S1: The Old Testament contains more than 20 different Hebrew names
S1: for God. Why so many? What's the difference between them?
S1: In just a few minutes, we're going to look at
S1: seven Hebrew names for God. And we promise, having looked
S1: at those, you will read your Bible differently afterward. Plus,
S1: you'll enjoy hearing questions from other listeners about puzzling passages
S1: in Scripture. Welcome to another great edition of The Land
S1: and the book. Our team is led by Doctor Charlie Dyer,
S1: and I'm John Gager asking, how do you share the
S1: gospel with a Jewish person? Because of cultural, historical, and
S1: religious differences, it can be challenging to sort of navigate
S1: a gospel conversation with somebody from a Jewish background. Have
S1: you ever wondered how the quote professionals do it?
S2: And to answer that question, our friends at Life and
S2: Messiah want to mail you samples of the tracks their
S2: staff use as they share the gospel. This will serve
S2: a dual purpose of equipping you with methods of presenting
S2: the gospel, and also supplying you with tracks you can
S2: share with your Jewish friends and neighbors. Life in Messiah's
S2: Prayer is that these tracks will help further the spread
S2: of the gospel among the Jewish people. To receive this
S2: helpful assortment of tracks, all you need to do is
S2: visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody
S2: Radio button for more information. That's life in Messiah org.
S2: Don't miss out on this great opportunity.
S1: All right, here are the stories that have been unfolding
S1: this past week in the Middle East. As the conflict
S1: between Israel and Hamas drags on, many in Israel are
S1: starting to look ahead toward eventual national elections. What do
S1: the latest polls suggest might lie ahead?
S2: Eight months into this war between Israel and Hamas, individual
S2: politicians and parties are quietly laying the groundwork for the
S2: day after, when finger pointing and political infighting will begin
S2: in earnest. People want to know who to blame, and
S2: those who oppose Prime Minister Netanyahu hope to use Hamas's
S2: attack and the subsequent war to remove him from office
S2: in the next election. Preliminary polls suggest that right now,
S2: most do blame Netanyahu and expect him and his party
S2: to lose the mandate to govern whenever the next elections
S2: finally held. There are even some within his own party
S2: who are quietly jockeying to replace him as head of Likud.
S2: But it's probably too early to write Netanyahu's political obituary
S2: right now. The favorite to replace him is Benny Gantz
S2: and the National Unity Party. In early polls, Gantz seems
S2: virtually unstoppable. However, in some more recent polls, the numbers
S2: have shifted just slightly, though Gantz's party is still predicted
S2: to receive 30 Knesset seats to Likud's 19. But Netanyahu
S2: remains the political chess master, which is what makes him
S2: so hard to write off. For example, in the matter
S2: of drafting the ultra-Orthodox into the military, Netanyahu proposed a
S2: plan endorsed by Gantz when Gantz was part of the
S2: previous administration. Gantz has now come out opposing the plan,
S2: claiming that the situation since October 7th has changed. However,
S2: this allowed Netanyahu to picture Gantz as a political opportunist
S2: who endorsed a plan when he was in the government,
S2: only to now oppose it. Netanyahu has also been slow
S2: to put forward a specific plan for Gaza after the
S2: war ends. Those criticizing him for this are then forced
S2: to explain what they would do. And depending on what
S2: happens on the battlefield or with the US or with
S2: the Palestinian Authority, they could end up being criticized for
S2: promoting flawed answers by refusing to commit. Netanyahu is forcing
S2: them to push forward their solutions, which will have their
S2: own share of critics. Right now, the polls don't look
S2: good for Netanyahu, but he's banking on two very real possibilities. First,
S2: the war with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran could continue for
S2: some time, holding off elections. And second, any number of
S2: events could happen militarily or diplomatically to create a dramatic
S2: change in the political landscape between now and those elections.
S2: Netanyahu might seem to be down politically, but it's still
S2: too early to count him out.
S1: Israel's relationship with Turkey continues to deteriorate over the war
S1: with Hamas. Help us understand the connection between Turkey and Hamas.
S2: Yeah, the key connection is the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas grew
S2: out of the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey's Justice and Development Party.
S2: That's Erdogan's party shares similar Islamic beliefs. Though the Justice
S2: and Development Party denies being an Islamist party, it has
S2: gradually moved in that direction. Under Erdogan. It combines its
S2: Islamic beliefs with elements of right wing nationalism. Erdogan and
S2: his party have been strong supporters of Hamas, calling Hamas
S2: a liberation group. Erdogan has welcomed senior Hamas officials for visits,
S2: and more than a thousand wounded Hamas fighters are currently
S2: being treated in Turkish hospitals. Documents discovered in Gaza included
S2: plans for establishing a secret Hamas base in Turkey to
S2: help coordinate attacks against Israel. Erdogan publicly said Hamas is
S2: helping defend Turkey, and said Israel would set its sights
S2: on Turkey if it succeeded in defeating Hamas in Gaza.
S2: He called Israel. The rogue and terrorist state that. Recently,
S2: Erdogan announced that Turkey would halt all trade with Israel
S2: and cut off all economic ties with Israel in response.
S2: Israel's financial minister proposed raising the import duty to 100%
S2: on all goods coming from Turkey. Of course, if Turkey
S2: isn't selling any goods, then the move is just symbolic.
S2: But it would suggest Israel is responding to Turkey's efforts
S2: to support Hamas. Israel is wary of any future offers
S2: by Erdogan under his party's rule. Turkey has not proven
S2: to be a reliable partner with Israel.
S1: If you just joined us, that's Doctor Charlie Dyer, Middle
S1: East expert. I'm John Jaeger. This is a look at
S1: current events. Because of Western sanctions, Iran and Hezbollah have
S1: become more creative in both securing finances and in pressing
S1: their attacks against Israel. What are some of their latest efforts?
S2: Well, Iran is generating sufficient income by exporting over a
S2: million barrels of oil per day to China. In addition,
S2: they've also increased their smuggling of oil into Pakistan. Last year,
S2: they smuggled in just over $1 billion worth of oil,
S2: accounting for 14% of Pakistan's annual fuel consumption. These illegal
S2: shipments are harming Pakistan's legitimate oil industry, while also helping
S2: fund rebel groups in Pakistan and elsewhere in the region
S2: who helped distribute the oil. Hezbollah has developed a plan
S2: to extort funds from Europe using Syrian refugees. There are
S2: approximately 2 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Hezbollah's leader said
S2: in May that Lebanon should open its maritime borders, so
S2: Syrians living in Lebanon could board boats heading to Europe.
S2: It's only 100 miles from Tripoli, Lebanon, to Cyprus, which
S2: is part of Europe. From there, the refugees could then
S2: travel throughout Europe. But here's the rest of the story.
S2: Europe has been paying Turkey and countries in North Africa
S2: to keep refugees from leaving their borders and heading to
S2: Europe by encouraging Lebanon to allow Syrian refugees to flood
S2: into Cyprus. Hezbollah's trying to create a crisis to also
S2: extort funds from Europe, and of course, a significant portion
S2: of any funds that would come to Lebanon from Europe
S2: would find their way into Hezbollah's coffers. Finally, Jordan recently
S2: thwarted an Iranian led plan to smuggle weapons to a
S2: muslim Brotherhood cell in the kingdom that was planning to
S2: carry out acts of sabotage. The goal was to destabilize
S2: the Jordanian government, to enable Iranian backed terrorists to open
S2: up a new front against Israel, and to encourage the
S2: smuggling of weapons from Jordan into the West Bank. Iran
S2: and Hezbollah planned to encircle and wear down Israel, and
S2: they hoped the West will remain willfully ignorant of all
S2: this until it's too late.
S1: Charlie, Iran seems to have so few friends outside of Iran.
S1: You wonder why the world community isn't more successful in
S1: fencing in their aggressive efforts.
S2: Yeah, it may have so few friends. However, those friends
S2: are significant. Russia, China and Turkey are three that are
S2: helping Iran in in some very practical ways and helping
S2: to thwart the sanctions that the US and the West
S2: have tried to put on Iran to help hold it down.
S1: Archaeologists have discovered a previously lost branch of the Nile
S1: River that may help solve a mystery surrounding the ancient pyramids. Charlie,
S1: I'm intrigued here. I love this mystery idea. What is
S1: it and how does this discovery help us provide an answer?
S2: Well, you know, the mystery is how were the pyramids
S2: built on an isolated strip of land at the edge
S2: of the Sahara desert, you know, with sand all around it?
S2: Or I put it another way. How are the large
S2: blocks of stone brought to that area to build the pyramids?
S2: You know, most people, when they think of the pyramids,
S2: think of the three main ones there in Giza. But
S2: there are actually a total of 31 pyramids stretched over
S2: a 17 mile area. The blocks of stone. I most
S2: agree on this. They were quarried further to the south,
S2: and they were brought to the area on the Nile
S2: River by boat or barge. But the pyramids are located
S2: 4 to 5 miles west of the river today, and
S2: that's a long distance to haul blocks of stone over land,
S2: especially when that land is sandy. Using radar, satellite imagery,
S2: deep soil coring, and other geophysical tests, this team was
S2: able to map out the remains of a branch of
S2: the Nile River that flowed for about 40 miles, much
S2: closer to the site of the pyramids. Many of the
S2: pyramids they found had causeways that led to this branch
S2: of the Nile, and acted, in a sense, as harbors
S2: where the stones could be offloaded and then brought right
S2: to the pyramid site. Eventually, this branch of the Nile
S2: River shifted to the east during the Middle Kingdom era,
S2: drying up and getting covered with sand during a period
S2: of prolonged drought about 4200 years ago. The discovery of
S2: the course of this now lost branch of the Nile
S2: helps explain why the pyramids are located where they are.
S2: They were actually very close to the river at that time, though,
S2: miles away today.
S1: And that's a look at current events. Charlie, for those
S1: who want to explore current events themselves, what do you
S1: think of resources online? Like Times of Israel.
S2: I think the Times of Israel is a great resource. Uh,
S2: it's probably slightly to the left of center, but it's
S2: still a very mainstream newspaper. Uh, The Jerusalem Post would
S2: be a second source, slightly to the right of center,
S2: and also a great newspaper. And if people read those daily,
S2: they'll get a good grasp of what's actually taking place
S2: in that region of the world.
S1: Hey, we'd love for you to get a better grasp
S1: on what's happening here at the program by visiting our website,
S1: The Land and the book.org. At that website you can
S1: learn about today's guest. You can learn about past programs,
S1: future programs all ready to go there, as well as
S1: get started with our podcast. It's a neat way to
S1: listen to the program at your own convenience and to
S1: share us with a friend. Coming up next, seven Hebrew
S1: Names of God.
S3: The Old Testament.
S1: Is filled with names for God, and all of them
S1: are unique. But why does the Bible go into such
S1: effort to use these in different passages in different ways?
S1: More importantly, how might our appreciation for God be elevated
S1: if we understood the Hebrew meanings of these names? Well,
S1: that's where our conversation is headed. Next. You're listening to
S1: The Land and the book. I'm John Gager, inviting you
S1: to pause with me for just a moment and ponder
S1: a fresh idea for sharing the love of Jesus with
S1: a Jewish friend. It's easy to lose sight of the
S1: fact that the Jewish community is diverse. So what's the
S1: most effective approach to sharing the gospel with Jewish people? Again,
S1: very diverse. Wes Haber is with life in Messiah. Any
S1: thoughts here?
S4: Well, that should be easier if it were. All Jewish
S4: people were alike. But Jewish people hold very different worldviews
S4: with diverse understandings of biblical truth. A the questions can
S4: be effective tools at different levels of conversation. I'd be
S4: interested to know, for example, if you could ask God
S4: one question, what would it be? Or what part has
S4: faith played in your life? What do you plan to
S4: do when your retirement is over? I love that one
S4: and your understanding how can we be made righteous before
S4: a holy God? I love this.
S1: Idea of questions. A friend of mine just engaged a
S1: Jewish person in conversation and and by asking questions, we
S1: learned so much more about her, her framework. So so
S1: questions are keys to unlock the door to spiritual conversations. Yes.
S4: They're diagnostic. They help us understand what others are thinking,
S4: and they also help open the door so we can
S4: lovingly present the truth about Messiah. And often questions linger
S4: in the mind after the conversations end, prompting further thinking.
S1: I like that further thinking, further dialogue. I hope West
S1: Haber is with life in Messiah. Melissa Briggs is an
S1: experienced Hebrew teacher who has lived in Jerusalem, England and
S1: right now Nashville. She's passionate about making the riches of
S1: the Hebrew language available to everyone. Melissa has two new
S1: video Hebrew courses available for beginners level one and level two.
S1: Her content offers a unique blend of biblical and modern
S1: Hebrew taught together, all from a Christian perspective, of course.
S1: Melissa's website is Explore Hebrew. Co.Uk. Hey, welcome back to
S1: the land and the book, Melissa.
S5: Thank you. I'm delighted to be here.
S1: Hey, answer the skeptic who says, what's the big deal
S1: with looking back at the Hebrew names for God? Why?
S1: Why should that matter?
S5: The Hebrew word for name is Shem, and Shem means
S5: so much more than what a person is called. A
S5: Shem speaks to the essential nature of someone and their reputation.
S5: So where our modern idea of names is all about
S5: what sounds cute or trendy or unique, a Hebrew name
S5: tells us about someone's character. It's a window into who
S5: they are, and God is a God who wants to
S5: be known by us. And he reveals so many of
S5: his different names or titles in the Bible. They're all
S5: insights into who he is, and he is so good,
S5: so righteous, so powerful. Sometimes the modern culture can try
S5: to sanitize God, to try to make him in our
S5: image or make him more politically correct, perhaps. Or we
S5: can make assumptions about God based on what words mean
S5: in the English language. And the truth is that some
S5: things about God are surprising. In each of these Hebrew names,
S5: we find that God is even better than what we
S5: could hope for or imagine. And I love digging into
S5: these truths because they point us to the very heart,
S5: the very nature of God.
S1: Well, you know now that you put a spotlight on
S1: the on the character of God in all of its
S1: varied forms, maybe seven names isn't near enough. I mean,
S1: maybe there should be, you know, almost unlimited names, you know?
S1: Are there too few?
S5: Absolutely. Yeah. We could probably talk about 40 Names of
S5: God that all point to different aspects of his amazing character,
S5: but this will be a good start today.
S1: All right. Well, we're going to attempt something rather ambitious
S1: in the next few minutes together as we look at
S1: seven different Hebrew names for God. All right. Fasten your
S1: seat belts. Here we go. What are we going to
S1: lead off with? Melissa? What's the first.
S6: Name?
S5: The first one is Goel. It means Redeemer or kinsman Redeemer.
S5: Its literal meaning is one who buys back. Our freedom
S5: is directly linked to the redemption of Jesus as our goel,
S5: our Redeemer, the Passover Lamb. Now, if we have accepted
S5: his free gift of salvation, then we belong to him,
S5: for we were bought at a price. Sometimes based on
S5: our modern Western worldview, we can mistakenly view freedom as
S5: independence from anyone else. However, like in the story of
S5: Ruth and Boaz, Boaz didn't just redeem Ruth and then
S5: abandon her or send her off on her own. Rather,
S5: the redemption was the beginning of their intimate union and
S5: family life. Biblically, a goel like Boaz buys back their destitute,
S5: estranged relative to belong to the family again to be
S5: under their care. It's a beautiful picture of what Jesus
S5: has done to bring us into right relationship with our
S5: Heavenly Father.
S1: You know, Melissa, what does it say about the character
S1: of God that he would choose as a name for
S1: himself the very mission of Jesus, one who buys back?
S1: That's amazing that he would want to be known by
S1: that name, I think.
S6: Absolutely.
S5: We read in Isaiah 43 but now thus says the Lord,
S5: your creator, O Jacob, and he who formed you, oh Israel,
S5: do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have
S5: called you by name. You are mine.
S1: Seven Hebrew names for God. That's our focus today on
S1: the land and the book. I'm John Geiger. Our guest
S1: is Melissa Briggs. Some listeners will be familiar with the
S1: next name for God, ABBA, take us further, Melissa.
S6: So the literal meaning.
S5: Of ABBA is dad or even daddy. What struck me
S5: most when I dug into a Hebrew word study of
S5: ABBA is just how different the biblical view of fatherhood
S5: is compared to our modern Western mindset that can truly
S5: downgrade or belittle fathers. In biblical times, a person's identity
S5: is directly tied to belonging to their father. Abe is
S5: the more formal version of ABBA. He provides protection, provision,
S5: a home, a family, an inheritance. Before last names were
S5: a cultural norm, you were labeled as a son of
S5: your father. Isaac, son of Abraham. Jacob, son of Isaac.
S5: This is a picture of how God wants our identity
S5: to be completely rooted in him. Psalm 68 tells us
S5: that God is a father. To the fatherless. And in
S5: Psalm 27 David spoke of Father God accepting those rejected
S5: or hurt by their parents. It says, you, Lord, have
S5: been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me.
S5: God my Savior, though my Father and mother forsake me,
S5: the Lord will receive me. I think God chose this
S5: powerful fatherhood metaphor exactly because he knew that our human
S5: family relationships could be so complicated by sin. God meets
S5: us in our place of pain and he offers the solution.
S5: He offers himself to us as Father ABBA. The message
S5: of ABBA is that there is healing and wholeness available
S5: to all. Jesus connects us to His Father so that
S5: we might be made whole emotionally and spiritually when we
S5: open up our hearts to him.
S1: So far, we've looked at two names Goel and ABBA.
S1: What is our third name for God that we're looking
S1: at in the Hebrew? Melissa.
S5: The next Hebrew word is delet, and it means door.
S5: What I love about the Hebrew word door delet is
S5: that it speaks of the humility of the Lord Jesus.
S5: The root word from which delet derives. It's all about lowliness, humility,
S5: and of course, the way that Jesus was able to
S5: provide access into his father's sheepfold was through humbling himself,
S5: coming down, taking on earthly form, making himself so low
S5: even to the point of death on our behalf.
S1: Melissa Briggs is an experienced Hebrew teacher who has lived
S1: in Jerusalem, England, and now Nashville. She's passionate about making
S1: the riches of the Hebrew language available to everyone. I'm
S1: John Geiger, glad to have you with us. Why is
S1: it so important that we come to God as the door?
S6: Well, the.
S5: Crucified Messiah, Yeshua Jesus, he is the door. The access
S5: to the Heavenly Father. Back in biblical times, the sheepfold.
S5: It was an enclosed area with a stone wall with
S5: one opening and the shepherd himself. At night he would
S5: sit across this opening and his own body would act
S5: as the door. John chapter ten Jesus says, I am
S5: the door. The Dellet whoever enters through me will be saved.
S1: We live in an age where people say, that's my truth,
S1: or there is no absolute truth, but one of God's
S1: name says he actually is the truth. What is this
S1: name and what should we know?
S6: Yes, the word for truth is Emmett.
S5: And the truth is ha, Emmett. And the reason this
S5: word is important is because you're exactly right. Our culture
S5: has lost the plot when it comes to understanding truth.
S5: Our postmodern society says either there is no truth or
S5: that different people can have different truth. But the Bible
S5: teaches the opposite. There is truth perfectly embodied in Jesus,
S5: and that truth is the truth that sets us free.
S5: The Hebrew word Emmett. It's closely related to the Hebrew
S5: words for faith, faithfulness, pillar and to support. So the
S5: Hebrew language provides this beautiful imagery of faith and truth
S5: as the pillars that should be supporting our life. You know.
S1: Melissa, if God cared enough about truth to name himself truth,
S1: it speaks, I think, to the importance and really the
S1: the wrongness of the direction that we're going culturally to
S1: dismiss truth as a your thing, my thing kind of notion.
S5: I agree, according to the Bible, the fact is that
S5: not all roads lead to relationship with the one true God,
S5: or the opportunity to spend eternity with him. The invitation
S5: is freely and generously extended to all. But there is
S5: only one door, one way to a restored relationship with
S5: God for eternity. We read in John chapter 22 that
S5: Jesus said to her, A woman, I am the resurrection
S5: and the life. The one who believes in me will
S5: live even though they die. And whoever lives by believing
S5: in me will never die. Jesus himself, he's the door.
S5: He's the truth. And he challenges us that the actual
S5: content of our faith cannot be glossed over lightly. He
S5: is truth.
S1: Hebrew name number five is what Morgan.
S5: And the literal meaning of Morgan is a shield, and
S5: it can be a literal or a figurative shield. Sometimes
S5: it's translated as defender or defense. We find this word
S5: in Genesis chapter 15, verse one, where it says, after
S5: this the word of the Lord came to Abram in
S5: a vision, do not be afraid, Abram. I am a margin,
S5: a shield, a defender to you, your exceedingly great reward.
S1: Today in the land. In the book we're learning from
S1: Hebrew teacher Melissa Briggs as we explore seven. The Hebrew
S1: names for God. This next one is a name for
S1: God that I've never heard before, bringing us up to speed. Melissa.
S6: The next word is shomer.
S5: Its literal meaning is a guardian, a keeper, a watchman.
S5: It comes from the Hebrew verb qamar, which means to
S5: keep watch, to guard over this beautiful and reassuring name
S5: of God. It's found in Psalm 121, where it says,
S5: he will not let your foot slip. He who watches
S5: over you will not slumber. Indeed, the guardian of Israel,
S5: Shomer Yisrael, he will neither slumber nor sleep. God is
S5: watching as a shomer. He sees everything and he will
S5: restore justice and righteousness on the earth.
S1: Well, we speak of God as having power, all power.
S1: And this last name we're looking at today speaks of
S1: his power. Enlighten us.
S5: The name Adonai Sabaoth. It's usually translated either the Lord
S5: of armies or the Lord of hosts. And this word
S5: speaks to God's sovereignty over all of creation. The word save.
S5: It's the plural of Chava, the Hebrew word for army,
S5: which is still used in modern Hebrew today to refer
S5: to the Israeli Defense Force. Sjava can either refer to
S5: an actual army or a great multitude or host. This
S5: root word is all about commanding, often militarily, over a
S5: large number. This powerful name of God found 235 times
S5: in the Hebrew Scriptures. It spotlighted in first Samuel 17,
S5: where it says, David said to the Philistine, you come
S5: against me with a sword and a spear and a javelin,
S5: but I come against you in the name of Adonai Sabaoth,
S5: the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
S5: So our true hope and Israel's true hope is Adonai Tzeva'ot.
S1: And that's a look at seven Hebrew names for God.
S1: What if somebody says, wow, this really does open my
S1: eyes to some things that I've been missing in my
S1: study of the scriptures. Melissa, how can somebody take advantage
S1: of your video courses and learn more?
S6: Yes, I would.
S5: Love for you to visit my website, explore Hebrew Wru.co.uk.
S5: There's different Hebrew articles and word studies you can find there,
S5: and you can also find access to the video courses
S5: that I offer that are a unique blend of biblical
S5: and modern Hebrew, taught from a Christian perspective.
S1: Okay, and a discount as well for land of the
S1: book listeners.
S6: Absolutely.
S5: If you use discount code Hebrew 50, that's going to
S5: give you $50 off the cost of the Hebrew courses.
S1: All right. Check it out again at.
S5: Explore Hebrew Dot.
S1: Co.Uk Melissa, always a pleasure to talk with you. Thanks
S1: for opening our eyes to seven Hebrew names for God.
S1: Thank you. And we're looking forward to our next segment
S1: where Charlie Dyer returns. He's got a stack of Bible
S1: questions that's real tall, but guess what? His answers they're
S1: taller yet. How could an answer be taller? Find out
S1: when you join us next here on the land and
S1: the book. Questions and answers. That's the focus of this
S1: segment here on Moody Radio's The Land and the book
S1: with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. Charlie's been a pastor.
S1: He's been a school administrator. He's been a tour host,
S1: tour guide, tour leader. And I don't know what else. Charlie,
S1: you've worn a lot of hats in life, but you
S1: always come back to the Bible, don't you?
S2: That's the bottom line for it all, John. Uh, it's
S2: the Bible that's the key. And and any way we
S2: can share the Bible and get people into it, it
S2: gets me excited.
S1: Well, we're excited then about this particular segment and we'll
S1: dig right into our questions. After this thought, how do
S1: you share the gospel with a Jewish person? Because of cultural, historical,
S1: and religious differences, it's sometimes challenging to navigate a gospel
S1: conversation with somebody from a Jewish background. Maybe you've wondered
S1: how the quote professionals do this.
S2: And to answer that question, our friends at Life in
S2: Messiah want to mail you samples of the tracks their
S2: staff use as they share the gospel. This will serve
S2: a dual purpose of equipping you with methods of presenting
S2: the gospel, and also supplying you with tracks you can
S2: share with your Jewish friends and neighbors. Life in Messiah's
S2: Prayer is that these tracks will help further the spread
S2: of the gospel among the Jewish people. To receive this
S2: helpful assortment of tracks, all you need to do is
S2: visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody
S2: Radio button there for more information. That's life in Messiah org.
S2: Don't miss out on this great opportunity.
S1: All right. Thank you. Good idea. William says my question
S1: is on the blessings and curses in Genesis 12 three.
S1: And he's our first questioner of the day. He says,
S1: I remember a speaker commenting on the original words, translated
S1: blessings and curses and saying they were not actually the
S1: same word in each case. Could you help clarify this,
S1: especially in light of the current war and how America
S1: could be affected?
S2: Yeah, and Genesis 12 three God uses one word for bless,
S2: but he uses two different words for cursing. The verse
S2: also uses the plural form for those who bless, but
S2: it uses the singular form for the one who curses.
S2: Of the two words used for curse, the first one
S2: has the idea of treating lightly or mocking, while the
S2: second is the normal word used throughout Genesis for a curse. Now,
S2: having said all that, I'm not sure how much weight
S2: we can place on the fact that two different words
S2: are used for cursing. Because in the parallel passage in
S2: Genesis 2729, that's where Isaac blesses Jacob. The normal word
S2: for curse is used in both parts of the statement,
S2: and those blessing and cursing are also both in the plural.
S2: It says they're cursed. Be those who curse you, and
S2: blessed be those who bless you. Since Abraham and his
S2: descendants are the chosen mediators of God's blessing, God will
S2: bless those who seek to bless Israel, while he also
S2: promises to curse those who reject him by rejecting the
S2: mediator he's chosen.
S1: Gordon says, I'm confused about Isaiah 66, verses seven and
S1: eight and Ezekiel 37, verses 21 and 22. What is
S1: being referred to in these passages?
S2: Yeah, well, I'll start with the Ezekiel 37 there. I
S2: don't see that passage referring to either the return from
S2: Babylonian captivity or Israel's return in 1948 being the fulfillment
S2: in the larger context when the details are taken literally.
S2: I believe what Ezekiel is pointing to there is Israel's
S2: still future complete restoration at Christ's second coming. Now, here's
S2: why I say that the prophecy begins in chapter 36,
S2: where Ezekiel describes his version of the New Covenant. He says,
S2: God will bring Israel out of the nations and back
S2: into your own land. That's verse 24, but they're not.
S2: They're just physically. He also says, God will cleanse you
S2: from all your impurities. That's verse 25 and give you
S2: a new heart. Verse 26, put my spirit in you.
S2: That's verse 27, and save you from all your uncleanness.
S2: That's verse 29. And then in verse 33 he says,
S2: on the day I cleanse you from all your sins,
S2: I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt.
S2: In other words, the fulfillment will happen when Israel is
S2: restored physically to the land and spiritually to her God.
S2: And that didn't happen following the Babylonian captivity and it
S2: also didn't happen in 1948, but it will all take
S2: place at the second coming. And then in chapter 37,
S2: Ezekiel gives two illustrations to show how God will do
S2: it the valley of dry bones. God's going to restore
S2: the nation, he says, physically and spiritually. And the two
S2: sticks he puts together says, I'm going to restore all Israel,
S2: not just the southern kingdom of Judah. Now the other passage,
S2: Isaiah 66, also looks forward to the future time. Isaiah
S2: looks ahead to that day, and he sees a number of,
S2: I'd call them mountain peaks of prophecy in the distance,
S2: and they include the new heavens and the new Earth,
S2: the dramatic restoration of Israel and Jerusalem, and a time
S2: of universal peace and longevity of life. Now, later writers
S2: provide additional details to help clarify the order of those events.
S2: But taking Isaiah's words at face value, I see a
S2: gathering to the land and a time of universal peace.
S2: And that didn't happen when Israel came back from Babylon
S2: or in 1948. And that's why I actually believe both
S2: of those passages describe a time that is still future.
S1: It's the Land and the book from Moody Radio. On
S1: this third segment, we answer Bible questions yours, and that
S1: question of yours is welcome with a quick email to
S1: the land and the book@moody.edu, Assaf says, I know the
S1: Bible is the inerrant Word of God, incapable of being wrong.
S1: But in reading John five, the story of the man
S1: with an infirmity who spent 38 years at the Pool
S1: of Bethesda, I noticed some translations leave out the last
S1: part of verse three and all of verse four, which
S1: speak of the angels stirring up the water. Why are
S1: these verses left out? Seems like they're a crucial part
S1: of the story.
S2: Yeah, the key issue here is whether or not the
S2: last part of verse three and all of verse four
S2: were actually part of the original manuscript, or if they
S2: were inserted later by a copyist, a number of older
S2: and fairly reliable manuscripts don't have those verses, and that's
S2: why some translations leave them out. However, the case is
S2: by no means settled. There are other manuscripts that do
S2: have the verses. Now, my personal feeling is that the
S2: verses were part of the original and are left out
S2: of some manuscripts, because later copyists saw them as problematic.
S2: That is, they saw that what was being described there
S2: doesn't match the character of God. I think the potential
S2: problem can be easily resolved if we understand the angel
S2: of the Lord that stirred up the waters wasn't a
S2: good angel. It was a fallen angel. In this sense,
S2: the incident seems to have Satan's fingerprints all over it.
S2: You're holding people captive to a site while they waited
S2: desperately for a miracle, and archaeological evidence has been found
S2: there at the site linking it to an asclepion, a
S2: pagan place connected to the worship of Asclepius, the Greek
S2: god of healing. So when the angel does arrive, it says,
S2: the person who can get into the pool first, which
S2: would be the most healthy, gets healed, while the most
S2: needy is never able to get there in time. So
S2: I do see the verses as genuine. I believe they
S2: help explain how Jesus demonstrated his true grace and mercy
S2: at the house of mercy in this place that otherwise
S2: was dominated by a false religious practice.
S1: Interesting question here from Lois is the crown of thorns
S1: foretold in the Old Testament?
S2: Well, I don't know of any direct Old Testament prophecy
S2: that predicted the crown of thorns. You know, some think
S2: the ram caught in the thicket when Abraham was going
S2: to offer Isaac might be a type of that picture
S2: of the crown of thorns, but I don't see that personally.
S2: So what I really say is, I don't see that
S2: picturing the crown of thorns. I don't see any other
S2: incident in the Old Testament either pointing that direction, and
S2: I'm hesitant to find meaning in in details of a
S2: story like that of the ram caught in the thicket.
S2: Since there's nothing in the account to connect that ram
S2: with the crown of thorns.
S1: All right. From John, this question, I was in a
S1: conversation with someone who claimed that acts 323 says that
S1: those Jews who do not believe in Christ will be
S1: cut off. That is, they will be out of the covenant,
S1: and everyone who will not listen to that prophet will
S1: be completely cut off from the people it says. What
S1: does it mean to be cut off from the people
S1: who are the people they are cut off from? Is
S1: an unbelieving Jew out of the covenant?
S2: Yeah. The phrase cut off or cut off from among
S2: the people comes from the Old Testament. And it's used
S2: there multiple times, and it refers to God judging an
S2: individual either by putting him to death through direct divine judgment,
S2: or by having those in the community put him to
S2: death through capital punishment. But in acts three, Peter's quoting
S2: from Deuteronomy 18, and the promise by Moses of another
S2: prophet who was going to arise in verse 20, there
S2: he directly identifies Jesus as the Messiah. And in verse
S2: 22 he connects Jesus to Moses's prediction from Deuteronomy 18.
S2: And what that says there is God's going to call
S2: them to account, uh, if they don't listen to the
S2: words of this prophet. So Peter is saying, individuals who
S2: reject God's promised Messiah, Jesus, will be judged by God. However,
S2: I think we need to be very careful not to
S2: use this verse to argue that all Jews have been
S2: rejected by God. In verse 17, Peter makes it clear
S2: that they acted in ignorance when they called for Jesus
S2: to be crucified. And then in verses 19 to 20,
S2: he offers his audience an opportunity to repent and turn
S2: to God so your sins may be wiped out. So
S2: here's the bottom line for me to be cut off
S2: from among the people in the mosaic covenant had the
S2: idea of coming under divine judgment and experiencing physical death.
S2: It was a strong and serious warning, and Peter is
S2: using that same language to describe the importance of the
S2: decision now facing his audience and by way of application.
S2: By the way, it's not just for the Jewish people
S2: in his day. I think it's a decision faced by
S2: all unbelievers today. What will you do with Jesus? It
S2: has eternal consequences from Mary.
S1: This question in Explaining the Fall, Donald Grey Barnhouse said
S1: that while Adam was made in God's image, Cain born
S1: after the fall wasn't. I wondered if he meant just
S1: to differentiate between God's initially having created man perfectly, but
S1: sin making it impossible to have the same perfection in Cain.
S1: But in another book it looks like he again said,
S1: man is no longer in God's image. Does that mean
S1: that the expression being made in God's image is unbiblical?
S2: I always appreciated the ministry of Doctor Barnhouse. Now in
S2: this instance, I tend to disagree with him. I suspect
S2: it might just be semantic, though he does state in
S2: places Adam lost the image of. God at the time
S2: of the fall, but I'd prefer to say the fall
S2: marred the image of God now. Two passages help me
S2: in this. The first is Genesis five, where it begins
S2: by saying God created mankind or humanity in his likeness.
S2: And then it says Adam had a son in his
S2: image and likeness. That is, the image God placed on.
S2: Adam was then reproduced in Adam's offspring. And the second
S2: passage is Genesis nine six, which describes events after the flood,
S2: and it says, whoever sheds the blood of man by
S2: man shall his blood be shed. But in the second
S2: half of the verse it explains why. For in the
S2: image of God has God made man.
S1: And that's a look at questions that have come into us. Yours.
S1: Welcome anytime. Again, when you email us at The Land
S1: and the book@moody.edu and Don't Go Away, Charlie Dyer's devotional
S1: is next, right here on the land and the book.
S1: Have you ever been late to something? Hi, John. Gager
S1: here hanging out with Charlie Dyer and Charlie. I have
S1: to confess, uh, I've been, uh, running late for a
S1: lot of things in life. Uh, I just I try
S1: to cram too much in, I think sometimes. What about you?
S2: Uh, we are both the same, John. We try and
S2: pack too much stuff in, but so did the apostle Paul.
S2: And that's what we'll talk about.
S1: All right, that's all ahead in Charlie's devotional based in
S1: acts chapter 20. We'll get to that after this Holy
S1: Land experience. Testimony.
S7: My name is Joyce Papich, and my experience with what
S7: the Bible so far has been getting to know the
S7: Lord and him teaching me on the level that I
S7: was ready for. And now I can understand things on
S7: such a greater level and have so much more communication
S7: with him and reading through the Bible, knowing where he's been,
S7: knowing where all these events have happened, I can experience
S7: them at a deeper level and get even more out
S7: of all the messages that he has for me. I'm
S7: just so excited to have a whole new world open
S7: up to me.
S1: All right. Our Bibles are open to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Acts.
S1: Fifth book of the New Testament, the 20th chapter. Charlie,
S1: we are not in a rush.
S2: Well, but this time we are John. In Lewis Carroll's
S2: story Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Alice's adventures begin when she
S2: spots a white rabbit running by saying to itself, oh dear,
S2: oh dear, I shall be too late. Now those who
S2: remember the Walt Disney version might remember slightly different words
S2: from a song in the film. But in Carroll's 1865 story,
S2: the frazzled rabbit is shouting to himself, oh dear, oh dear,
S2: I shall be too late. He was all dressed up
S2: but running behind schedule. And the two of us, John
S2: and I suspect everybody else listening, have all experienced times
S2: like that. Times when we try to squeeze the hours
S2: of work needed to finish our project into the scant
S2: few minutes remaining until the deadline, or at times when
S2: an avalanche of interruptions seems to keep us from making
S2: it to an important meeting, our internal alarm clock begins
S2: sounding and a sense of panic starts to set in.
S2: Oh dear, oh dear, I shall be too late. Well,
S2: if you've ever felt that way recently, take heart. So
S2: did the Apostle Paul. The important event Paul didn't want
S2: to miss was the festival of Shavuot, what we know
S2: as the day of Pentecost. The problem is that Paul
S2: was in Greece. He needed to make it to Jerusalem
S2: by shavu'ot. That festival happens to be this coming week
S2: on our calendar. Let's see what happened when Paul felt
S2: pressured to make it to Jerusalem on time. Paul's eventful
S2: great race to Jerusalem began when he was in Greece,
S2: where Luke tells us in acts 20, verse three that
S2: he stayed three months. It was early spring, just before Passover.
S2: Paul's plan was to sail from Greece directly to Syria,
S2: but his plan was dramatically interrupted because Jews made a
S2: plot against him just as he was about to sail,
S2: narrowly avoiding a likely assassination plot aboard ship, Paul decided
S2: to go back through Macedonia instead of traveling by boat.
S2: He set off on a more roundabout journey by land.
S2: This added to his travel time, and time was starting
S2: to slip away. Paul and eight other traveling companions set
S2: out by foot on the road north from Corinth. Passing
S2: through Athens, they retraced the route taken on their second
S2: missionary journey Berea, then Thessalonica, then along the Via Egnatia
S2: to Philippi. While Paul and Luke stopped off in Philippi, Paul,
S2: seven other traveling companions, boarded a ship and went on
S2: ahead to Troas. They planned to wait there for Paul's
S2: arrival after spending Passover and Unleavened Bread in Philippi, but
S2: with the arrival of these festivals, the clock is now
S2: on its 50 day countdown to Shavu'ot Pentecost. And Paul
S2: still has a long journey ahead. The distance from Philippi
S2: to Troas was just 130 miles. But that's as the
S2: crow flies, and no crows or airplanes were available. Paul
S2: first had to walk the 12 miles from Philippi to Neapolis,
S2: the modern day town of Kavala. Then he had to
S2: wait for an available ship heading toward Troas. On his
S2: second missionary journey, Paul found excellent travel connections. Then it
S2: took a day to sail from Troas to Samothrace, another
S2: day to sail from Samothrace to Neapolis, followed by less
S2: than a half day's walk to Philippi two and a
S2: half days. But now that Paul's in a hurry, everything
S2: seems to be conspiring against him. The two day journey
S2: from Troas to Philippi, on that earlier second missionary journey
S2: now stretches out. As Luke so carefully records. We sailed
S2: from Philippi and five days later joined the others at Troas.
S2: And then, for whatever reason, they seem to have become
S2: stranded in Troas. We're not told if this was because
S2: of physical illness or lack of available transportation, but Luke
S2: notes in his log that the reunited group stayed seven
S2: days in Troas. Only 38 days remain until shavu'ot, and
S2: they're still in Troas, on the northwest coast of what
S2: is today Turkey. Transportation is finally booked and the group
S2: is planning to leave the following day. Paul spoke to
S2: the believers in Troas that night and it turned into
S2: a long meeting. Luke provides a few additional details to
S2: help explain the next potential disruption. Paul kept on talking
S2: until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room
S2: where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a
S2: young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep
S2: sleep as Paul talked on and on. It's warm, it's dark.
S2: It's been a long day. The soot from all the
S2: lamps is lowering the oxygen level. And try as he might,
S2: young Eutychus slipped off to sleep. Unfortunately, he also slipped
S2: off his perch and tumbled three stories down to the
S2: ground below. Everyone rushed down, but it was clear he
S2: was dead. That is, until Paul wrapped his arms around
S2: him and raised him from the dead. Then they all
S2: went back up to the room, where Paul continued speaking
S2: until the morning. And as the sun rose for the
S2: start of a new day, Paul bid the now very
S2: awake focusing. As goodbye and continued his journey. Oh dear,
S2: oh dear, I shall be too late. Paul traveled overland
S2: to Assos while the rest of his party went by ship.
S2: Luke then records in staccato fashion their progress from Assos.
S2: They journeyed to Mytilene the following day. This is now
S2: day three of the journey from Troas. They arrived off
S2: Chios on day four. They crossed over to Samos, and
S2: on day five they arrived at Miletus. Only 33 days
S2: remain until Shavu'ot. Paul was quickly revising his schedule. Rather
S2: than taking time to visit Ephesus, Paul decided to sail
S2: past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia,
S2: for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem if possible.
S2: By the day of Pentecost, Miletus was over 30 miles
S2: from Ephesus, so Paul still had another delay. He sent
S2: to Ephesus for the elders of the city. It would
S2: take someone at least a day to travel to Ephesus,
S2: and another day for the elders to walk back to Miletus,
S2: allowing a day in between for the elders to be
S2: gathered and for the original messenger to rest. There was
S2: likely only 30 days remaining when these elders finally arrived
S2: for this brief visit with Paul, after an emotional gathering
S2: in a time of prayer, the elders then walked with Paul,
S2: the 6 or 7 miles from the city to the sea,
S2: as they accompanied him to the ship. The remainder of
S2: the trip now seemed to go like clockwork. They sailed
S2: straight to cause the next day we went to Rhodes,
S2: and from there to Patara, where we found a ship
S2: crossing over to Phoenicia. Passing to the south of Cyprus,
S2: they headed toward Syria, landing in the port of tyre.
S2: We're not told the total number of days at sea,
S2: but it seems likely that the last stretch was several days.
S2: So perhaps it took seven days to get from Miletus
S2: to Tyre. That was a rapid trip, but the clock
S2: is now down to something like 24 days to vote.
S2: According to acts 21, Paul stayed with a group of
S2: believers in tyre for seven days before boarding another ship
S2: to Ptolemais, where he stayed another day, then on to Caesarea,
S2: where he also stayed a number of days. We're not
S2: giving the exact number of days, but it would seem
S2: Paul made it to Caesarea with just under two weeks
S2: remaining until Shavu'ot. I suspect he was starting to breathe
S2: a little easier. A few days later, Paul was in Jerusalem,
S2: first meeting with the leadership of the church there and
S2: then heading to the temple. Paul made it just in
S2: time to be falsely accused and arrested in the temple area.
S2: So what lesson can we take home after this exhausting
S2: journey with the Apostle Paul? How about this there are
S2: times in our lives when we find ourselves under pressure.
S2: Sometimes it's of our own making, but sometimes it just
S2: seems like life intervenes to keep us from following through.
S2: On our commitments to the Lord. Paul kept his priorities
S2: in focus, and he adjusted his schedule to not let
S2: other good things get in the way of accomplishing those
S2: things that were more important. But through it all, he
S2: never put his schedule ahead of his commitment to people,
S2: even if it meant staying up all night to speak
S2: the lesson for us keep your priorities straight, and then
S2: trust God to work out all the details.
S1: Play very practical and those are great insights from the
S1: life of Paul. Thank you Charlie, thank you for joining
S1: us today on the land and the book. As always,
S1: we welcome you to our website where you can find
S1: out about today's programs, guest future programs, past programs, everything
S1: you need to know all there at the land and
S1: the book. Org, I'm John Jaeger for our host, Charlie Dyer.
S1: The land and the book is a production of Moody Radio,
S1: a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.