1 00:00:08,010 --> 00:00:12,119 S1: The Old Testament contains more than 20 different Hebrew names 2 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:15,510 S1: for God. Why so many? What's the difference between them? 3 00:00:15,510 --> 00:00:17,279 S1: In just a few minutes, we're going to look at 4 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,850 S1: seven Hebrew names for God. And we promise, having looked 5 00:00:20,850 --> 00:00:24,390 S1: at those, you will read your Bible differently afterward. Plus, 6 00:00:24,390 --> 00:00:28,200 S1: you'll enjoy hearing questions from other listeners about puzzling passages 7 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,800 S1: in Scripture. Welcome to another great edition of The Land 8 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,920 S1: and the book. Our team is led by Doctor Charlie Dyer, 9 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,830 S1: and I'm John Gager asking, how do you share the 10 00:00:37,830 --> 00:00:41,640 S1: gospel with a Jewish person? Because of cultural, historical, and 11 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,240 S1: religious differences, it can be challenging to sort of navigate 12 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,600 S1: a gospel conversation with somebody from a Jewish background. Have 13 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,330 S1: you ever wondered how the quote professionals do it? 14 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:53,640 S2: And to answer that question, our friends at Life and 15 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,459 S2: Messiah want to mail you samples of the tracks their 16 00:00:56,460 --> 00:00:59,400 S2: staff use as they share the gospel. This will serve 17 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:01,890 S2: a dual purpose of equipping you with methods of presenting 18 00:01:01,890 --> 00:01:04,860 S2: the gospel, and also supplying you with tracks you can 19 00:01:04,860 --> 00:01:07,830 S2: share with your Jewish friends and neighbors. Life in Messiah's 20 00:01:07,830 --> 00:01:10,440 S2: Prayer is that these tracks will help further the spread 21 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,619 S2: of the gospel among the Jewish people. To receive this 22 00:01:13,620 --> 00:01:16,170 S2: helpful assortment of tracks, all you need to do is 23 00:01:16,170 --> 00:01:19,230 S2: visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody 24 00:01:19,230 --> 00:01:23,430 S2: Radio button for more information. That's life in Messiah org. 25 00:01:23,430 --> 00:01:25,980 S2: Don't miss out on this great opportunity. 26 00:01:25,980 --> 00:01:27,810 S1: All right, here are the stories that have been unfolding 27 00:01:27,810 --> 00:01:30,840 S1: this past week in the Middle East. As the conflict 28 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,870 S1: between Israel and Hamas drags on, many in Israel are 29 00:01:33,870 --> 00:01:38,130 S1: starting to look ahead toward eventual national elections. What do 30 00:01:38,130 --> 00:01:40,950 S1: the latest polls suggest might lie ahead? 31 00:01:41,190 --> 00:01:44,250 S2: Eight months into this war between Israel and Hamas, individual 32 00:01:44,250 --> 00:01:47,970 S2: politicians and parties are quietly laying the groundwork for the 33 00:01:47,970 --> 00:01:51,750 S2: day after, when finger pointing and political infighting will begin 34 00:01:51,750 --> 00:01:54,630 S2: in earnest. People want to know who to blame, and 35 00:01:54,630 --> 00:01:58,650 S2: those who oppose Prime Minister Netanyahu hope to use Hamas's 36 00:01:58,650 --> 00:02:02,160 S2: attack and the subsequent war to remove him from office 37 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:06,150 S2: in the next election. Preliminary polls suggest that right now, 38 00:02:06,150 --> 00:02:09,750 S2: most do blame Netanyahu and expect him and his party 39 00:02:09,750 --> 00:02:12,899 S2: to lose the mandate to govern whenever the next elections 40 00:02:12,900 --> 00:02:15,930 S2: finally held. There are even some within his own party 41 00:02:15,930 --> 00:02:19,590 S2: who are quietly jockeying to replace him as head of Likud. 42 00:02:19,590 --> 00:02:23,940 S2: But it's probably too early to write Netanyahu's political obituary 43 00:02:23,940 --> 00:02:26,730 S2: right now. The favorite to replace him is Benny Gantz 44 00:02:26,730 --> 00:02:30,150 S2: and the National Unity Party. In early polls, Gantz seems 45 00:02:30,150 --> 00:02:33,990 S2: virtually unstoppable. However, in some more recent polls, the numbers 46 00:02:33,990 --> 00:02:37,589 S2: have shifted just slightly, though Gantz's party is still predicted 47 00:02:37,590 --> 00:02:42,480 S2: to receive 30 Knesset seats to Likud's 19. But Netanyahu 48 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:45,750 S2: remains the political chess master, which is what makes him 49 00:02:45,750 --> 00:02:48,600 S2: so hard to write off. For example, in the matter 50 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:52,650 S2: of drafting the ultra-Orthodox into the military, Netanyahu proposed a 51 00:02:52,650 --> 00:02:55,470 S2: plan endorsed by Gantz when Gantz was part of the 52 00:02:55,470 --> 00:02:59,370 S2: previous administration. Gantz has now come out opposing the plan, 53 00:02:59,370 --> 00:03:03,180 S2: claiming that the situation since October 7th has changed. However, 54 00:03:03,180 --> 00:03:06,900 S2: this allowed Netanyahu to picture Gantz as a political opportunist 55 00:03:06,900 --> 00:03:09,239 S2: who endorsed a plan when he was in the government, 56 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,750 S2: only to now oppose it. Netanyahu has also been slow 57 00:03:12,750 --> 00:03:15,450 S2: to put forward a specific plan for Gaza after the 58 00:03:15,450 --> 00:03:18,660 S2: war ends. Those criticizing him for this are then forced 59 00:03:18,690 --> 00:03:21,150 S2: to explain what they would do. And depending on what 60 00:03:21,150 --> 00:03:23,850 S2: happens on the battlefield or with the US or with 61 00:03:23,850 --> 00:03:27,150 S2: the Palestinian Authority, they could end up being criticized for 62 00:03:27,150 --> 00:03:31,709 S2: promoting flawed answers by refusing to commit. Netanyahu is forcing 63 00:03:31,710 --> 00:03:34,500 S2: them to push forward their solutions, which will have their 64 00:03:34,500 --> 00:03:37,470 S2: own share of critics. Right now, the polls don't look 65 00:03:37,470 --> 00:03:41,790 S2: good for Netanyahu, but he's banking on two very real possibilities. First, 66 00:03:41,790 --> 00:03:45,300 S2: the war with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran could continue for 67 00:03:45,300 --> 00:03:49,260 S2: some time, holding off elections. And second, any number of 68 00:03:49,260 --> 00:03:53,339 S2: events could happen militarily or diplomatically to create a dramatic 69 00:03:53,340 --> 00:03:57,150 S2: change in the political landscape between now and those elections. 70 00:03:57,150 --> 00:04:00,809 S2: Netanyahu might seem to be down politically, but it's still 71 00:04:00,810 --> 00:04:02,400 S2: too early to count him out. 72 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:06,810 S1: Israel's relationship with Turkey continues to deteriorate over the war 73 00:04:06,810 --> 00:04:11,130 S1: with Hamas. Help us understand the connection between Turkey and Hamas. 74 00:04:11,130 --> 00:04:14,850 S2: Yeah, the key connection is the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas grew 75 00:04:14,850 --> 00:04:18,870 S2: out of the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey's Justice and Development Party. 76 00:04:18,870 --> 00:04:23,339 S2: That's Erdogan's party shares similar Islamic beliefs. Though the Justice 77 00:04:23,339 --> 00:04:27,000 S2: and Development Party denies being an Islamist party, it has 78 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,810 S2: gradually moved in that direction. Under Erdogan. It combines its 79 00:04:30,810 --> 00:04:35,190 S2: Islamic beliefs with elements of right wing nationalism. Erdogan and 80 00:04:35,190 --> 00:04:38,370 S2: his party have been strong supporters of Hamas, calling Hamas 81 00:04:38,370 --> 00:04:43,230 S2: a liberation group. Erdogan has welcomed senior Hamas officials for visits, 82 00:04:43,230 --> 00:04:46,500 S2: and more than a thousand wounded Hamas fighters are currently 83 00:04:46,500 --> 00:04:51,060 S2: being treated in Turkish hospitals. Documents discovered in Gaza included 84 00:04:51,060 --> 00:04:54,870 S2: plans for establishing a secret Hamas base in Turkey to 85 00:04:54,870 --> 00:04:59,279 S2: help coordinate attacks against Israel. Erdogan publicly said Hamas is 86 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:02,370 S2: helping defend Turkey, and said Israel would set its sights 87 00:05:02,370 --> 00:05:05,880 S2: on Turkey if it succeeded in defeating Hamas in Gaza. 88 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:10,170 S2: He called Israel. The rogue and terrorist state that. Recently, 89 00:05:10,170 --> 00:05:13,529 S2: Erdogan announced that Turkey would halt all trade with Israel 90 00:05:13,529 --> 00:05:17,130 S2: and cut off all economic ties with Israel in response. 91 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,510 S2: Israel's financial minister proposed raising the import duty to 100% 92 00:05:21,510 --> 00:05:24,840 S2: on all goods coming from Turkey. Of course, if Turkey 93 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:27,420 S2: isn't selling any goods, then the move is just symbolic. 94 00:05:27,420 --> 00:05:30,539 S2: But it would suggest Israel is responding to Turkey's efforts 95 00:05:30,540 --> 00:05:34,560 S2: to support Hamas. Israel is wary of any future offers 96 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:38,460 S2: by Erdogan under his party's rule. Turkey has not proven 97 00:05:38,460 --> 00:05:40,740 S2: to be a reliable partner with Israel. 98 00:05:40,740 --> 00:05:43,290 S1: If you just joined us, that's Doctor Charlie Dyer, Middle 99 00:05:43,290 --> 00:05:45,570 S1: East expert. I'm John Jaeger. This is a look at 100 00:05:45,570 --> 00:05:49,590 S1: current events. Because of Western sanctions, Iran and Hezbollah have 101 00:05:49,589 --> 00:05:53,940 S1: become more creative in both securing finances and in pressing 102 00:05:53,940 --> 00:05:57,780 S1: their attacks against Israel. What are some of their latest efforts? 103 00:05:57,810 --> 00:06:01,589 S2: Well, Iran is generating sufficient income by exporting over a 104 00:06:01,589 --> 00:06:05,219 S2: million barrels of oil per day to China. In addition, 105 00:06:05,220 --> 00:06:09,300 S2: they've also increased their smuggling of oil into Pakistan. Last year, 106 00:06:09,300 --> 00:06:12,510 S2: they smuggled in just over $1 billion worth of oil, 107 00:06:12,510 --> 00:06:17,700 S2: accounting for 14% of Pakistan's annual fuel consumption. These illegal 108 00:06:17,700 --> 00:06:22,349 S2: shipments are harming Pakistan's legitimate oil industry, while also helping 109 00:06:22,350 --> 00:06:25,530 S2: fund rebel groups in Pakistan and elsewhere in the region 110 00:06:25,529 --> 00:06:28,980 S2: who helped distribute the oil. Hezbollah has developed a plan 111 00:06:28,980 --> 00:06:33,480 S2: to extort funds from Europe using Syrian refugees. There are 112 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,950 S2: approximately 2 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Hezbollah's leader said 113 00:06:37,950 --> 00:06:41,490 S2: in May that Lebanon should open its maritime borders, so 114 00:06:41,490 --> 00:06:45,210 S2: Syrians living in Lebanon could board boats heading to Europe. 115 00:06:45,330 --> 00:06:49,050 S2: It's only 100 miles from Tripoli, Lebanon, to Cyprus, which 116 00:06:49,050 --> 00:06:51,779 S2: is part of Europe. From there, the refugees could then 117 00:06:51,779 --> 00:06:55,170 S2: travel throughout Europe. But here's the rest of the story. 118 00:06:55,290 --> 00:06:58,740 S2: Europe has been paying Turkey and countries in North Africa 119 00:06:58,740 --> 00:07:02,070 S2: to keep refugees from leaving their borders and heading to 120 00:07:02,070 --> 00:07:06,150 S2: Europe by encouraging Lebanon to allow Syrian refugees to flood 121 00:07:06,150 --> 00:07:09,990 S2: into Cyprus. Hezbollah's trying to create a crisis to also 122 00:07:09,990 --> 00:07:13,560 S2: extort funds from Europe, and of course, a significant portion 123 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:15,870 S2: of any funds that would come to Lebanon from Europe 124 00:07:15,870 --> 00:07:20,820 S2: would find their way into Hezbollah's coffers. Finally, Jordan recently 125 00:07:20,820 --> 00:07:24,180 S2: thwarted an Iranian led plan to smuggle weapons to a 126 00:07:24,180 --> 00:07:27,450 S2: muslim Brotherhood cell in the kingdom that was planning to 127 00:07:27,450 --> 00:07:30,930 S2: carry out acts of sabotage. The goal was to destabilize 128 00:07:30,930 --> 00:07:34,650 S2: the Jordanian government, to enable Iranian backed terrorists to open 129 00:07:34,650 --> 00:07:37,410 S2: up a new front against Israel, and to encourage the 130 00:07:37,410 --> 00:07:41,520 S2: smuggling of weapons from Jordan into the West Bank. Iran 131 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:45,390 S2: and Hezbollah planned to encircle and wear down Israel, and 132 00:07:45,390 --> 00:07:48,240 S2: they hoped the West will remain willfully ignorant of all 133 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:49,890 S2: this until it's too late. 134 00:07:49,890 --> 00:07:53,970 S1: Charlie, Iran seems to have so few friends outside of Iran. 135 00:07:53,970 --> 00:07:58,110 S1: You wonder why the world community isn't more successful in 136 00:07:58,110 --> 00:08:00,690 S1: fencing in their aggressive efforts. 137 00:08:00,690 --> 00:08:03,270 S2: Yeah, it may have so few friends. However, those friends 138 00:08:03,270 --> 00:08:07,739 S2: are significant. Russia, China and Turkey are three that are 139 00:08:07,740 --> 00:08:11,430 S2: helping Iran in in some very practical ways and helping 140 00:08:11,430 --> 00:08:13,770 S2: to thwart the sanctions that the US and the West 141 00:08:13,770 --> 00:08:16,620 S2: have tried to put on Iran to help hold it down. 142 00:08:16,770 --> 00:08:20,820 S1: Archaeologists have discovered a previously lost branch of the Nile 143 00:08:20,820 --> 00:08:25,440 S1: River that may help solve a mystery surrounding the ancient pyramids. Charlie, 144 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:27,750 S1: I'm intrigued here. I love this mystery idea. What is 145 00:08:27,750 --> 00:08:30,750 S1: it and how does this discovery help us provide an answer? 146 00:08:30,750 --> 00:08:33,060 S2: Well, you know, the mystery is how were the pyramids 147 00:08:33,059 --> 00:08:35,910 S2: built on an isolated strip of land at the edge 148 00:08:35,910 --> 00:08:38,310 S2: of the Sahara desert, you know, with sand all around it? 149 00:08:38,309 --> 00:08:41,010 S2: Or I put it another way. How are the large 150 00:08:41,010 --> 00:08:44,280 S2: blocks of stone brought to that area to build the pyramids? 151 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:46,530 S2: You know, most people, when they think of the pyramids, 152 00:08:46,530 --> 00:08:49,260 S2: think of the three main ones there in Giza. But 153 00:08:49,260 --> 00:08:52,620 S2: there are actually a total of 31 pyramids stretched over 154 00:08:52,620 --> 00:08:56,160 S2: a 17 mile area. The blocks of stone. I most 155 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,650 S2: agree on this. They were quarried further to the south, 156 00:08:58,650 --> 00:09:00,660 S2: and they were brought to the area on the Nile 157 00:09:00,660 --> 00:09:04,260 S2: River by boat or barge. But the pyramids are located 158 00:09:04,260 --> 00:09:07,140 S2: 4 to 5 miles west of the river today, and 159 00:09:07,140 --> 00:09:10,530 S2: that's a long distance to haul blocks of stone over land, 160 00:09:10,530 --> 00:09:14,579 S2: especially when that land is sandy. Using radar, satellite imagery, 161 00:09:14,580 --> 00:09:18,809 S2: deep soil coring, and other geophysical tests, this team was 162 00:09:18,809 --> 00:09:20,790 S2: able to map out the remains of a branch of 163 00:09:20,790 --> 00:09:24,090 S2: the Nile River that flowed for about 40 miles, much 164 00:09:24,090 --> 00:09:26,790 S2: closer to the site of the pyramids. Many of the 165 00:09:26,790 --> 00:09:29,580 S2: pyramids they found had causeways that led to this branch 166 00:09:29,580 --> 00:09:32,160 S2: of the Nile, and acted, in a sense, as harbors 167 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:34,950 S2: where the stones could be offloaded and then brought right 168 00:09:34,950 --> 00:09:37,859 S2: to the pyramid site. Eventually, this branch of the Nile 169 00:09:37,860 --> 00:09:41,069 S2: River shifted to the east during the Middle Kingdom era, 170 00:09:41,070 --> 00:09:44,370 S2: drying up and getting covered with sand during a period 171 00:09:44,370 --> 00:09:48,450 S2: of prolonged drought about 4200 years ago. The discovery of 172 00:09:48,450 --> 00:09:51,059 S2: the course of this now lost branch of the Nile 173 00:09:51,059 --> 00:09:54,330 S2: helps explain why the pyramids are located where they are. 174 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,960 S2: They were actually very close to the river at that time, though, 175 00:09:57,960 --> 00:09:59,730 S2: miles away today. 176 00:09:59,730 --> 00:10:02,010 S1: And that's a look at current events. Charlie, for those 177 00:10:02,010 --> 00:10:04,949 S1: who want to explore current events themselves, what do you 178 00:10:04,950 --> 00:10:08,360 S1: think of resources online? Like Times of Israel. 179 00:10:08,540 --> 00:10:11,300 S2: I think the Times of Israel is a great resource. Uh, 180 00:10:11,300 --> 00:10:13,820 S2: it's probably slightly to the left of center, but it's 181 00:10:13,820 --> 00:10:17,360 S2: still a very mainstream newspaper. Uh, The Jerusalem Post would 182 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:20,090 S2: be a second source, slightly to the right of center, 183 00:10:20,090 --> 00:10:23,240 S2: and also a great newspaper. And if people read those daily, 184 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:25,820 S2: they'll get a good grasp of what's actually taking place 185 00:10:25,820 --> 00:10:27,410 S2: in that region of the world. 186 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:29,120 S1: Hey, we'd love for you to get a better grasp 187 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:31,790 S1: on what's happening here at the program by visiting our website, 188 00:10:31,790 --> 00:10:36,050 S1: The Land and the book.org. At that website you can 189 00:10:36,050 --> 00:10:39,260 S1: learn about today's guest. You can learn about past programs, 190 00:10:39,260 --> 00:10:42,530 S1: future programs all ready to go there, as well as 191 00:10:42,530 --> 00:10:45,050 S1: get started with our podcast. It's a neat way to 192 00:10:45,050 --> 00:10:47,480 S1: listen to the program at your own convenience and to 193 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:50,600 S1: share us with a friend. Coming up next, seven Hebrew 194 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:51,890 S1: Names of God. 195 00:11:06,110 --> 00:11:06,980 S3: The Old Testament. 196 00:11:06,980 --> 00:11:09,949 S1: Is filled with names for God, and all of them 197 00:11:09,950 --> 00:11:12,589 S1: are unique. But why does the Bible go into such 198 00:11:12,590 --> 00:11:16,160 S1: effort to use these in different passages in different ways? 199 00:11:16,309 --> 00:11:20,119 S1: More importantly, how might our appreciation for God be elevated 200 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,120 S1: if we understood the Hebrew meanings of these names? Well, 201 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:25,760 S1: that's where our conversation is headed. Next. You're listening to 202 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:28,730 S1: The Land and the book. I'm John Gager, inviting you 203 00:11:28,730 --> 00:11:31,010 S1: to pause with me for just a moment and ponder 204 00:11:31,010 --> 00:11:34,010 S1: a fresh idea for sharing the love of Jesus with 205 00:11:34,010 --> 00:11:37,130 S1: a Jewish friend. It's easy to lose sight of the 206 00:11:37,130 --> 00:11:40,220 S1: fact that the Jewish community is diverse. So what's the 207 00:11:40,220 --> 00:11:44,420 S1: most effective approach to sharing the gospel with Jewish people? Again, 208 00:11:44,420 --> 00:11:47,180 S1: very diverse. Wes Haber is with life in Messiah. Any 209 00:11:47,179 --> 00:11:47,809 S1: thoughts here? 210 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:51,050 S4: Well, that should be easier if it were. All Jewish 211 00:11:51,050 --> 00:11:55,130 S4: people were alike. But Jewish people hold very different worldviews 212 00:11:55,130 --> 00:11:59,120 S4: with diverse understandings of biblical truth. A the questions can 213 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:02,540 S4: be effective tools at different levels of conversation. I'd be 214 00:12:02,540 --> 00:12:05,720 S4: interested to know, for example, if you could ask God 215 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:09,020 S4: one question, what would it be? Or what part has 216 00:12:09,020 --> 00:12:11,570 S4: faith played in your life? What do you plan to 217 00:12:11,570 --> 00:12:14,270 S4: do when your retirement is over? I love that one 218 00:12:14,270 --> 00:12:17,300 S4: and your understanding how can we be made righteous before 219 00:12:17,300 --> 00:12:18,590 S4: a holy God? I love this. 220 00:12:18,590 --> 00:12:21,890 S1: Idea of questions. A friend of mine just engaged a 221 00:12:21,890 --> 00:12:24,950 S1: Jewish person in conversation and and by asking questions, we 222 00:12:24,950 --> 00:12:28,280 S1: learned so much more about her, her framework. So so 223 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:32,300 S1: questions are keys to unlock the door to spiritual conversations. Yes. 224 00:12:32,300 --> 00:12:35,600 S4: They're diagnostic. They help us understand what others are thinking, 225 00:12:35,780 --> 00:12:37,969 S4: and they also help open the door so we can 226 00:12:37,970 --> 00:12:42,110 S4: lovingly present the truth about Messiah. And often questions linger 227 00:12:42,110 --> 00:12:46,010 S4: in the mind after the conversations end, prompting further thinking. 228 00:12:46,010 --> 00:12:49,370 S1: I like that further thinking, further dialogue. I hope West 229 00:12:49,370 --> 00:12:54,020 S1: Haber is with life in Messiah. Melissa Briggs is an 230 00:12:54,020 --> 00:12:57,559 S1: experienced Hebrew teacher who has lived in Jerusalem, England and 231 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:01,070 S1: right now Nashville. She's passionate about making the riches of 232 00:13:01,070 --> 00:13:04,729 S1: the Hebrew language available to everyone. Melissa has two new 233 00:13:04,730 --> 00:13:08,900 S1: video Hebrew courses available for beginners level one and level two. 234 00:13:08,929 --> 00:13:12,710 S1: Her content offers a unique blend of biblical and modern 235 00:13:12,710 --> 00:13:16,640 S1: Hebrew taught together, all from a Christian perspective, of course. 236 00:13:16,730 --> 00:13:22,340 S1: Melissa's website is Explore Hebrew. Co.Uk. Hey, welcome back to 237 00:13:22,340 --> 00:13:23,990 S1: the land and the book, Melissa. 238 00:13:24,020 --> 00:13:25,730 S5: Thank you. I'm delighted to be here. 239 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:29,120 S1: Hey, answer the skeptic who says, what's the big deal 240 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:32,000 S1: with looking back at the Hebrew names for God? Why? 241 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:33,200 S1: Why should that matter? 242 00:13:33,230 --> 00:13:37,160 S5: The Hebrew word for name is Shem, and Shem means 243 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:40,370 S5: so much more than what a person is called. A 244 00:13:40,370 --> 00:13:45,079 S5: Shem speaks to the essential nature of someone and their reputation. 245 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:47,900 S5: So where our modern idea of names is all about 246 00:13:47,900 --> 00:13:51,740 S5: what sounds cute or trendy or unique, a Hebrew name 247 00:13:51,740 --> 00:13:55,340 S5: tells us about someone's character. It's a window into who 248 00:13:55,370 --> 00:13:58,340 S5: they are, and God is a God who wants to 249 00:13:58,340 --> 00:14:01,160 S5: be known by us. And he reveals so many of 250 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,220 S5: his different names or titles in the Bible. They're all 251 00:14:04,220 --> 00:14:07,490 S5: insights into who he is, and he is so good, 252 00:14:07,490 --> 00:14:12,200 S5: so righteous, so powerful. Sometimes the modern culture can try 253 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,110 S5: to sanitize God, to try to make him in our 254 00:14:15,110 --> 00:14:18,650 S5: image or make him more politically correct, perhaps. Or we 255 00:14:18,650 --> 00:14:21,770 S5: can make assumptions about God based on what words mean 256 00:14:21,770 --> 00:14:24,890 S5: in the English language. And the truth is that some 257 00:14:24,890 --> 00:14:28,700 S5: things about God are surprising. In each of these Hebrew names, 258 00:14:28,700 --> 00:14:31,250 S5: we find that God is even better than what we 259 00:14:31,250 --> 00:14:33,920 S5: could hope for or imagine. And I love digging into 260 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:36,980 S5: these truths because they point us to the very heart, 261 00:14:36,980 --> 00:14:38,630 S5: the very nature of God. 262 00:14:38,630 --> 00:14:40,850 S1: Well, you know now that you put a spotlight on 263 00:14:40,850 --> 00:14:42,860 S1: the on the character of God in all of its 264 00:14:42,860 --> 00:14:46,700 S1: varied forms, maybe seven names isn't near enough. I mean, 265 00:14:46,700 --> 00:14:49,460 S1: maybe there should be, you know, almost unlimited names, you know? 266 00:14:49,460 --> 00:14:50,570 S1: Are there too few? 267 00:14:50,570 --> 00:14:53,450 S5: Absolutely. Yeah. We could probably talk about 40 Names of 268 00:14:53,450 --> 00:14:57,230 S5: God that all point to different aspects of his amazing character, 269 00:14:57,230 --> 00:14:58,850 S5: but this will be a good start today. 270 00:14:58,850 --> 00:15:01,520 S1: All right. Well, we're going to attempt something rather ambitious 271 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:03,980 S1: in the next few minutes together as we look at 272 00:15:03,980 --> 00:15:07,790 S1: seven different Hebrew names for God. All right. Fasten your 273 00:15:07,790 --> 00:15:09,680 S1: seat belts. Here we go. What are we going to 274 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:10,970 S1: lead off with? Melissa? What's the first. 275 00:15:10,970 --> 00:15:11,390 S6: Name? 276 00:15:11,390 --> 00:15:16,280 S5: The first one is Goel. It means Redeemer or kinsman Redeemer. 277 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:20,930 S5: Its literal meaning is one who buys back. Our freedom 278 00:15:20,930 --> 00:15:26,000 S5: is directly linked to the redemption of Jesus as our goel, 279 00:15:26,030 --> 00:15:30,260 S5: our Redeemer, the Passover Lamb. Now, if we have accepted 280 00:15:30,260 --> 00:15:33,920 S5: his free gift of salvation, then we belong to him, 281 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,609 S5: for we were bought at a price. Sometimes based on 282 00:15:37,610 --> 00:15:42,350 S5: our modern Western worldview, we can mistakenly view freedom as 283 00:15:42,350 --> 00:15:46,160 S5: independence from anyone else. However, like in the story of 284 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:49,910 S5: Ruth and Boaz, Boaz didn't just redeem Ruth and then 285 00:15:49,910 --> 00:15:53,390 S5: abandon her or send her off on her own. Rather, 286 00:15:53,390 --> 00:15:57,500 S5: the redemption was the beginning of their intimate union and 287 00:15:57,500 --> 00:16:03,740 S5: family life. Biblically, a goel like Boaz buys back their destitute, 288 00:16:03,740 --> 00:16:07,790 S5: estranged relative to belong to the family again to be 289 00:16:07,790 --> 00:16:11,090 S5: under their care. It's a beautiful picture of what Jesus 290 00:16:11,090 --> 00:16:14,930 S5: has done to bring us into right relationship with our 291 00:16:14,930 --> 00:16:16,250 S5: Heavenly Father. 292 00:16:16,250 --> 00:16:18,290 S1: You know, Melissa, what does it say about the character 293 00:16:18,290 --> 00:16:20,870 S1: of God that he would choose as a name for 294 00:16:20,870 --> 00:16:25,250 S1: himself the very mission of Jesus, one who buys back? 295 00:16:25,250 --> 00:16:27,380 S1: That's amazing that he would want to be known by 296 00:16:27,380 --> 00:16:28,490 S1: that name, I think. 297 00:16:28,490 --> 00:16:29,240 S6: Absolutely. 298 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:32,600 S5: We read in Isaiah 43 but now thus says the Lord, 299 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:36,500 S5: your creator, O Jacob, and he who formed you, oh Israel, 300 00:16:36,530 --> 00:16:40,730 S5: do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have 301 00:16:40,730 --> 00:16:43,610 S5: called you by name. You are mine. 302 00:16:43,610 --> 00:16:47,750 S1: Seven Hebrew names for God. That's our focus today on 303 00:16:47,750 --> 00:16:50,780 S1: the land and the book. I'm John Geiger. Our guest 304 00:16:50,780 --> 00:16:53,690 S1: is Melissa Briggs. Some listeners will be familiar with the 305 00:16:53,690 --> 00:16:56,690 S1: next name for God, ABBA, take us further, Melissa. 306 00:16:56,750 --> 00:16:58,370 S6: So the literal meaning. 307 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:02,840 S5: Of ABBA is dad or even daddy. What struck me 308 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:05,360 S5: most when I dug into a Hebrew word study of 309 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:09,800 S5: ABBA is just how different the biblical view of fatherhood 310 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:13,790 S5: is compared to our modern Western mindset that can truly 311 00:17:13,790 --> 00:17:19,010 S5: downgrade or belittle fathers. In biblical times, a person's identity 312 00:17:19,010 --> 00:17:24,140 S5: is directly tied to belonging to their father. Abe is 313 00:17:24,140 --> 00:17:29,240 S5: the more formal version of ABBA. He provides protection, provision, 314 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:33,830 S5: a home, a family, an inheritance. Before last names were 315 00:17:33,830 --> 00:17:36,980 S5: a cultural norm, you were labeled as a son of 316 00:17:36,980 --> 00:17:42,320 S5: your father. Isaac, son of Abraham. Jacob, son of Isaac. 317 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:45,949 S5: This is a picture of how God wants our identity 318 00:17:45,950 --> 00:17:50,780 S5: to be completely rooted in him. Psalm 68 tells us 319 00:17:50,780 --> 00:17:53,560 S5: that God is a father. To the fatherless. And in 320 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:58,959 S5: Psalm 27 David spoke of Father God accepting those rejected 321 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:02,290 S5: or hurt by their parents. It says, you, Lord, have 322 00:18:02,290 --> 00:18:05,590 S5: been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me. 323 00:18:05,590 --> 00:18:09,639 S5: God my Savior, though my Father and mother forsake me, 324 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:14,290 S5: the Lord will receive me. I think God chose this 325 00:18:14,290 --> 00:18:19,030 S5: powerful fatherhood metaphor exactly because he knew that our human 326 00:18:19,030 --> 00:18:24,040 S5: family relationships could be so complicated by sin. God meets 327 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:28,659 S5: us in our place of pain and he offers the solution. 328 00:18:28,810 --> 00:18:35,260 S5: He offers himself to us as Father ABBA. The message 329 00:18:35,260 --> 00:18:38,530 S5: of ABBA is that there is healing and wholeness available 330 00:18:38,530 --> 00:18:42,280 S5: to all. Jesus connects us to His Father so that 331 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:46,690 S5: we might be made whole emotionally and spiritually when we 332 00:18:46,690 --> 00:18:48,369 S5: open up our hearts to him. 333 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:51,400 S1: So far, we've looked at two names Goel and ABBA. 334 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:53,800 S1: What is our third name for God that we're looking 335 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:55,030 S1: at in the Hebrew? Melissa. 336 00:18:55,450 --> 00:18:59,860 S5: The next Hebrew word is delet, and it means door. 337 00:18:59,980 --> 00:19:03,670 S5: What I love about the Hebrew word door delet is 338 00:19:03,670 --> 00:19:07,450 S5: that it speaks of the humility of the Lord Jesus. 339 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:13,990 S5: The root word from which delet derives. It's all about lowliness, humility, 340 00:19:13,990 --> 00:19:16,600 S5: and of course, the way that Jesus was able to 341 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:22,780 S5: provide access into his father's sheepfold was through humbling himself, 342 00:19:22,780 --> 00:19:27,610 S5: coming down, taking on earthly form, making himself so low 343 00:19:27,609 --> 00:19:30,490 S5: even to the point of death on our behalf. 344 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,700 S1: Melissa Briggs is an experienced Hebrew teacher who has lived 345 00:19:33,700 --> 00:19:38,290 S1: in Jerusalem, England, and now Nashville. She's passionate about making 346 00:19:38,290 --> 00:19:41,590 S1: the riches of the Hebrew language available to everyone. I'm 347 00:19:41,590 --> 00:19:43,750 S1: John Geiger, glad to have you with us. Why is 348 00:19:43,750 --> 00:19:47,500 S1: it so important that we come to God as the door? 349 00:19:47,500 --> 00:19:48,159 S6: Well, the. 350 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:53,290 S5: Crucified Messiah, Yeshua Jesus, he is the door. The access 351 00:19:53,290 --> 00:19:57,250 S5: to the Heavenly Father. Back in biblical times, the sheepfold. 352 00:19:57,250 --> 00:20:00,399 S5: It was an enclosed area with a stone wall with 353 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:04,150 S5: one opening and the shepherd himself. At night he would 354 00:20:04,150 --> 00:20:08,379 S5: sit across this opening and his own body would act 355 00:20:08,380 --> 00:20:12,969 S5: as the door. John chapter ten Jesus says, I am 356 00:20:12,970 --> 00:20:17,590 S5: the door. The Dellet whoever enters through me will be saved. 357 00:20:17,740 --> 00:20:20,800 S1: We live in an age where people say, that's my truth, 358 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,470 S1: or there is no absolute truth, but one of God's 359 00:20:23,470 --> 00:20:26,530 S1: name says he actually is the truth. What is this 360 00:20:26,530 --> 00:20:28,030 S1: name and what should we know? 361 00:20:28,030 --> 00:20:30,040 S6: Yes, the word for truth is Emmett. 362 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:34,150 S5: And the truth is ha, Emmett. And the reason this 363 00:20:34,150 --> 00:20:37,540 S5: word is important is because you're exactly right. Our culture 364 00:20:37,540 --> 00:20:41,110 S5: has lost the plot when it comes to understanding truth. 365 00:20:41,109 --> 00:20:45,040 S5: Our postmodern society says either there is no truth or 366 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:48,490 S5: that different people can have different truth. But the Bible 367 00:20:48,490 --> 00:20:53,830 S5: teaches the opposite. There is truth perfectly embodied in Jesus, 368 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:56,830 S5: and that truth is the truth that sets us free. 369 00:20:56,830 --> 00:21:00,639 S5: The Hebrew word Emmett. It's closely related to the Hebrew 370 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:05,679 S5: words for faith, faithfulness, pillar and to support. So the 371 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:10,000 S5: Hebrew language provides this beautiful imagery of faith and truth 372 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,629 S5: as the pillars that should be supporting our life. You know. 373 00:21:13,630 --> 00:21:19,330 S1: Melissa, if God cared enough about truth to name himself truth, 374 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:22,990 S1: it speaks, I think, to the importance and really the 375 00:21:22,990 --> 00:21:26,320 S1: the wrongness of the direction that we're going culturally to 376 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:29,770 S1: dismiss truth as a your thing, my thing kind of notion. 377 00:21:29,770 --> 00:21:32,770 S5: I agree, according to the Bible, the fact is that 378 00:21:32,770 --> 00:21:37,090 S5: not all roads lead to relationship with the one true God, 379 00:21:37,270 --> 00:21:41,290 S5: or the opportunity to spend eternity with him. The invitation 380 00:21:41,290 --> 00:21:45,159 S5: is freely and generously extended to all. But there is 381 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:49,210 S5: only one door, one way to a restored relationship with 382 00:21:49,210 --> 00:21:53,139 S5: God for eternity. We read in John chapter 22 that 383 00:21:53,140 --> 00:21:56,590 S5: Jesus said to her, A woman, I am the resurrection 384 00:21:56,590 --> 00:21:58,990 S5: and the life. The one who believes in me will 385 00:21:58,990 --> 00:22:02,710 S5: live even though they die. And whoever lives by believing 386 00:22:02,710 --> 00:22:06,190 S5: in me will never die. Jesus himself, he's the door. 387 00:22:06,190 --> 00:22:09,190 S5: He's the truth. And he challenges us that the actual 388 00:22:09,190 --> 00:22:12,940 S5: content of our faith cannot be glossed over lightly. He 389 00:22:12,940 --> 00:22:14,379 S5: is truth. 390 00:22:14,380 --> 00:22:18,370 S1: Hebrew name number five is what Morgan. 391 00:22:18,369 --> 00:22:22,270 S5: And the literal meaning of Morgan is a shield, and 392 00:22:22,270 --> 00:22:25,690 S5: it can be a literal or a figurative shield. Sometimes 393 00:22:25,690 --> 00:22:29,680 S5: it's translated as defender or defense. We find this word 394 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:33,970 S5: in Genesis chapter 15, verse one, where it says, after 395 00:22:33,970 --> 00:22:36,460 S5: this the word of the Lord came to Abram in 396 00:22:36,460 --> 00:22:41,110 S5: a vision, do not be afraid, Abram. I am a margin, 397 00:22:41,109 --> 00:22:46,150 S5: a shield, a defender to you, your exceedingly great reward. 398 00:22:46,150 --> 00:22:48,400 S1: Today in the land. In the book we're learning from 399 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:52,290 S1: Hebrew teacher Melissa Briggs as we explore seven. The Hebrew 400 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:54,810 S1: names for God. This next one is a name for 401 00:22:54,810 --> 00:22:57,510 S1: God that I've never heard before, bringing us up to speed. Melissa. 402 00:22:57,540 --> 00:22:59,430 S6: The next word is shomer. 403 00:22:59,460 --> 00:23:04,200 S5: Its literal meaning is a guardian, a keeper, a watchman. 404 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:08,159 S5: It comes from the Hebrew verb qamar, which means to 405 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:13,290 S5: keep watch, to guard over this beautiful and reassuring name 406 00:23:13,290 --> 00:23:16,800 S5: of God. It's found in Psalm 121, where it says, 407 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:19,590 S5: he will not let your foot slip. He who watches 408 00:23:19,590 --> 00:23:24,810 S5: over you will not slumber. Indeed, the guardian of Israel, 409 00:23:24,810 --> 00:23:30,629 S5: Shomer Yisrael, he will neither slumber nor sleep. God is 410 00:23:30,630 --> 00:23:34,590 S5: watching as a shomer. He sees everything and he will 411 00:23:34,590 --> 00:23:38,190 S5: restore justice and righteousness on the earth. 412 00:23:38,220 --> 00:23:41,850 S1: Well, we speak of God as having power, all power. 413 00:23:41,850 --> 00:23:44,160 S1: And this last name we're looking at today speaks of 414 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:45,419 S1: his power. Enlighten us. 415 00:23:45,450 --> 00:23:50,700 S5: The name Adonai Sabaoth. It's usually translated either the Lord 416 00:23:50,700 --> 00:23:54,420 S5: of armies or the Lord of hosts. And this word 417 00:23:54,420 --> 00:23:59,010 S5: speaks to God's sovereignty over all of creation. The word save. 418 00:23:59,310 --> 00:24:02,970 S5: It's the plural of Chava, the Hebrew word for army, 419 00:24:02,970 --> 00:24:06,090 S5: which is still used in modern Hebrew today to refer 420 00:24:06,090 --> 00:24:09,630 S5: to the Israeli Defense Force. Sjava can either refer to 421 00:24:09,630 --> 00:24:14,040 S5: an actual army or a great multitude or host. This 422 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:18,119 S5: root word is all about commanding, often militarily, over a 423 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:23,130 S5: large number. This powerful name of God found 235 times 424 00:24:23,130 --> 00:24:27,840 S5: in the Hebrew Scriptures. It spotlighted in first Samuel 17, 425 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:31,410 S5: where it says, David said to the Philistine, you come 426 00:24:31,410 --> 00:24:34,710 S5: against me with a sword and a spear and a javelin, 427 00:24:34,710 --> 00:24:39,480 S5: but I come against you in the name of Adonai Sabaoth, 428 00:24:39,510 --> 00:24:44,100 S5: the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 429 00:24:44,130 --> 00:24:48,990 S5: So our true hope and Israel's true hope is Adonai Tzeva'ot. 430 00:24:48,990 --> 00:24:51,750 S1: And that's a look at seven Hebrew names for God. 431 00:24:51,750 --> 00:24:54,450 S1: What if somebody says, wow, this really does open my 432 00:24:54,450 --> 00:24:56,730 S1: eyes to some things that I've been missing in my 433 00:24:56,730 --> 00:24:59,700 S1: study of the scriptures. Melissa, how can somebody take advantage 434 00:24:59,700 --> 00:25:01,470 S1: of your video courses and learn more? 435 00:25:01,470 --> 00:25:01,949 S6: Yes, I would. 436 00:25:01,950 --> 00:25:06,990 S5: Love for you to visit my website, explore Hebrew Wru.co.uk. 437 00:25:07,020 --> 00:25:10,290 S5: There's different Hebrew articles and word studies you can find there, 438 00:25:10,290 --> 00:25:14,160 S5: and you can also find access to the video courses 439 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:17,040 S5: that I offer that are a unique blend of biblical 440 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:20,399 S5: and modern Hebrew, taught from a Christian perspective. 441 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:22,500 S1: Okay, and a discount as well for land of the 442 00:25:22,500 --> 00:25:23,280 S1: book listeners. 443 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:23,910 S6: Absolutely. 444 00:25:23,910 --> 00:25:27,720 S5: If you use discount code Hebrew 50, that's going to 445 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:31,050 S5: give you $50 off the cost of the Hebrew courses. 446 00:25:31,050 --> 00:25:32,669 S1: All right. Check it out again at. 447 00:25:32,670 --> 00:25:34,470 S5: Explore Hebrew Dot. 448 00:25:34,470 --> 00:25:38,310 S1: Co.Uk Melissa, always a pleasure to talk with you. Thanks 449 00:25:38,310 --> 00:25:41,550 S1: for opening our eyes to seven Hebrew names for God. 450 00:25:41,550 --> 00:25:43,859 S1: Thank you. And we're looking forward to our next segment 451 00:25:43,859 --> 00:25:46,679 S1: where Charlie Dyer returns. He's got a stack of Bible 452 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,859 S1: questions that's real tall, but guess what? His answers they're 453 00:25:49,859 --> 00:25:52,560 S1: taller yet. How could an answer be taller? Find out 454 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:55,080 S1: when you join us next here on the land and 455 00:25:55,080 --> 00:26:09,680 S1: the book. Questions and answers. That's the focus of this 456 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:12,590 S1: segment here on Moody Radio's The Land and the book 457 00:26:12,590 --> 00:26:15,830 S1: with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. Charlie's been a pastor. 458 00:26:15,830 --> 00:26:19,550 S1: He's been a school administrator. He's been a tour host, 459 00:26:19,580 --> 00:26:22,760 S1: tour guide, tour leader. And I don't know what else. Charlie, 460 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:24,320 S1: you've worn a lot of hats in life, but you 461 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:25,879 S1: always come back to the Bible, don't you? 462 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,730 S2: That's the bottom line for it all, John. Uh, it's 463 00:26:28,730 --> 00:26:30,859 S2: the Bible that's the key. And and any way we 464 00:26:30,859 --> 00:26:32,720 S2: can share the Bible and get people into it, it 465 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:33,649 S2: gets me excited. 466 00:26:33,650 --> 00:26:36,380 S1: Well, we're excited then about this particular segment and we'll 467 00:26:36,380 --> 00:26:39,109 S1: dig right into our questions. After this thought, how do 468 00:26:39,109 --> 00:26:42,919 S1: you share the gospel with a Jewish person? Because of cultural, historical, 469 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:46,850 S1: and religious differences, it's sometimes challenging to navigate a gospel 470 00:26:46,850 --> 00:26:50,389 S1: conversation with somebody from a Jewish background. Maybe you've wondered 471 00:26:50,390 --> 00:26:53,000 S1: how the quote professionals do this. 472 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:55,219 S2: And to answer that question, our friends at Life in 473 00:26:55,220 --> 00:26:58,010 S2: Messiah want to mail you samples of the tracks their 474 00:26:58,010 --> 00:27:00,980 S2: staff use as they share the gospel. This will serve 475 00:27:00,980 --> 00:27:03,530 S2: a dual purpose of equipping you with methods of presenting 476 00:27:03,530 --> 00:27:06,560 S2: the gospel, and also supplying you with tracks you can 477 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:09,350 S2: share with your Jewish friends and neighbors. Life in Messiah's 478 00:27:09,350 --> 00:27:12,109 S2: Prayer is that these tracks will help further the spread 479 00:27:12,109 --> 00:27:15,230 S2: of the gospel among the Jewish people. To receive this 480 00:27:15,230 --> 00:27:17,840 S2: helpful assortment of tracks, all you need to do is 481 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,590 S2: visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody 482 00:27:21,590 --> 00:27:26,450 S2: Radio button there for more information. That's life in Messiah org. 483 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:29,090 S2: Don't miss out on this great opportunity. 484 00:27:29,090 --> 00:27:32,570 S1: All right. Thank you. Good idea. William says my question 485 00:27:32,570 --> 00:27:35,870 S1: is on the blessings and curses in Genesis 12 three. 486 00:27:35,869 --> 00:27:38,690 S1: And he's our first questioner of the day. He says, 487 00:27:38,690 --> 00:27:41,780 S1: I remember a speaker commenting on the original words, translated 488 00:27:41,780 --> 00:27:45,320 S1: blessings and curses and saying they were not actually the 489 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:48,320 S1: same word in each case. Could you help clarify this, 490 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:50,570 S1: especially in light of the current war and how America 491 00:27:50,570 --> 00:27:51,590 S1: could be affected? 492 00:27:51,590 --> 00:27:55,550 S2: Yeah, and Genesis 12 three God uses one word for bless, 493 00:27:55,550 --> 00:27:59,179 S2: but he uses two different words for cursing. The verse 494 00:27:59,180 --> 00:28:02,720 S2: also uses the plural form for those who bless, but 495 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:05,780 S2: it uses the singular form for the one who curses. 496 00:28:05,780 --> 00:28:08,420 S2: Of the two words used for curse, the first one 497 00:28:08,420 --> 00:28:11,390 S2: has the idea of treating lightly or mocking, while the 498 00:28:11,390 --> 00:28:14,810 S2: second is the normal word used throughout Genesis for a curse. Now, 499 00:28:14,810 --> 00:28:17,149 S2: having said all that, I'm not sure how much weight 500 00:28:17,150 --> 00:28:19,820 S2: we can place on the fact that two different words 501 00:28:19,820 --> 00:28:23,209 S2: are used for cursing. Because in the parallel passage in 502 00:28:23,210 --> 00:28:28,640 S2: Genesis 2729, that's where Isaac blesses Jacob. The normal word 503 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:31,250 S2: for curse is used in both parts of the statement, 504 00:28:31,250 --> 00:28:34,550 S2: and those blessing and cursing are also both in the plural. 505 00:28:34,550 --> 00:28:37,790 S2: It says they're cursed. Be those who curse you, and 506 00:28:37,790 --> 00:28:40,850 S2: blessed be those who bless you. Since Abraham and his 507 00:28:40,850 --> 00:28:44,510 S2: descendants are the chosen mediators of God's blessing, God will 508 00:28:44,510 --> 00:28:47,479 S2: bless those who seek to bless Israel, while he also 509 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:51,050 S2: promises to curse those who reject him by rejecting the 510 00:28:51,050 --> 00:28:52,610 S2: mediator he's chosen. 511 00:28:52,610 --> 00:28:56,780 S1: Gordon says, I'm confused about Isaiah 66, verses seven and 512 00:28:56,780 --> 00:29:00,860 S1: eight and Ezekiel 37, verses 21 and 22. What is 513 00:29:00,860 --> 00:29:03,410 S1: being referred to in these passages? 514 00:29:03,410 --> 00:29:06,920 S2: Yeah, well, I'll start with the Ezekiel 37 there. I 515 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,130 S2: don't see that passage referring to either the return from 516 00:29:10,130 --> 00:29:14,810 S2: Babylonian captivity or Israel's return in 1948 being the fulfillment 517 00:29:14,810 --> 00:29:18,380 S2: in the larger context when the details are taken literally. 518 00:29:18,380 --> 00:29:21,469 S2: I believe what Ezekiel is pointing to there is Israel's 519 00:29:21,470 --> 00:29:25,220 S2: still future complete restoration at Christ's second coming. Now, here's 520 00:29:25,220 --> 00:29:28,280 S2: why I say that the prophecy begins in chapter 36, 521 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:31,970 S2: where Ezekiel describes his version of the New Covenant. He says, 522 00:29:31,970 --> 00:29:34,640 S2: God will bring Israel out of the nations and back 523 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,490 S2: into your own land. That's verse 24, but they're not. 524 00:29:37,490 --> 00:29:40,520 S2: They're just physically. He also says, God will cleanse you 525 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,550 S2: from all your impurities. That's verse 25 and give you 526 00:29:43,550 --> 00:29:46,280 S2: a new heart. Verse 26, put my spirit in you. 527 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:50,270 S2: That's verse 27, and save you from all your uncleanness. 528 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:53,510 S2: That's verse 29. And then in verse 33 he says, 529 00:29:53,510 --> 00:29:55,580 S2: on the day I cleanse you from all your sins, 530 00:29:55,580 --> 00:29:58,760 S2: I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 531 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,250 S2: In other words, the fulfillment will happen when Israel is 532 00:30:01,250 --> 00:30:05,420 S2: restored physically to the land and spiritually to her God. 533 00:30:05,420 --> 00:30:08,780 S2: And that didn't happen following the Babylonian captivity and it 534 00:30:08,780 --> 00:30:11,810 S2: also didn't happen in 1948, but it will all take 535 00:30:11,810 --> 00:30:14,750 S2: place at the second coming. And then in chapter 37, 536 00:30:14,750 --> 00:30:17,450 S2: Ezekiel gives two illustrations to show how God will do 537 00:30:17,450 --> 00:30:20,270 S2: it the valley of dry bones. God's going to restore 538 00:30:20,270 --> 00:30:23,120 S2: the nation, he says, physically and spiritually. And the two 539 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:25,850 S2: sticks he puts together says, I'm going to restore all Israel, 540 00:30:25,850 --> 00:30:29,030 S2: not just the southern kingdom of Judah. Now the other passage, 541 00:30:29,030 --> 00:30:33,260 S2: Isaiah 66, also looks forward to the future time. Isaiah 542 00:30:33,260 --> 00:30:35,300 S2: looks ahead to that day, and he sees a number of, 543 00:30:35,300 --> 00:30:38,060 S2: I'd call them mountain peaks of prophecy in the distance, 544 00:30:38,060 --> 00:30:40,400 S2: and they include the new heavens and the new Earth, 545 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,640 S2: the dramatic restoration of Israel and Jerusalem, and a time 546 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:47,510 S2: of universal peace and longevity of life. Now, later writers 547 00:30:47,510 --> 00:30:51,470 S2: provide additional details to help clarify the order of those events. 548 00:30:51,470 --> 00:30:54,560 S2: But taking Isaiah's words at face value, I see a 549 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:57,170 S2: gathering to the land and a time of universal peace. 550 00:30:57,170 --> 00:30:59,990 S2: And that didn't happen when Israel came back from Babylon 551 00:30:59,990 --> 00:31:03,230 S2: or in 1948. And that's why I actually believe both 552 00:31:03,230 --> 00:31:06,170 S2: of those passages describe a time that is still future. 553 00:31:06,430 --> 00:31:09,520 S1: It's the Land and the book from Moody Radio. On 554 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:13,270 S1: this third segment, we answer Bible questions yours, and that 555 00:31:13,270 --> 00:31:15,760 S1: question of yours is welcome with a quick email to 556 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:20,830 S1: the land and the book@moody.edu, Assaf says, I know the 557 00:31:20,830 --> 00:31:24,340 S1: Bible is the inerrant Word of God, incapable of being wrong. 558 00:31:24,340 --> 00:31:26,650 S1: But in reading John five, the story of the man 559 00:31:26,650 --> 00:31:29,440 S1: with an infirmity who spent 38 years at the Pool 560 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:33,219 S1: of Bethesda, I noticed some translations leave out the last 561 00:31:33,220 --> 00:31:35,950 S1: part of verse three and all of verse four, which 562 00:31:35,950 --> 00:31:38,590 S1: speak of the angels stirring up the water. Why are 563 00:31:38,590 --> 00:31:41,350 S1: these verses left out? Seems like they're a crucial part 564 00:31:41,350 --> 00:31:42,160 S1: of the story. 565 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:44,080 S2: Yeah, the key issue here is whether or not the 566 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:46,450 S2: last part of verse three and all of verse four 567 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:49,300 S2: were actually part of the original manuscript, or if they 568 00:31:49,300 --> 00:31:52,600 S2: were inserted later by a copyist, a number of older 569 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:55,570 S2: and fairly reliable manuscripts don't have those verses, and that's 570 00:31:55,570 --> 00:31:59,140 S2: why some translations leave them out. However, the case is 571 00:31:59,140 --> 00:32:01,780 S2: by no means settled. There are other manuscripts that do 572 00:32:01,780 --> 00:32:04,719 S2: have the verses. Now, my personal feeling is that the 573 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:07,540 S2: verses were part of the original and are left out 574 00:32:07,540 --> 00:32:11,020 S2: of some manuscripts, because later copyists saw them as problematic. 575 00:32:11,020 --> 00:32:13,360 S2: That is, they saw that what was being described there 576 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:16,240 S2: doesn't match the character of God. I think the potential 577 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:19,930 S2: problem can be easily resolved if we understand the angel 578 00:32:19,930 --> 00:32:22,150 S2: of the Lord that stirred up the waters wasn't a 579 00:32:22,150 --> 00:32:25,210 S2: good angel. It was a fallen angel. In this sense, 580 00:32:25,210 --> 00:32:28,360 S2: the incident seems to have Satan's fingerprints all over it. 581 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:31,120 S2: You're holding people captive to a site while they waited 582 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:35,230 S2: desperately for a miracle, and archaeological evidence has been found 583 00:32:35,230 --> 00:32:38,200 S2: there at the site linking it to an asclepion, a 584 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:41,979 S2: pagan place connected to the worship of Asclepius, the Greek 585 00:32:41,980 --> 00:32:44,770 S2: god of healing. So when the angel does arrive, it says, 586 00:32:44,770 --> 00:32:46,630 S2: the person who can get into the pool first, which 587 00:32:46,630 --> 00:32:49,690 S2: would be the most healthy, gets healed, while the most 588 00:32:49,690 --> 00:32:52,390 S2: needy is never able to get there in time. So 589 00:32:52,390 --> 00:32:54,880 S2: I do see the verses as genuine. I believe they 590 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:58,690 S2: help explain how Jesus demonstrated his true grace and mercy 591 00:32:58,690 --> 00:33:01,480 S2: at the house of mercy in this place that otherwise 592 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:04,180 S2: was dominated by a false religious practice. 593 00:33:04,180 --> 00:33:07,300 S1: Interesting question here from Lois is the crown of thorns 594 00:33:07,420 --> 00:33:09,400 S1: foretold in the Old Testament? 595 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:12,250 S2: Well, I don't know of any direct Old Testament prophecy 596 00:33:12,250 --> 00:33:14,680 S2: that predicted the crown of thorns. You know, some think 597 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:17,020 S2: the ram caught in the thicket when Abraham was going 598 00:33:17,020 --> 00:33:20,320 S2: to offer Isaac might be a type of that picture 599 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:23,680 S2: of the crown of thorns, but I don't see that personally. 600 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:26,410 S2: So what I really say is, I don't see that 601 00:33:26,410 --> 00:33:28,570 S2: picturing the crown of thorns. I don't see any other 602 00:33:28,570 --> 00:33:31,960 S2: incident in the Old Testament either pointing that direction, and 603 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:34,690 S2: I'm hesitant to find meaning in in details of a 604 00:33:34,690 --> 00:33:38,230 S2: story like that of the ram caught in the thicket. 605 00:33:38,230 --> 00:33:40,810 S2: Since there's nothing in the account to connect that ram 606 00:33:40,810 --> 00:33:42,190 S2: with the crown of thorns. 607 00:33:42,190 --> 00:33:44,650 S1: All right. From John, this question, I was in a 608 00:33:44,650 --> 00:33:48,130 S1: conversation with someone who claimed that acts 323 says that 609 00:33:48,130 --> 00:33:50,650 S1: those Jews who do not believe in Christ will be 610 00:33:50,650 --> 00:33:53,260 S1: cut off. That is, they will be out of the covenant, 611 00:33:53,260 --> 00:33:55,540 S1: and everyone who will not listen to that prophet will 612 00:33:55,540 --> 00:33:58,210 S1: be completely cut off from the people it says. What 613 00:33:58,210 --> 00:34:00,100 S1: does it mean to be cut off from the people 614 00:34:00,100 --> 00:34:02,710 S1: who are the people they are cut off from? Is 615 00:34:02,710 --> 00:34:04,900 S1: an unbelieving Jew out of the covenant? 616 00:34:04,900 --> 00:34:07,120 S2: Yeah. The phrase cut off or cut off from among 617 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:09,310 S2: the people comes from the Old Testament. And it's used 618 00:34:09,310 --> 00:34:12,219 S2: there multiple times, and it refers to God judging an 619 00:34:12,219 --> 00:34:16,120 S2: individual either by putting him to death through direct divine judgment, 620 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:18,070 S2: or by having those in the community put him to 621 00:34:18,070 --> 00:34:21,640 S2: death through capital punishment. But in acts three, Peter's quoting 622 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:24,640 S2: from Deuteronomy 18, and the promise by Moses of another 623 00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:27,550 S2: prophet who was going to arise in verse 20, there 624 00:34:27,550 --> 00:34:30,640 S2: he directly identifies Jesus as the Messiah. And in verse 625 00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:35,080 S2: 22 he connects Jesus to Moses's prediction from Deuteronomy 18. 626 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:36,940 S2: And what that says there is God's going to call 627 00:34:36,940 --> 00:34:39,370 S2: them to account, uh, if they don't listen to the 628 00:34:39,370 --> 00:34:42,250 S2: words of this prophet. So Peter is saying, individuals who 629 00:34:42,250 --> 00:34:46,540 S2: reject God's promised Messiah, Jesus, will be judged by God. However, 630 00:34:46,540 --> 00:34:48,100 S2: I think we need to be very careful not to 631 00:34:48,100 --> 00:34:51,010 S2: use this verse to argue that all Jews have been 632 00:34:51,010 --> 00:34:54,040 S2: rejected by God. In verse 17, Peter makes it clear 633 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:57,250 S2: that they acted in ignorance when they called for Jesus 634 00:34:57,250 --> 00:34:59,890 S2: to be crucified. And then in verses 19 to 20, 635 00:34:59,890 --> 00:35:03,009 S2: he offers his audience an opportunity to repent and turn 636 00:35:03,010 --> 00:35:05,650 S2: to God so your sins may be wiped out. So 637 00:35:05,650 --> 00:35:07,600 S2: here's the bottom line for me to be cut off 638 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:10,030 S2: from among the people in the mosaic covenant had the 639 00:35:10,030 --> 00:35:14,050 S2: idea of coming under divine judgment and experiencing physical death. 640 00:35:14,050 --> 00:35:16,600 S2: It was a strong and serious warning, and Peter is 641 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:19,540 S2: using that same language to describe the importance of the 642 00:35:19,540 --> 00:35:23,140 S2: decision now facing his audience and by way of application. 643 00:35:23,140 --> 00:35:24,700 S2: By the way, it's not just for the Jewish people 644 00:35:24,700 --> 00:35:27,070 S2: in his day. I think it's a decision faced by 645 00:35:27,070 --> 00:35:29,980 S2: all unbelievers today. What will you do with Jesus? It 646 00:35:29,980 --> 00:35:32,290 S2: has eternal consequences from Mary. 647 00:35:32,290 --> 00:35:36,100 S1: This question in Explaining the Fall, Donald Grey Barnhouse said 648 00:35:36,100 --> 00:35:38,980 S1: that while Adam was made in God's image, Cain born 649 00:35:38,980 --> 00:35:41,950 S1: after the fall wasn't. I wondered if he meant just 650 00:35:41,950 --> 00:35:45,760 S1: to differentiate between God's initially having created man perfectly, but 651 00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:48,790 S1: sin making it impossible to have the same perfection in Cain. 652 00:35:48,790 --> 00:35:50,980 S1: But in another book it looks like he again said, 653 00:35:50,980 --> 00:35:53,529 S1: man is no longer in God's image. Does that mean 654 00:35:53,530 --> 00:35:56,740 S1: that the expression being made in God's image is unbiblical? 655 00:35:56,739 --> 00:35:59,589 S2: I always appreciated the ministry of Doctor Barnhouse. Now in 656 00:35:59,590 --> 00:36:02,260 S2: this instance, I tend to disagree with him. I suspect 657 00:36:02,260 --> 00:36:04,630 S2: it might just be semantic, though he does state in 658 00:36:04,630 --> 00:36:06,700 S2: places Adam lost the image of. God at the time 659 00:36:06,700 --> 00:36:09,460 S2: of the fall, but I'd prefer to say the fall 660 00:36:09,460 --> 00:36:12,220 S2: marred the image of God now. Two passages help me 661 00:36:12,219 --> 00:36:15,610 S2: in this. The first is Genesis five, where it begins 662 00:36:15,610 --> 00:36:18,730 S2: by saying God created mankind or humanity in his likeness. 663 00:36:18,730 --> 00:36:20,530 S2: And then it says Adam had a son in his 664 00:36:20,530 --> 00:36:23,290 S2: image and likeness. That is, the image God placed on. 665 00:36:23,290 --> 00:36:26,620 S2: Adam was then reproduced in Adam's offspring. And the second 666 00:36:26,620 --> 00:36:30,520 S2: passage is Genesis nine six, which describes events after the flood, 667 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:32,379 S2: and it says, whoever sheds the blood of man by 668 00:36:32,380 --> 00:36:34,840 S2: man shall his blood be shed. But in the second 669 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:36,700 S2: half of the verse it explains why. For in the 670 00:36:36,700 --> 00:36:39,340 S2: image of God has God made man. 671 00:36:39,340 --> 00:36:41,980 S1: And that's a look at questions that have come into us. Yours. 672 00:36:41,980 --> 00:36:45,190 S1: Welcome anytime. Again, when you email us at The Land 673 00:36:45,190 --> 00:36:50,649 S1: and the book@moody.edu and Don't Go Away, Charlie Dyer's devotional 674 00:36:50,650 --> 00:36:53,470 S1: is next, right here on the land and the book. 675 00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:09,540 S1: Have you ever been late to something? Hi, John. Gager 676 00:37:09,540 --> 00:37:11,670 S1: here hanging out with Charlie Dyer and Charlie. I have 677 00:37:11,670 --> 00:37:15,270 S1: to confess, uh, I've been, uh, running late for a 678 00:37:15,270 --> 00:37:18,480 S1: lot of things in life. Uh, I just I try 679 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:20,910 S1: to cram too much in, I think sometimes. What about you? 680 00:37:21,090 --> 00:37:23,279 S2: Uh, we are both the same, John. We try and 681 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:25,920 S2: pack too much stuff in, but so did the apostle Paul. 682 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:27,000 S2: And that's what we'll talk about. 683 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:29,970 S1: All right, that's all ahead in Charlie's devotional based in 684 00:37:29,969 --> 00:37:32,640 S1: acts chapter 20. We'll get to that after this Holy 685 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:34,380 S1: Land experience. Testimony. 686 00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:42,480 S7: My name is Joyce Papich, and my experience with what 687 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:45,299 S7: the Bible so far has been getting to know the 688 00:37:45,300 --> 00:37:49,500 S7: Lord and him teaching me on the level that I 689 00:37:49,500 --> 00:37:53,730 S7: was ready for. And now I can understand things on 690 00:37:53,730 --> 00:37:56,730 S7: such a greater level and have so much more communication 691 00:37:56,730 --> 00:38:00,900 S7: with him and reading through the Bible, knowing where he's been, 692 00:38:00,900 --> 00:38:05,460 S7: knowing where all these events have happened, I can experience 693 00:38:05,460 --> 00:38:08,399 S7: them at a deeper level and get even more out 694 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:11,730 S7: of all the messages that he has for me. I'm 695 00:38:11,730 --> 00:38:15,450 S7: just so excited to have a whole new world open 696 00:38:15,450 --> 00:38:16,200 S7: up to me. 697 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:21,560 S1: All right. Our Bibles are open to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Acts. 698 00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:24,800 S1: Fifth book of the New Testament, the 20th chapter. Charlie, 699 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:26,990 S1: we are not in a rush. 700 00:38:27,110 --> 00:38:30,290 S2: Well, but this time we are John. In Lewis Carroll's 701 00:38:30,290 --> 00:38:34,970 S2: story Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Alice's adventures begin when she 702 00:38:34,969 --> 00:38:37,790 S2: spots a white rabbit running by saying to itself, oh dear, 703 00:38:37,790 --> 00:38:40,610 S2: oh dear, I shall be too late. Now those who 704 00:38:40,610 --> 00:38:44,210 S2: remember the Walt Disney version might remember slightly different words 705 00:38:44,210 --> 00:38:48,140 S2: from a song in the film. But in Carroll's 1865 story, 706 00:38:48,140 --> 00:38:51,680 S2: the frazzled rabbit is shouting to himself, oh dear, oh dear, 707 00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:54,140 S2: I shall be too late. He was all dressed up 708 00:38:54,140 --> 00:38:57,770 S2: but running behind schedule. And the two of us, John 709 00:38:57,770 --> 00:39:01,220 S2: and I suspect everybody else listening, have all experienced times 710 00:39:01,219 --> 00:39:03,950 S2: like that. Times when we try to squeeze the hours 711 00:39:03,950 --> 00:39:06,740 S2: of work needed to finish our project into the scant 712 00:39:06,739 --> 00:39:09,859 S2: few minutes remaining until the deadline, or at times when 713 00:39:09,860 --> 00:39:13,340 S2: an avalanche of interruptions seems to keep us from making 714 00:39:13,340 --> 00:39:16,790 S2: it to an important meeting, our internal alarm clock begins 715 00:39:16,790 --> 00:39:19,399 S2: sounding and a sense of panic starts to set in. 716 00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:22,129 S2: Oh dear, oh dear, I shall be too late. Well, 717 00:39:22,130 --> 00:39:24,980 S2: if you've ever felt that way recently, take heart. So 718 00:39:24,980 --> 00:39:28,310 S2: did the Apostle Paul. The important event Paul didn't want 719 00:39:28,310 --> 00:39:31,190 S2: to miss was the festival of Shavuot, what we know 720 00:39:31,190 --> 00:39:34,040 S2: as the day of Pentecost. The problem is that Paul 721 00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:36,770 S2: was in Greece. He needed to make it to Jerusalem 722 00:39:36,770 --> 00:39:40,549 S2: by shavu'ot. That festival happens to be this coming week 723 00:39:40,550 --> 00:39:43,820 S2: on our calendar. Let's see what happened when Paul felt 724 00:39:43,820 --> 00:39:47,810 S2: pressured to make it to Jerusalem on time. Paul's eventful 725 00:39:47,810 --> 00:39:50,960 S2: great race to Jerusalem began when he was in Greece, 726 00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:54,230 S2: where Luke tells us in acts 20, verse three that 727 00:39:54,230 --> 00:39:58,640 S2: he stayed three months. It was early spring, just before Passover. 728 00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:02,330 S2: Paul's plan was to sail from Greece directly to Syria, 729 00:40:02,330 --> 00:40:06,469 S2: but his plan was dramatically interrupted because Jews made a 730 00:40:06,469 --> 00:40:09,680 S2: plot against him just as he was about to sail, 731 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:14,750 S2: narrowly avoiding a likely assassination plot aboard ship, Paul decided 732 00:40:14,750 --> 00:40:18,410 S2: to go back through Macedonia instead of traveling by boat. 733 00:40:18,410 --> 00:40:21,290 S2: He set off on a more roundabout journey by land. 734 00:40:21,290 --> 00:40:24,740 S2: This added to his travel time, and time was starting 735 00:40:24,770 --> 00:40:28,459 S2: to slip away. Paul and eight other traveling companions set 736 00:40:28,460 --> 00:40:31,969 S2: out by foot on the road north from Corinth. Passing 737 00:40:31,969 --> 00:40:35,090 S2: through Athens, they retraced the route taken on their second 738 00:40:35,090 --> 00:40:40,190 S2: missionary journey Berea, then Thessalonica, then along the Via Egnatia 739 00:40:40,190 --> 00:40:44,300 S2: to Philippi. While Paul and Luke stopped off in Philippi, Paul, 740 00:40:44,300 --> 00:40:47,690 S2: seven other traveling companions, boarded a ship and went on 741 00:40:47,690 --> 00:40:50,540 S2: ahead to Troas. They planned to wait there for Paul's 742 00:40:50,540 --> 00:40:55,340 S2: arrival after spending Passover and Unleavened Bread in Philippi, but 743 00:40:55,340 --> 00:40:58,189 S2: with the arrival of these festivals, the clock is now 744 00:40:58,190 --> 00:41:02,299 S2: on its 50 day countdown to Shavu'ot Pentecost. And Paul 745 00:41:02,300 --> 00:41:05,689 S2: still has a long journey ahead. The distance from Philippi 746 00:41:05,719 --> 00:41:09,530 S2: to Troas was just 130 miles. But that's as the 747 00:41:09,530 --> 00:41:13,640 S2: crow flies, and no crows or airplanes were available. Paul 748 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:16,880 S2: first had to walk the 12 miles from Philippi to Neapolis, 749 00:41:16,880 --> 00:41:19,460 S2: the modern day town of Kavala. Then he had to 750 00:41:19,460 --> 00:41:23,120 S2: wait for an available ship heading toward Troas. On his 751 00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:27,590 S2: second missionary journey, Paul found excellent travel connections. Then it 752 00:41:27,590 --> 00:41:30,649 S2: took a day to sail from Troas to Samothrace, another 753 00:41:30,650 --> 00:41:33,770 S2: day to sail from Samothrace to Neapolis, followed by less 754 00:41:33,770 --> 00:41:35,990 S2: than a half day's walk to Philippi two and a 755 00:41:35,989 --> 00:41:39,319 S2: half days. But now that Paul's in a hurry, everything 756 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:42,440 S2: seems to be conspiring against him. The two day journey 757 00:41:42,440 --> 00:41:46,520 S2: from Troas to Philippi, on that earlier second missionary journey 758 00:41:46,520 --> 00:41:51,140 S2: now stretches out. As Luke so carefully records. We sailed 759 00:41:51,140 --> 00:41:55,310 S2: from Philippi and five days later joined the others at Troas. 760 00:41:55,310 --> 00:41:58,160 S2: And then, for whatever reason, they seem to have become 761 00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:01,250 S2: stranded in Troas. We're not told if this was because 762 00:42:01,250 --> 00:42:05,420 S2: of physical illness or lack of available transportation, but Luke 763 00:42:05,420 --> 00:42:08,750 S2: notes in his log that the reunited group stayed seven 764 00:42:08,750 --> 00:42:13,700 S2: days in Troas. Only 38 days remain until shavu'ot, and 765 00:42:13,700 --> 00:42:16,760 S2: they're still in Troas, on the northwest coast of what 766 00:42:16,760 --> 00:42:20,660 S2: is today Turkey. Transportation is finally booked and the group 767 00:42:20,660 --> 00:42:23,600 S2: is planning to leave the following day. Paul spoke to 768 00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:26,419 S2: the believers in Troas that night and it turned into 769 00:42:26,420 --> 00:42:29,660 S2: a long meeting. Luke provides a few additional details to 770 00:42:29,660 --> 00:42:34,010 S2: help explain the next potential disruption. Paul kept on talking 771 00:42:34,010 --> 00:42:36,800 S2: until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room 772 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:39,440 S2: where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a 773 00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:42,319 S2: young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep 774 00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:47,000 S2: sleep as Paul talked on and on. It's warm, it's dark. 775 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:49,580 S2: It's been a long day. The soot from all the 776 00:42:49,580 --> 00:42:53,120 S2: lamps is lowering the oxygen level. And try as he might, 777 00:42:53,120 --> 00:42:57,259 S2: young Eutychus slipped off to sleep. Unfortunately, he also slipped 778 00:42:57,260 --> 00:42:59,870 S2: off his perch and tumbled three stories down to the 779 00:42:59,870 --> 00:43:03,170 S2: ground below. Everyone rushed down, but it was clear he 780 00:43:03,170 --> 00:43:06,230 S2: was dead. That is, until Paul wrapped his arms around 781 00:43:06,230 --> 00:43:08,839 S2: him and raised him from the dead. Then they all 782 00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:11,180 S2: went back up to the room, where Paul continued speaking 783 00:43:11,180 --> 00:43:13,759 S2: until the morning. And as the sun rose for the 784 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:16,609 S2: start of a new day, Paul bid the now very 785 00:43:16,610 --> 00:43:21,300 S2: awake focusing. As goodbye and continued his journey. Oh dear, 786 00:43:21,300 --> 00:43:24,989 S2: oh dear, I shall be too late. Paul traveled overland 787 00:43:24,989 --> 00:43:28,290 S2: to Assos while the rest of his party went by ship. 788 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:32,640 S2: Luke then records in staccato fashion their progress from Assos. 789 00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:36,090 S2: They journeyed to Mytilene the following day. This is now 790 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:39,420 S2: day three of the journey from Troas. They arrived off 791 00:43:39,420 --> 00:43:42,690 S2: Chios on day four. They crossed over to Samos, and 792 00:43:42,719 --> 00:43:46,589 S2: on day five they arrived at Miletus. Only 33 days 793 00:43:46,590 --> 00:43:51,030 S2: remain until Shavu'ot. Paul was quickly revising his schedule. Rather 794 00:43:51,030 --> 00:43:54,390 S2: than taking time to visit Ephesus, Paul decided to sail 795 00:43:54,390 --> 00:43:57,810 S2: past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, 796 00:43:57,810 --> 00:44:00,840 S2: for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem if possible. 797 00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:04,530 S2: By the day of Pentecost, Miletus was over 30 miles 798 00:44:04,530 --> 00:44:08,460 S2: from Ephesus, so Paul still had another delay. He sent 799 00:44:08,460 --> 00:44:10,920 S2: to Ephesus for the elders of the city. It would 800 00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:13,680 S2: take someone at least a day to travel to Ephesus, 801 00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:16,710 S2: and another day for the elders to walk back to Miletus, 802 00:44:16,710 --> 00:44:18,960 S2: allowing a day in between for the elders to be 803 00:44:18,960 --> 00:44:22,020 S2: gathered and for the original messenger to rest. There was 804 00:44:22,020 --> 00:44:25,530 S2: likely only 30 days remaining when these elders finally arrived 805 00:44:25,530 --> 00:44:29,040 S2: for this brief visit with Paul, after an emotional gathering 806 00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:31,950 S2: in a time of prayer, the elders then walked with Paul, 807 00:44:31,950 --> 00:44:34,620 S2: the 6 or 7 miles from the city to the sea, 808 00:44:34,620 --> 00:44:37,770 S2: as they accompanied him to the ship. The remainder of 809 00:44:37,770 --> 00:44:41,040 S2: the trip now seemed to go like clockwork. They sailed 810 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:43,890 S2: straight to cause the next day we went to Rhodes, 811 00:44:43,890 --> 00:44:46,500 S2: and from there to Patara, where we found a ship 812 00:44:46,500 --> 00:44:49,860 S2: crossing over to Phoenicia. Passing to the south of Cyprus, 813 00:44:49,860 --> 00:44:53,280 S2: they headed toward Syria, landing in the port of tyre. 814 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:55,589 S2: We're not told the total number of days at sea, 815 00:44:55,590 --> 00:44:58,860 S2: but it seems likely that the last stretch was several days. 816 00:44:58,860 --> 00:45:01,530 S2: So perhaps it took seven days to get from Miletus 817 00:45:01,530 --> 00:45:04,530 S2: to Tyre. That was a rapid trip, but the clock 818 00:45:04,530 --> 00:45:07,890 S2: is now down to something like 24 days to vote. 819 00:45:08,070 --> 00:45:11,069 S2: According to acts 21, Paul stayed with a group of 820 00:45:11,070 --> 00:45:15,029 S2: believers in tyre for seven days before boarding another ship 821 00:45:15,030 --> 00:45:18,690 S2: to Ptolemais, where he stayed another day, then on to Caesarea, 822 00:45:18,690 --> 00:45:21,480 S2: where he also stayed a number of days. We're not 823 00:45:21,480 --> 00:45:23,790 S2: giving the exact number of days, but it would seem 824 00:45:23,790 --> 00:45:27,480 S2: Paul made it to Caesarea with just under two weeks 825 00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:31,529 S2: remaining until Shavu'ot. I suspect he was starting to breathe 826 00:45:31,560 --> 00:45:35,190 S2: a little easier. A few days later, Paul was in Jerusalem, 827 00:45:35,190 --> 00:45:38,160 S2: first meeting with the leadership of the church there and 828 00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:41,490 S2: then heading to the temple. Paul made it just in 829 00:45:41,489 --> 00:45:45,690 S2: time to be falsely accused and arrested in the temple area. 830 00:45:45,690 --> 00:45:49,620 S2: So what lesson can we take home after this exhausting 831 00:45:49,620 --> 00:45:53,190 S2: journey with the Apostle Paul? How about this there are 832 00:45:53,190 --> 00:45:56,160 S2: times in our lives when we find ourselves under pressure. 833 00:45:56,160 --> 00:45:59,670 S2: Sometimes it's of our own making, but sometimes it just 834 00:45:59,670 --> 00:46:03,300 S2: seems like life intervenes to keep us from following through. 835 00:46:03,300 --> 00:46:07,020 S2: On our commitments to the Lord. Paul kept his priorities 836 00:46:07,020 --> 00:46:10,109 S2: in focus, and he adjusted his schedule to not let 837 00:46:10,140 --> 00:46:13,200 S2: other good things get in the way of accomplishing those 838 00:46:13,200 --> 00:46:16,410 S2: things that were more important. But through it all, he 839 00:46:16,410 --> 00:46:19,590 S2: never put his schedule ahead of his commitment to people, 840 00:46:19,590 --> 00:46:22,680 S2: even if it meant staying up all night to speak 841 00:46:22,830 --> 00:46:25,950 S2: the lesson for us keep your priorities straight, and then 842 00:46:25,950 --> 00:46:28,380 S2: trust God to work out all the details. 843 00:46:28,380 --> 00:46:30,990 S1: Play very practical and those are great insights from the 844 00:46:30,989 --> 00:46:33,960 S1: life of Paul. Thank you Charlie, thank you for joining 845 00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:37,049 S1: us today on the land and the book. As always, 846 00:46:37,050 --> 00:46:39,270 S1: we welcome you to our website where you can find 847 00:46:39,270 --> 00:46:43,830 S1: out about today's programs, guest future programs, past programs, everything 848 00:46:43,830 --> 00:46:46,080 S1: you need to know all there at the land and 849 00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:49,710 S1: the book. Org, I'm John Jaeger for our host, Charlie Dyer. 850 00:46:49,710 --> 00:46:52,469 S1: The land and the book is a production of Moody Radio, 851 00:46:52,500 --> 00:46:54,810 S1: a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.