer, even when it
S2: might look like rain. At the start of the day,
S2: the clouds vanish as the sun rises in the sky.
S2: That's why Solomon compared someone who promises much but doesn't
S2: deliver to clouds and wind without rain. And Jesus's half
S2: brother Jude warned against godless men whom he compared to
S2: clouds without rain blown along by the wind. Those living
S2: in Israel understood those summer clouds that looked promising but
S2: never seemed to amount to anything. And that's why a
S2: heavy rain or thunderstorm during the summer dry season makes
S2: the news even today. But imagine how frightening it was
S2: to those in Israel who experienced times when God turned
S2: the weather forecast on its head. The Prophet Samuel's farewell
S2: speech to Israel took place at the time of the
S2: wheat harvest, which is in June during the dry season.
S2: Knowing what you know now, listen to his interaction with
S2: the people. Is it not wheat harvest? Now I will
S2: call upon the Lord to send thunder and rain, and
S2: you will realize what an evil thing you did in
S2: the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.
S2: Then Samuel called upon the Lord, and the same day
S2: the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people
S2: stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel. The
S2: people all said to Samuel, pray to the Lord your
S2: God for your servant, so that we will not die. Oh,
S2: and one final detail. That meeting took place in Gilgal,
S2: near Jericho. While it might rain rarely up in the
S2: hill country in June, it never rains in the lower
S2: Jordan Valley at that time of year. No wonder the
S2: people were frightened. Rain in the appropriate season was a
S2: visible reminder of God's faithfulness. But when the people turned
S2: from God, he threatened to withhold the rain. When Ahab
S2: and Jezebel tried to replace the God of Israel with Baal,
S2: God sent Elijah to announce as the Lord, the God
S2: of Israel lives, whom I serve there will. Be neither
S2: do nor rain in the next few years, except at
S2: my word. And for the next three and a half years,
S2: Israel experienced no rain about the same time as Elijah
S2: was ministering to the northern Kingdom of Israel. The prophet
S2: Joel was ministering to the southern kingdom of Judah, and
S2: while he describes a devastating invasion of locusts, he also
S2: alludes to a time of drought so severe that, quote,
S2: the streams of water have dried up, as he describes
S2: it in chapter one, verse 20. And then as he
S2: looked beyond the time of judgment to a future time
S2: of blessing, he describes that as a time when God
S2: will send you abundant showers, both the early and the
S2: latter rain as before, rain at the proper time and
S2: in appropriate amounts, was a sign of God's blessing. But
S2: Jesus used rain to reveal one additional truth. The religious
S2: leaders in his day were telling people to love your
S2: neighbor and hate your enemy. In contrast, Jesus told those
S2: listening to love your enemies and pray for those who
S2: persecute you. And to make his point. In Matthew 545,
S2: Jesus reminded them of the example of God and the rain.
S2: God sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. This
S2: is often referred to as God's common grace, the unmerited
S2: favor he extends to both believers and unbelievers alike. And
S2: rain is a good illustration of this common grace. Now,
S2: as you get ready to close up your umbrella and
S2: head home, what lessons can you carry along with you?
S2: Let me suggest two. First, just as God used the
S2: rain in Israel to remind the nation of their need
S2: to remain dependent on him, so God brings circumstances into
S2: our lives to remind us of the same thing. You
S2: might be experiencing your own time of spiritual drought. It
S2: could be financial or physical or an emotional crisis. But
S2: whatever the situation, it could be a wake up call
S2: from God to remind you to return to him. Don't
S2: wait until the crisis becomes greater. Go to him in
S2: prayer today. And the second lesson is just as important
S2: as the first. God wants us to reflect his character,
S2: and one truth about God is that he loves the world.
S2: How do we know? Well, he sent his son to
S2: die for the world. But Jesus also said, God causes
S2: the sun to shine on the righteous and the unrighteous,
S2: and he brings the rain on both as well. If
S2: you want to reflect God's character, then search out a
S2: way today to demonstrate his love and care not only
S2: to those who are part of God's family, but also
S2: to those who are not. To borrow from the words
S2: of the old gospel song, let's become showers of blessing
S2: to everyone we meet today.
S1: Thank you Charlie. Well, Weather Bulletins is the name that
S1: Charlie has titled this devotional series been going on for
S1: some time. You can hear them all as you head
S1: to our website. The land and the book.org. Information there
S1: about every program, every guest, all waiting for you. And
S1: also our podcast. Check it all out at the land
S1: and the book. Org. Well, our time is gone. We
S1: want to say thank you for investing your time with us.
S1: Thanks to the station for giving us a slot here.
S1: Thank you to Dan Anderson for putting it all together.
S1: To our host, Charlie Dyer, I'm John Geiger. The land
S1: and the book is a production of Moody Radio, a
S1: ministry of Moody Bible Institute.