S1: Antisemitism is on my mind today. And it's not just
S1: because of the Harvard self-study on the schools blatant problem
S1: of tolerating, even promoting hatred of the Jewish people. Stay
S1: with me. We'll talk about that in just a moment. Hello, friends.
S1: Welcome to Open Line, Moody Radio's Bible study across America.
S1: My name is Michael Radonich. I'm the academic dean and
S1: a professor of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute.
S1: I'm so grateful to be joining you right here around
S1: the radio kitchen table. We're talking about your questions about
S1: the Bible, God and the spiritual life. If you have
S1: a question and you'd like to call the phone number,
S1: here is (877) 548-3675. Let me give you that again. you
S1: can write it down (877) 548-3675. Tricia McMillan, our producer today.
S1: Omar Mendoza is our tech guy handling all things technical.
S1: The phone number once again is (877) 548-3675. Time to get
S1: yourself a cup of coffee and open your Bible. We're
S1: about to study the scriptures together. Last week was Yom Hashoah.
S1: That's the annual day that means Holocaust Memorial Day, the
S1: annual day Jewish people of Israel and the diaspora observe
S1: and remember the Nazi murder of 6 million Jewish people,
S1: the oppression and enslavement of other Jewish people, millions of others.
S1: This is a significant annual commemoration. You know, in my lifetime,
S1: I never thought the world would return to Jew hatred.
S1: I believe that the nations had learned their lessons about
S1: the horrors of hating Jewish people from the Holocaust. Well,
S1: the answer is not so. No, no, no. Recently, the
S1: Anti-Defamation League released its report on antisemitism in the United States.
S1: And it's just for 2024. Here's what they said. In 2024,
S1: the ADL tabulated 9354 anti-Semitic incidents just across the United States.
S1: This represents a 5% increase increase from those recorded in 2023,
S1: a 344% increase over the past five years, and an 893%
S1: increase over the past ten years. It's the highest number
S1: on record since the ADL began tracking anti-Semitic incidents 46
S1: years ago. Similarly, Harvard University finally released its self-study on
S1: campus antisemitism, And it indicated that not only did Harvard
S1: administration tolerate blatant persecution of Jewish students, but actually fostered
S1: it with its policies. Yet these are not the reasons
S1: I have antisemitism on my brain today. My reason is
S1: much more personal. It's because this upcoming week, on Thursday,
S1: May 8th, it's the 80th anniversary of my parents liberation
S1: from the Gross-Rosen concentration camp complex, where they were both
S1: enslaved by the Nazis. My mom was a Jewish girl
S1: born in eastern Germany, in Upper Silesia, in the town
S1: of Boynton. And when she was a teenager, she was
S1: hidden from the Nazis in the 1930s by Lutheran deaconesses
S1: after Kristallnacht. They sent her to a sister deaconess home. Uh,
S1: these are sort of like Protestant nuns. Uh, they sent
S1: her to a sister home in, uh, Germany. In Poland
S1: to keep her away from the Nazis. Of course, after
S1: September 1st, 1939, she was in Poland when World War
S1: Two broke out. And then she was taken to the
S1: Lodz Ghetto by the Nazis, ultimately placed in several labor camps,
S1: and then finally placed in the women's camp in the
S1: Gross-Rosen concentration camp. She was liberated on May 8th, 1945
S1: by the Red Army. Uh, she weighed less than £70.
S1: She was too weak to walk, had lost all her hair.
S1: The women who were able to walk had been taken
S1: by the SS on a forced march to get them
S1: away from the liberating Russian army. And, uh, actually, all
S1: those women perished in the forced march. And because my
S1: mom could not walk, they left her behind and that's
S1: what saved her life. My dad was from Poland, a
S1: small village, Melnik, just about 90km northeast of Krakow. There
S1: he was taken to the ghetto, and then finally he
S1: was put in various labor camps, the Lodz Ghetto and
S1: then various labor camps, and finally in the Gross-Rosen concentration
S1: camp complex in a men's camp. And he was able
S1: to survive because he was a cabinetmaker, and therefore did carpentry,
S1: and built barracks for various places for the Nazi concentration
S1: camp system. However, he was married. He had four sons
S1: and adopted daughter. His wife and his Children all perished
S1: in Auschwitz, just as my mom's parents died in Auschwitz
S1: and her brother. So my dad's entire personal family, his
S1: immediate family, his wife and children perished in Auschwitz, and
S1: then his parents and grandparents and five of his six
S1: siblings died in Treblinka, were murdered there. After the war,
S1: my parents met, my dad had remarried, his wife died
S1: in childbirth, and my mom was working as as a
S1: nurse in that Berlin hospital. That's where they met. My
S1: mom married my dad to care for that brother of mine,
S1: that that half brother that was born in Berlin. And
S1: that's my family's story. So when I think about what
S1: my parents endured, I'm always kind of shocked. But it's
S1: May 8th, 1945 to May 8th, 2025. That's why it's
S1: on my mind. I don't suppose anyone has a great
S1: answer to the question where was God when the 6
S1: million died? But some possible thoughts that might be. I
S1: might think about that and write a book about it someday.
S1: But two biblical concepts always help me trust the Lord
S1: when encountering this horrific hatred of God's chosen people. First,
S1: the Lord suffers with his people. In Zechariah one eight
S1: through 17, the prophet saw a vision of a rider
S1: on a red horse among the myrtle trees in a
S1: low place. In 1963, Merrill Unger published a masterful commentary
S1: on Zechariah and pointed out that the text identifies the
S1: rider on the horse as the angel of the Lord.
S1: The Pre-incarnate Messiah and the myrtle trees represent the Jewish
S1: people in a low place, a place of oppression. Here's
S1: what he says about that. It's a great consolation to
S1: Zechariah to know that the red horse rider. The Pre-incarnate
S1: Messiah is identified with his people in their suffering, degradation
S1: and woe. He is still standing among the myrtle trees.
S1: Israel in the Glen. He is still interceding for them.
S1: The angel of the presence, the Lord Messiah, who has
S1: so wonderfully delivered their father Jacob, is even now is
S1: in the process of restoring and delivering them his ancient
S1: people and preparing them for the revelation of his salvation
S1: at the end of the age. And he talks about
S1: his intercessory ministry that the high priest, the true high priest,
S1: the King of Israel, bears the names of the 12
S1: tribes on himself. Uh, I appreciate that. Uh, Isaiah 63
S1: nine says, in all their suffering he suffered, and the
S1: angel of his presence saved them. Second, in Zechariah 114
S1: and 15, it shows the Lord will judge the persecution
S1: of his people. In Zechariah 114 and 15, the Lord
S1: declares that he is jealous for Jerusalem and intensely angry
S1: at the nations for their mistreatment of Israel. Uh, all
S1: in the days of the past. And that's what, uh,
S1: Unger also says, uh, he says, uh, that the Lord
S1: is conscious of the desolation of the land. He is
S1: fully aware of the worldwide woe of oppressed Jewry. He
S1: is jealous for his people exceedingly, and will arise to
S1: take vengeance on their foes. That's what Zechariah 114 and
S1: 15 says. It's inevitable, according to Zechariah, that the consequences
S1: of God's wrath upon men and nations sins. It is
S1: inevitable that he will judge the sin of antisemitism, the
S1: crime of the nations. Well, I appreciate so much what
S1: Merrill Unger had to say. But what can we do today?
S1: I encourage every Bible believing follower of Jesus to take
S1: a stand, to stand with the Jewish people as they
S1: face the lies, the discrimination, the violence against them. But
S1: don't just identify. Speak up when we hear the nasty
S1: comments about Jewish people. Stand up for the Jewish people
S1: in our communities. We need to call or write our
S1: congressmen and senators call the white House. Our Messiah, Jesus
S1: himself was incarnate not just as a human being, but
S1: as a as Jewish humanity. We need to do all
S1: that we can to oppose the oldest hatred that targets
S1: the Jewish people whom the Lord loves. Well, uh, sobering
S1: talk today, but I've been really thinking about it a
S1: lot with the anniversary coming up, I think it's time
S1: to take a quick call here. We're going to talk
S1: to Charlene and Laurel, Mississippi, listening on WMU. Welcome to
S1: Open Line. Charlene. How can I help you today?
S2: Thank you. Um, I asked my question is, what is
S2: the significance of the counting of the Omer according to
S2: Leviticus 23, verses 15 and 16.
S1: Well, the counting of the Omer is the counting of
S1: the days from basically from the the Sabbath of Passover, uh,
S1: all the way to what in English is called Pentecost.
S1: It's 50 days, seven weeks in a day. And so
S1: the 50th day is, uh, Shavuot, the festival. And so
S1: you count from the one festival to the next, you
S1: count the omer. So you get to 50 days at
S1: the beginning of the counting of the omer, you have
S1: the firstfruits of the barley harvest. And then with the
S1: completion of the 5850 days, you have the celebration of
S1: the wheat harvest, the firstfruits of the wheat harvest. And
S1: so it's it's just the way to get you from
S1: Passover to Shavuot, the 50 days. That's what it's about.
S2: All right. Are there any special prayers to pray those
S2: 50 days or Psalms to pray?
S1: Well, there's always adjustments during the daily, uh, synagogue prayers, but, uh,
S1: it is is just merely the the counting of the days, uh,
S1: to get you to Pentecost. That's all it is. Okay, Charlene.
S2: Thank you very.
S1: Much. Yeah, thanks. Thanks so much for your call. We're
S1: going to, uh, take your call to (877) 548-3675. We're going
S1: to take a break here. And when we do, uh,
S1: when we we'll take the break. And when we come back,
S1: we'll talk with you about your questions about the Bible,
S1: God and the spiritual life. My name is Michael Ray Melnick.
S1: And when we return, We'll be talking about all your
S1: questions in our Bible study across America. Stay with us.
S1: We'll be right back. Welcome back to Open Line. So
S1: glad to be with you today. Uh, let me tell
S1: you about our current resource. I'm pretty excited about it. Uh,
S1: I often tell people that one book every believer should
S1: have is a Bible dictionary. So when you wonder, who
S1: are these people I'm reading about in the Bible, or
S1: where is that place mentioned, or what's the event that's
S1: being cited? What does it mean? What is the counting
S1: of the Omer? Like our last caller asked for? Well,
S1: you can look it up. Uh, and when you give
S1: a gift of any size, we'd like to say thanks
S1: by sending you the Ultimate Bible Dictionary. It's published by
S1: B-a Publishers, the same publisher that produced the Holman CSB translation.
S1: My favorite Bible translation, the Ultimate Bible Dictionary, is small.
S1: It's easy to carry, it's easy to use. It is
S1: just a great resource. And if you'd like a copy,
S1: it's yours. When you give a gift of any size,
S1: just go to our website, npr.org, or call 888 6447122
S1: or thank you. Thanking you for this so much. And
S1: we we'd love to send you this book. Uh, thanks
S1: for your gifts. And, uh, by the way, if you've never,
S1: ever given a gift, uh, to open line before, don't
S1: miss the opportunity to get the ultimate Bible dictionary with
S1: your gift. I'm telling you, this is a terrific little handbook.
S1: Little tool. Uh, to explain a lot of the questions
S1: you have about the backgrounds of the Bible. So the
S1: Ultimate Bible Dictionary is our current resource. Don't miss it. Uh,
S1: I see that someone, uh, wanted to know if I
S1: am from Poland. This is actually someone called it in
S1: and left a message here for us. Uh, no. My
S1: father was from Poland, a Jewish village. Uh, it was 90% Jewish,
S1: northeast of Krakow. Uh, my mom was from eastern Germany,
S1: but now it's part of Poland. It's the town of
S1: Bytom in Poland. Uh, but she was actually a German citizen.
S1: And then they met, uh, married in 1947 and, uh,
S1: came to the United States in 1950. And I was,
S1: thank God, born grateful that I was born here in
S1: the United States. So if you want to know, uh,
S1: if I'm from where I'm from, I don't know why
S1: someone would think my my parents were from Europe, but
S1: I am a born American citizen, grateful to God for that.
S1: We're going to talk to Mark in Des Plaines, Illinois,
S1: listening on Wmbi. Welcome to Open Line. Mark. How can
S1: I help you today?
S3: Good morning doctor. Please forgive my voice. I know it's
S3: hard to hear and understand. My question is about the
S3: descendants of Shem. Does it include Esau and Ishmael as
S3: well as Israel?
S1: Not as Israel. They're descendants of Shem, yes. But then
S1: God narrows the picture. He calls Abraham. And the promise
S1: continues from Abraham to Isaac and not Ishmael. God deliberately
S1: extends Ishmael out. He sends him away. Do you remember
S1: in Genesis 21?
S3: Yes.
S1: And then. Wait, wait, wait. And then, uh, Jacob receives
S1: the blessing and the promise and the inheritance, and Esau
S1: does not. And then it is the 12 sons of
S1: Jacob that carry on the blessing that way. So, uh,
S1: the question is, are they Semites? Right. Is that what
S1: your question is, Mark? Okay. They speak Semitic languages. The
S1: people of the Middle East. Uh, I, I think that
S1: that let's just talk a little bit about race for
S1: a moment. Uh, in the 19th century, racists began to
S1: identify Jewish people as from a particular, uh, race. Now,
S1: never before were Jewish people considered a race. That's 19th
S1: century pseudoscience. Uh, and and what they did is they
S1: chose the name Semite from Semitic languages. That's that's where
S1: it comes from. And, uh, in in the late 19th century,
S1: Wilhelm Marr, who was a hater of Jewish people, thought
S1: that the German word judenhass Jew hatred was so vulgar
S1: he wanted a more scientific sounding name. And so, uh,
S1: even though Jewish people are not a distinct race, uh,
S1: he called them the Semitic race and and coined the
S1: word antisemitism. That's where it comes from. So whenever you hear.
S1: And it meant Jew hatred. So whenever you hear someone say,
S1: I can't be anti-Semitic because I'm a Semite myself, that's
S1: just not true. anti-Semitism refers to hatred of the Jewish
S1: people exclusively, and not everyone that speaks a Semitic language
S1: like Arabic or Aramean or anything like that. Does that help?
S3: Thank you very much. Yes.
S1: Okay, good. Yeah. Glad. Glad that we could talk. Okay.
S1: We're going to talk to. Thanks for your call. We're
S1: going to talk to Susan. Listening in Florida. And welcome
S1: to Open Line. Susan, how can I help you today?
S4: Hi, how are you? That was an interesting story about
S4: your family. Um, I just had a question about the, um,
S4: in the Old Testament. They sacrificed animals. And then Jesus
S4: came and was the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. So
S4: in the new temple, they're going to build in Jerusalem.
S4: They talk about the red heifers being put back to sacrifice.
S4: Why are they going to go back to animal sacrifice?
S1: Well, it's in Ezekiel 40 through 48, Zechariah 14. There
S1: are many places where it talks about a millennial or
S1: kingdom temple, a temple when, uh. When Jesus is reigning
S1: on earth.
S4: Uh huh.
S1: That's what you're talking about, right? Yes. I would start
S1: by saying, do you think that the Old Testament sacrifices
S1: were effective in taking away sin? What do you.
S4: Think? I guess, I guess Jesus came to to make
S4: it better. But, uh, I guess it was a temporary.
S4: Was it? Wasn't that just temporary?
S1: Well, the the New Testament, the book of Hebrews says
S1: that the blood of bulls and goats never took away sin.
S4: Okay. It was just in a they said it was
S4: an atonement.
S1: But it was a way of looking at it is
S1: it was a covering, but it never took away sin.
S4: Okay.
S1: It pointed. It pointed forward to the coming of the
S1: Messiah who sacrifice alone would take away sin. Uh, okay.
S1: The way I kind of look at it. Think about
S1: when you, uh. When you. Pay. Use your credit card. Right.
S1: Then you can't pay it at the end of the month.
S1: So you just pay the minimum, right? It doesn't take
S1: away all the interest that it's accrued. It doesn't take
S1: away the principal. It just keeps the the the bill
S1: collectors off your back. Right?
S4: Right.
S1: That's what Old Testament sacrifices were like. They didn't take
S1: away the principal. They didn't deal with the sin. They
S1: they didn't even deal with the interest. But they just, uh,
S1: for like, the Yom Kippur sacrifice kept the the judgment
S1: away for another year. So that was the idea of it.
S1: It never took away sin. And that's really important because
S1: when we think about the millennial temple, those sacrifices won't
S1: take away sin either. They point backwards just as the
S1: Old Testament ones pointed forward. These will point backwards as
S1: a memorial to remember what the Messiah did. And the
S1: reason is death won't be very prevalent in the Millennial Kingdom.
S1: And so people who are born during the Millennial Kingdom
S1: will have to come to know the Lord. And in
S1: order to do that, uh, they they will have to
S1: trust in Jesus, and they'll have to believe that he
S1: died for them and rose again. And since death won't
S1: be very prevalent, there'll be sacrifices to teach them the
S1: significance of what the Messiah's atonement was about.
S4: Okay.
S1: So it looks backwards, doesn't look forward.
S4: More like a memorial thing.
S5: Okay. Yeah. All right. Thank you.
S1: Okay. Thanks so much for your call, Susan. Appreciate it. Uh,
S1: we're going to talk to Tony in West Chicago listening
S1: on Wmbi. Welcome to Open Line, Tony. How can I
S1: help you today?
S6: Yes. Good morning. Thank you. Um, my question, um, is, um,
S6: coming from my practice of starting my day, uh, with
S6: the Lord's Prayer, asking the Lord for daily, for my
S6: daily bread and so on. But I realized that, um,
S6: the Jewish, uh, practice is starting the day in the
S6: evening before. And I wondered, first of all, where does
S6: that come from? From a scriptural basis? And how should
S6: that affect our practice of prayer?
S1: Well, uh, it comes from the creation story. If you
S1: go back to the creation.
S6: Okay.
S1: Uh, it says evening came and then morning the first day.
S1: So the day starts with evening and then morning. So
S1: you have the erev and then the morning and then
S1: same thing. Evening came and then the morning, second day
S1: and so forth.
S5: Okay.
S1: Through the days of of creation. For the six days
S1: of creation. So that's where it comes from. Uh, I
S1: would say that in Judaism, what they did is they
S1: had evening prayers and morning prayers. And so, so, uh,
S1: I don't, you know, in fact, Jewish people pray morning,
S1: afternoon and evening officially in the synagogue. Uh, but also
S1: when you, uh, open your eyes. I was taught as
S1: a child, when you opened your eyes, you say the
S1: prayer called moedani, which is, I give thanks to you
S1: for restoring me, uh, after sleep. And you start your day.
S1: The very first thing you do when you open your
S1: eyes in the morning is you say that prayer. So
S1: as I was so I don't think there's any problem
S1: with you getting up in the morning and And establishing
S1: your own practice for your own, for your own daily devotional.
S1: Do you think?
S6: Okay. Um, and that actually raises the question I also
S6: had about how one was to read Genesis in terms of, um,
S6: you know, describing the day as, uh, evening and morning. Uh,
S6: I'm not quite sure understanding how that fits an entire
S6: 24 hour period in, uh, just in the description of that.
S1: What do you mean? I don't understand your question. I'm sorry.
S6: Well, um, the Genesis account, um, remarks on each each
S6: day of creation, there was, um, evening and morning and
S6: the third day. Um, I'm not quite sure how how
S6: to understand the that, uh, phraseology evening and morning. And
S6: then there was a third day, as we understand it,
S6: to be, of course, a 24 hour period. Um, but, uh,
S6: evening and evening. Evening to morning is only a few hours.
S1: Well, no, no, it's it's encompassing. Night, night and day
S1: is really what it means. Night and day.
S5: Oh, I see, I see.
S1: And it's a merism. It encompasses the whole 24 hours.
S5: So anyway. Thank you.
S1: Thank you for your call. We'll be right back with
S1: the mailbag. The Febc mailbag? Tricia McMillan is bringing it in,
S1: so don't go away. You're listening to Open Line with
S1: Michael Ray Dolan. Welcome back to Open Line. I'm Michael
S1: Ray Zelnick. I'm really grateful for the Far Eastern Broadcasting
S1: Company for partnering with Open Line to bring you the
S1: weekly Febc mailbag. Uh. it's a terrific organization. They bring
S1: the good news of the Messiah Jesus, to people all
S1: over the world via media, also with personal engagement. You
S1: should check out the Febc podcast. It's called Until All
S1: have Heard. Just go to febc. Org and I think
S1: you'll be able to find the podcast right there or
S1: on your regular podcast provider, but check out febc. Org.
S1: Lots of great information over there. Joining me right now
S1: for the Febc mailbag is Tricia McMillan. She is the
S1: producer of Open Line, and I am glad to see you, Tricia.
S7: I'm glad to see you, too.
S1: Yeah, yeah. So, uh, well, uh, there's so much going on,
S1: and we haven't we haven't been around for the last
S1: couple of weeks. We had a pre-record last week and
S1: a pre-record the week before. It's good to be back,
S1: isn't it?
S7: It is. We've celebrated the resurrection since we were last live,
S7: and we're glad to be back.
S1: Then I was out of town last weekend.
S7: And we got to run a program that we recorded
S7: in February with broadcasters from around, I think mostly the
S7: US who got to ask their own questions, which was
S7: a lot of fun to do that. And now we're back.
S7: So I got to actually get into the mailbag and
S7: we can answer some of these questions.
S1: That's great. That's great. Hey, I did want to say
S1: since we were last together, this is kind of a
S1: cool thing. We, uh, I people have been really after
S1: me about going to Israel, so I'm going to go
S1: to Israel, God willing, in September. Uh, we're planning it now.
S1: And so people can check that out, go to our
S1: open line radio page.
S7: Like you're leading a trip to Israel.
S1: Yeah.
S7: Ah, okay.
S1: And they can scroll down to where it says, uh,
S1: check out Michael's web page and if you go there,
S1: you'll see about my trip that's coming up. Okay, it's
S1: pretty exciting when I.
S7: Think it is, because that's been on hold for so
S7: long just.
S1: Now. The thing is, people are afraid. I. I feel
S1: it's safe, uh, because we're not going to go to
S1: any place where there's any conflict happening. And, uh, it's
S1: it's a great time to go to Israel because, uh,
S1: very few people there have been talking to several friends
S1: who have had groups there, and they said, it's just
S1: beautiful and open and, uh, something that's really worthy, uh,
S1: worthwhile doing. So. Hope people will consider that. Yeah. Uh,
S1: check out, uh, our openlibrary.org go there. It's got a
S1: link to my web page that'll that'll tell you about it.
S7: Yeah. Great. And what do you know the dates offhand.
S1: Yeah. September 7th, I think through the 18th. Something like.
S7: That. All right. Yeah. Cool. Yep. All right, well, you
S7: want to hit some of these mailbag? Okay. Yeah. Um,
S7: first question is from Veronica in Tennessee, listens to WNBA.
S7: A coworker recently came to me and asked, we were
S7: talking about Exodus chapters 20 through 24. Oh, yeah. Okay.
S7: So this coworker insinuated that because chapters 20 and 24
S7: each begin with the Lord said, or God spoke, and
S7: the chapters 21 through 23 do not. That the law
S7: is given in those chapters did not come directly from God,
S7: but were instead influenced by the Code of Hammurabi. He
S7: was very excited by this new discovery. The coworker was. Uh,
S7: but the the, um, Veronica, our listener, thought that the chapters,
S7: the chapter breaks and verses were just put in by man,
S7: and so they shouldn't impact it at all. But she, uh,
S7: this has been bugging her, and she'd like to know.
S7: What what you say.
S1: Well, if you look at Exodus 20, it says, the
S1: Lord told Moses, this is what you're to say to
S1: the Israelites is verse 22. And then he goes on
S1: to say, make him. You must make an earthen altar.
S1: And then it talks about that. Then verse one of
S1: 21 says, these are the ordinances that you must set
S1: before them. So that's God telling Moses, put these ordinances
S1: before them and it's ordinance after ordinance after ordinance through
S1: chapter 23, all from God. Now, I'm not saying that's
S1: Moses wrote down everything that God gave him, but everything
S1: that he thought would fit here. He put in there
S1: as sort of guidelines, uh, not guidelines laws. But more
S1: than that, they were like, uh, exemplary laws. So it
S1: may not cover everything imaginable, but it covers every category.
S1: And then we know how to deal with other things
S1: as well. so, uh, it's it's it's very interesting because
S1: it keeps going on and on and on. And then
S1: in chapter 24, it says, then he said to Moses,
S1: go up to the Lord, you, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu,
S1: and the 70 elders of Israel. So it seems to
S1: me that it's all from the Lord. Uh, I do
S1: think that there's a style that the law reflects from,
S1: like the Code of Hammurabi. The those kinds of codes
S1: were considered the wise, the wisdom of the great king.
S1: They weren't really a, uh, like legislation, like we think
S1: of it. They were the wise laws of the the
S1: great king. And in the same way, the law of Moses,
S1: these regulations that are coming down from Moses should be
S1: looked at. God's wisdom, his laws for the people of Israel. Uh,
S1: it's the wisdom of their great king. Uh, and so
S1: it's culturally similar. But the law of Moses is not
S1: derived from the Code of Hammurabi. They're just similar. And
S1: they're both the the wise regulations of the great king.
S7: So stylistically. But it is not taken from that. Yeah. Okay.
S7: That's it. All right. I hope that helps, Veronica, in
S7: your continuing conversations with your coworker and even just for
S7: you as you think it through. So thank you for
S7: writing that in. Our next question is from Renee in Michigan,
S7: listens to WNBA, wants to know about the mercy seat
S7: that's mentioned in Leviticus 1614. Um, is it possible that
S7: there is a parallel to Jesus, um, with the sprinkling
S7: of the mercy seat making payment with his very own blood?
S1: Yeah. The the mercy seat, uh, is it was the
S1: place where the sacrifice was poured out and it was
S1: where Israel received mercy from God. That's that's why it
S1: was called the Mercy Seat. It wasn't where you sat.
S1: It was where the mercy was received. Uh, by pouring
S1: out the sacrifice right there. Uh, the the whole idea,
S1: you know, where it says, uh, the the word in
S1: Greek that's translated in the Septuagint for the mercy seat
S1: is then what's used? Do you remember the parable of
S1: the tax gatherer? Uh, and the Pharisee and the tax
S1: gatherer standing in the temple. And he says, Lord, be
S1: merciful to me, the sinner. You remember that story? Well,
S1: he uses the very same word that's used for the
S1: mercy seat in the Septuagint from, uh, from Leviticus. Be
S1: propitious towards me. Uh. Be satisfied. Have your wrath be satisfied.
S1: For me, that's that's the concept, uh, Because God's the
S1: sacrifice satisfied God's wrath. So, uh, that's that's kind of interesting,
S1: don't you think?
S7: It's very interesting.
S1: And then we see that very same word, propitiation, uh,
S1: where it talks about the Lord Jesus being the propitiation,
S1: the satisfaction for our sins so that we can receive
S1: mercy as well. So in first John two, where it says,
S1: I write these things to you, that you may not sin,
S1: but if anyone does sin, he has an advocate, Jesus
S1: Christ the righteous right, Jesus the Messiah, the righteous. And
S1: then it says, who is the propitiation for our sins
S1: and not our sins alone, but the sins of the
S1: whole world? So it's that satisfaction, uh, and, and that's
S1: offered in the book of Hebrews. It says, the Lord
S1: Jesus presented his sacrifice in the true temple in heaven
S1: on the true mercy seat, and that the earthly tabernacle
S1: and temple is just a reproduction of the real mercy
S1: seat that we see in heaven.
S7: Mm. So, so is the Greek.
S1: Word.
S7: Propitiation or that that gets used in the Septuagint.
S1: The word propitiation that you see in the New Testament
S1: is the Septuagint word, the Greek translation of the Old
S1: Testament from the second century BC. They use that word
S1: for the mercy seat.
S7: Okay.
S1: Propitiation.
S7: Okay.
S1: They would call it. They would call it the place
S1: of propitiation.
S7: Okay. All right. So this would. So there would definitely
S7: be a parallel there. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. And then the book of Hebrews, the Lord offered
S1: his sacrifice in the the true temple in heaven. Uh,
S1: if you read that, uh, it's really a remarkable that
S1: there is a true temple in heaven, and the earth
S1: is just a model of what they had on Earth
S1: is just a model of of that true. The throne
S1: room of God.
S7: Yeah. What verse is that or what chapter?
S1: Oh, it's it's repeated in Hebrews. But I have to
S1: turn there. It's over and over. And he Hebrews uh, it's, uh,
S1: by the way.
S7: This is how you know it's alive. I didn't.
S1: Uh, yeah, yeah. Uh uh, here we go. Uh. Uh,
S1: here we go. Hebrews eight. Now, the main point of
S1: what being what being said is this we have that
S1: kind of high priest who sat down at the right
S1: hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens,
S1: a minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that
S1: was set up by the Lord and not man. Uh,
S1: and he goes on to say that he offered his
S1: sacrifice there in Hebrews nine. It mentions it also, uh,
S1: once again that the Messiah appeared, uh, verse 11, High
S1: priest of the good things to come in the greater
S1: and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is
S1: not of this creation. He entered the Most Holy Place
S1: once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves,
S1: but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. Uh,
S1: so that's that's in Hebrews eight and nine. 11. So
S1: lots of places in the book of Hebrews it says that.
S7: Yeah, there's so much, so much. Um, call back in
S7: Hebrews to the Old Testament sacrifices and different things. And
S7: so it's a it's always a, um, a lesson in,
S7: in seeing that come to fruition through Christ when we
S7: read Hebrews.
S1: So one of my exciting things for the fall semester
S1: is I'm going to teach the book of Hebrews. So
S1: I'm pretty excited about that.
S7: Okay. I may have to get married at Moody.
S1: At Moody Bible Institute. Yes. It's very exciting.
S7: Oh, fun. It'll be a great day.
S1: Uh, let's we're going to take a break. But before
S1: we do, I do want to mention, uh, that I
S1: appreciate being back with you. We work so hard together,
S1: and I find that you do so much and help.
S1: People aren't even aware of how much you do to
S1: keep me on track. And I so appreciate that. I
S1: appreciate Omar, I see him in class. He's been coming
S1: to class, uh, every week. That's. But he really does
S1: so much to. And I appreciate the team completely. And
S1: I appreciate the people who are part of our kitchen
S1: table partners, those who are really part of the team
S1: as well. And what they do is they give monthly
S1: so we can be on the air every week. And, uh,
S1: you know, we prepare that digital Bible study for them,
S1: the Bible study moment that they get in the email.
S1: And I'm hoping that there are people who will consider
S1: becoming kitchen table partners, too, and become part of the
S1: team in that way, not just as listeners, but as
S1: team members. And if you're interested and you're listening and
S1: you're thinking about becoming a kitchen table partner, just call
S1: (888) 644-7122 or go to open line radio.org. Okay. Okay. Is
S1: it okay that I call you partner? There we.
S7: Go.
S1: Yes. Appreciate it. We're going to we're going to take
S1: a break right now. Uh, that was Tricia McMillan. Tricia
S1: puts together the mailbag. I don't when they come in,
S1: when those questions come in by going to npr.org and
S1: clicking on ask Michael a question. Trish is the one
S1: that sees them. She puts it together. And then we
S1: go over them together. And thanks for sending them in.
S1: We're going to be right back with more of your
S1: questions in just a moment. Right here on Open Line.
S5: With.
S1: Tricia McMillan and Michael Ray. Welcome back to Open Line.
S1: So glad to be with you on this Saturday morning.
S1: You know, people frequently have questions about the Jewish people
S1: about Israel. Are they still the chosen people? Where do
S1: they fit in the plan of God? And so Chosen
S1: People Ministries, one of our radio partners, is offering a
S1: booklet called Why Israel? It explores the topic of Israel
S1: through the lens of Scripture. Has the church replaced Israel
S1: in the plan of God? Does ethnic Israel still have
S1: a future? What do we think about Israel today? These
S1: questions and many more will be answered with a biblical
S1: an outline of biblical theology of Israel. Uh, for a
S1: free copy of Why Israel, just go to the Open
S1: Line website. Uh, that's open line radio.org. Scroll down. You'll
S1: see a link that says a free gift from Chosen
S1: People Ministries. Click on that and you'll be taken to
S1: a page where you can sign up for your very
S1: own free copy of Why Israel? And we're going to
S1: talk to Crystal in Richton Park, Illinois, listening on Wmbi.
S1: Welcome to Open Line, Crystal. How can I help you today?
S8: Oh, great. Good morning. Thanks for taking my call. Would
S8: you please define the Trinity and Oneness and explain the
S8: differences between both?
S1: Both Trinity and. Okay, first of all, the. Yeah, the
S1: Bible is very clear. There's only one God. Remember Deuteronomy
S1: six four, the the watchword of Israel. Hear, O Israel,
S1: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Shema Yisrael,
S1: Adonai eloheinu, Adonai echad. That oneness is essential to understanding
S1: who God is. He is. There's only one God. Uh,
S1: contrary to the polytheism of of the nations that Israel faced. Uh, and, uh,
S1: now there's this mystery in the Old Testament that you
S1: know where God, even in Genesis two he says, let
S1: us make man in our image and according to our likeness.
S1: Why is he speaking about this plurality? Uh, I think
S1: one of the more interesting ones is in Isaiah 4816,
S1: where the one God is speaking, it's the Lord who
S1: is speaking. But in Isaiah 4816, remember, the context is
S1: really clear. It's God speaking. And uh, he says, uh,
S1: approached me and listened to this from the beginning. I
S1: have not spoken in secret from the time anything existed,
S1: I was there. Obviously that's God. Then he says, and
S1: now the Lord God has sent me. Wait, I thought
S1: God was speaking. The Lord God sent God and His Spirit.
S1: So right there you have this mystery of God once again,
S1: that in his oneness there seems to be a plurality.
S1: And the same thing. We get to the New Testament.
S1: You've got the God the Father, God the son, God
S1: the Holy Spirit. Uh, the Church fathers later talked about that.
S1: There is one essence of God reflected in three persons. Uh,
S1: without the God, the father is not God the Son.
S1: God the son is not. God the spirit, but they
S1: are all one God. I think it fits with Deuteronomy
S1: six four, because the word for God, the word for oneness,
S1: Echad can hold the idea of a composite unity, a unity.
S1: Our God is a unity. Uh, and there's only one God,
S1: but it is a he is, uh, in some sort
S1: of mysterious way that's hard for us to grasp. Uh,
S1: one God, uh, in a mysterious three person part. Uh, parts.
S1: So that's that's, uh, my non-technical explanation of the Trinity.
S1: Let's talk to Robert in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, listening on W.r.m.
S1: Welcome to Open Line. Robert. How can I help you today?
S9: Very good. I want to address what you were talking about,
S9: about a Bible dictionary. Um. What do you think about
S9: people using, uh, Google to look up stuff in the
S9: Bible versus a Bible dictionary? Just curious about your comment
S9: on that.
S1: Uh, well, I think people use Google all the time. Uh,
S1: do you use Google?
S9: Yeah, I, I use Google and I look up a
S9: lot of definitions, but, uh, and sometimes I do look
S9: up things in the Bible on Google, like Wikipedia and stuff,
S9: but I was just curious about that.
S1: I'm just. I'm just wondering, uh, do you find I
S1: was asking, do you use it? Do you find it
S1: always accurate?
S9: I suspect no.
S1: Yeah. There we go. That's the problem. So, uh, you know,
S1: everyone uses it, but I would say anyone that uses, uh,
S1: Google needs to use it with caution. Uh, even use
S1: a Bible dictionary like this one, the Holman, uh, Ultimate
S1: Bible Dictionary that I, with a gift of any size
S1: to open line, uh, will send you this as a
S1: thank you gift. We're really grateful for your giving if
S1: you do that. But if you use this Bible dictionary,
S1: even use that with caution. They're not perfect. They're made
S1: by human beings who are not perfect. However, I would
S1: say the likelihood of looking something up in this Bible
S1: dictionary written by Bible scholars who love the Lord. Uh,
S1: you're going to do a lot better with, uh, accuracy.
S1: So I'm not saying don't use the other stuff, but
S1: you can have a good deal more confidence with a
S1: Bible dictionary like the Ultimate Bible dictionary. Hey, thanks for
S1: your call. I can't believe the first hour is up,
S1: but there's another hour of open line on most of
S1: these stations. So, uh, stick around with us. If your
S1: station doesn't carry it, check out our our web page,
S1: open line radio.org. You can listen there. You can also
S1: get the podcast. Uh, you can listen on the Moody
S1: Radio app. Uh, during the break, check out our web page.
S1: You'll see all sorts of stuff you like, including how
S1: to get our current resource, how to get to my
S1: personal web page and see what I'm up to. The
S1: Bible study across America will continue, so stay with us.
S1: Open line with Doctor Michael Ray Melnick is a production
S1: of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.