S1: What's it like to visit the Holy Land for the
S1: very first time? What impressions are deepest and why? In
S1: a few minutes, we'll sit down with a couple who
S1: share their reflections and a few surprises. Plus, we'll bring
S1: you all the news you need to know about the
S1: Middle East. Also answers to Bible questions that maybe you've
S1: wrestled with. And a devotional from Charlie Dyer. I'm John Jaeger,
S1: inviting you to join us now for the land and
S1: the book from Moody Radio. And many people ask, how
S1: do I share the gospel with my Jewish friend Charlie?
S1: It's a good question. And the question, though, recognizes the
S1: need for a sensitive approach to sharing with Jewish people. Right, Charlie?
S2: It does, John. And that's why our friends at Life
S2: in Messiah want to help answer that question. They put
S2: together a series of helpful articles on how you can
S2: share the good news with Jewish people around you. You'll
S2: learn about Jewish cultural sensitivities, how anti-Semitism affects Jewish evangelism,
S2: of the importance of messianic prophecy, and more. To access
S2: the articles, visit Life in Messiah. Org click on the
S2: Moody Radio logo and sign up. You'll receive the articles
S2: to equip you with practical ways to share the good
S2: news with Jewish people around you or online. Again, click
S2: on the Moody Radio icon at Life in Messiah org.
S1: Well, conflicting reports continue to swirl over proposals for a
S1: ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Why all the confusion and
S1: what might happen in the coming days?
S2: Well, part of the confusion apparently came from internal disagreements
S2: within Hamas. Apparently, the leadership inside Gaza and the leadership
S2: outside of Gaza were debating how best to respond to
S2: the proposals. The initial proposal was seen by all sides,
S2: I think, as an opening basis for negotiation, to be
S2: followed by the hard bargaining to see if a compromise
S2: can be reached by proposing a three phased 135 day
S2: truce and hostage deal leading to the war's end. Their
S2: proposal would also include the withdrawal of Israeli forces and
S2: freedom for 1500 Palestinian prisoners currently in Israeli prisons, including 500.
S2: They would select who are serving life sentences for murder.
S2: At least right now, there are several significant sticking points.
S2: Will Hamas remain in control of Gaza? Is the goal
S2: a pathway to create a Palestinian state? And what's to
S2: prevent Hamas from rebuilding its power base in Gaza? As proposed,
S2: Hamas's response looks to be just a non-starter. But as
S2: Israel continues to squeeze them militarily, look for the possibility
S2: of some sort of compromise to be crafted. Hamas wants
S2: to find a way to stay in existence. And at
S2: the same time, Israel wants to find a way to
S2: bring its hostages home. And that could pressure each side
S2: into reaching some sort of agreement.
S1: So do you think that Hamas fundamentally does want the
S1: war to end, or are they just happy to keep
S1: on going the way they are?
S2: They are losing ground. There's only one major spot left
S2: where Hamas is at Rafah. And as Israel keeps closing
S2: in on Khan Younis and then moving toward Rafah, Hamas,
S2: I think, is afraid, especially the fighters there, they could
S2: be wiped out. So there's a pressure on them to
S2: make an agreement and to do so. They don't want
S2: to appear to be hurrying, but they need to hurry.
S1: Last follow up. Why then are they still in the
S1: driver's seat, apparently with regard to hostage negotiations, demanding that
S1: all these prisoners and murderers of theirs be released for
S1: just a few hundred of hours?
S2: The reason they're in the driver's seat is because within Israel,
S2: there's political pressure. A poll was just taken. Just over
S2: half of Israelis are saying it's more important to get
S2: the hostages back than it is to get rid of Hamas. Uh,
S2: that's from my perspective, very sad, because if Hamas stays
S2: in power, all they learn out of this is that
S2: gain hostages and we gain power. But that's the political
S2: reality right now. And that's what's tying Israel's hands from
S2: moving more rapidly to eliminate Hamas.
S1: Story number two, in our look at current events, while
S1: talks of a ceasefire drag on, the war itself continues.
S1: Bring us up to date on the conflict in Gaza,
S1: as well as the other hot spots in that region.
S2: Yeah, and as we just mentioned, Israel is in the
S2: process of gaining full control over Khan Younis, which is
S2: where they thought the Hamas leadership was hiding. Unfortunately, so
S2: far they've not located the senior leadership or the hostages.
S2: The one remaining major urban area is Rafah, which is
S2: right on the border with Egypt. The residents of Gaza
S2: have been forced toward the south, so Rafah is now
S2: extremely crowded. Egypt is afraid that an Israeli push into
S2: the area will result in large numbers of refugees rushing
S2: the border to escape into Egypt. But before Israel moves
S2: into Rafah, it still has a number of smaller villages
S2: and towns that it needs to enter to find and
S2: eliminate Hamas fighters, and that's why the war is continuing on.
S2: Israel is also working to find and eliminate the vast
S2: network of tunnels throughout Gaza that was far more extensive
S2: than they ever thought. They've begun what they're calling the
S2: Atlantis Project, which is designed to flood many of the
S2: tunnels with massive amounts of water. You know, they first
S2: entered these tunnels to look for fighters or hostages and
S2: to map. Out the tunnel complex itself, and then they
S2: flood the tunnels that are suitable for being destroyed in
S2: this way with water. Others are being blown up. In
S2: terms of the other hotspots in the region, though, Hezbollah
S2: is the one major concern. Israel has increased the intensity
S2: of its response to Hezbollah's cross-border attacks, and they're also
S2: threatening to open a second front in the war against Hezbollah.
S2: The US has been pushing a plan that would move
S2: Hezbollah away from the border, and there were some preliminary
S2: reports that said an end of Hezbollah's attacks might happen soon.
S2: But it's unclear if those optimistic assessments were based on
S2: hard evidence or were simply wishful thinking. It seems that
S2: all sides would like to end the conflict, but they
S2: also want to be able to do so in a
S2: way that lets them claim some sort of victory in
S2: the process. Right. And that's making that process even more difficult.
S1: That's Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Yeager. This is the
S1: land and the book. Well, a 45 year old mystery
S1: has now been solved. Archaeologists believe they know the identities
S1: of those buried in the royal tombs in Vergina, Greece.
S1: What have they discovered? And frankly, why is that of
S1: interest to us?
S2: Yeah, this story moves away from the conflict around Israel,
S2: and I think it's a cool reminder that when it
S2: comes to archaeology, even old discoveries can have a new twist.
S2: For those familiar with the second missionary journey of Paul
S2: in the Book of Acts. These burial tombs were discovered
S2: about five miles east of Berea, at about 35 miles
S2: southwest of Thessalonica. So it's very near the spot where
S2: Paul was traveling on that second missionary journey. The untouched
S2: tomb complex was discovered and excavated back in 1978. That's
S2: 46 years ago. The archaeologists found two monumental vaulted chambers
S2: with four tombs. The smaller of the two chambers had
S2: been looted, but the larger chamber was intact with a
S2: large variety of burial goods. Now the fines were significant,
S2: but they left behind a real mystery who was buried there.
S2: The archaeologists felt sure the bodies were relatives of Alexander
S2: the Great in some way, but there was debate on
S2: who exactly they were. Now, by combining paleo pathological evidence,
S2: you now think of a modern pathologist, but one studying
S2: ancient remains, along with a careful study of ancient written
S2: sources and the archaeology they believe they have the answer.
S2: The tombs contain the remains of Alexander the Great's father,
S2: Philip of Macedon, as well as Philip's second wife, her
S2: newborn child and a half brother of Alexander, along with
S2: his wife. The details in this John are fascinating. For example,
S2: they identified Philip from a new fusion in the skeletal remains.
S2: Historical sources recorded that Philip's leg had been wounded in battle,
S2: and that he was buried with his second wife and
S2: young child. Those same sources said Philip was assassinated shortly
S2: after the birth of his son, and that his wife
S2: and newborn son were then burned to death by Philip's
S2: first wife to secure the throne for her son, Alexander. Well,
S2: combining archaeology, paleo pathology and historical records that helped flesh
S2: out this discovery in a way that brings the intrigue
S2: surrounding Alexander the Great's rise to power into sharper focus.
S2: The report reads like a 2400 year old whodunit mystery,
S2: with Alexander's mother plotting to make her son king.
S1: Researchers at the Technion Institute in Israel have unlocked the
S1: secret of producing green hydrogen in a way that could
S1: make it affordable and sustainable. Tell us about this latest
S1: innovation from amazing Israel.
S2: Using hydrogen to power engines and automobiles seems like the
S2: ideal solution to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions. The
S2: problem is that producing hydrogen by splitting water through electrolysis
S2: is expensive and can even create greater pollution if it
S2: involves the burning of fossil fuels to generate the needed energy.
S2: The researchers at the Technion have announced what they're calling
S2: a disruptive process to generate hydrogen more affordably and sustainably,
S2: instead of using expensive membranes and sealing components. They've developed
S2: a process to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen, using
S2: bromide in a catalytic reaction. Now, while it will take
S2: some time to refine and develop the technology, this breakthrough
S2: could someday lead us to be driving hydrogen powered cars
S2: that produce only water vapor as a byproduct. And that
S2: will definitely be another great step forward from these researchers
S2: at the Technion in amazing Israel.
S1: Wow, what a story! Interesting. We'll look forward to further
S1: developments there. And finally, rain is considered a blessing in Israel,
S1: and over the past month, God has apparently been blessing
S1: Israel in ways they haven't seen in nearly 30 years.
S1: Tell us about the showers of blessing that they've been experiencing, Charlie.
S2: Yeah, yeah. At the end of January and into February,
S2: Israel experienced 14 straight days of rainfall. It's the first
S2: time they've had measurable rain every day for two weeks
S2: since February 1992, and the steady rainfall has allowed the
S2: rainwater to seep into the ground to help replenish natural
S2: water sources without causing flooding. It was just a nice, steady.
S2: Rain from Jerusalem north. The country has had an abundance
S2: of rain, though from Jerusalem south. It's not been so
S2: much that, to give an example, Jerusalem right now has 105%
S2: of its normal to date rainfall. That's about 13.5in. Head
S2: 40 miles south to Beersheba, and they've only received 3.5in,
S2: but go north to Tel Dan and they've received 24in
S2: of rain to date. Even Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee,
S2: which is 600ft below sea level, has received 18.5in of rain,
S2: more rain in Capernaum than in Jerusalem. And speaking of
S2: the Sea of Galilee, the water level there rose nearly
S2: 19in in just one week. Wow! It's now just five
S2: feet below the upper red line, which is when they
S2: need to open the dam at the southern end to
S2: keep the cities along the shore from flooding. And there
S2: are at least six more weeks when the rain can
S2: be expected. So hopefully these showers of blessing are going
S2: to continue. Now, the only other problem though, the wheat
S2: farmers in southern Israel are hoping the rains head their
S2: way to help assure a good wheat harvest, but otherwise,
S2: the rain has been a great report for Israel this year.
S1: Well, praise God for that. And that's a look at
S1: current events from the Middle East. Thank you. Charlie, what
S1: is it like to visit the Holy Land for the
S1: first time? You'll hear for yourself as we sit down
S1: with a couple up next on the land and the book.
S1: Our website is The Land and the book.org. We've got
S1: a podcast there you can share with your friends at
S1: the Land and the book.org. A visit to Israel. For
S1: most people, it's the trip of a lifetime. This is
S1: the land in the book. I'm John Geiger here with
S1: the second of four segments that make up our one
S1: hour flyover of the Middle East. You've joined us today
S1: at one of the very few quiet places in all
S1: of Jerusalem, our hotel room just outside the Old City,
S1: by the way, with me is a couple who are
S1: deeply invested in Christian ministry and are about to wrap
S1: up their very first trip to Israel. I want to
S1: welcome Chris and Don Phillips to the land in the book.
S1: We have had quite the adventure here in the Holy Land,
S1: haven't we guys?
S3: Yes, it's been amazing, memorable and, as you described it,
S3: life changing.
S1: Chris introduced us to your ministry and then we'll give
S1: your wife a turn. What exactly do you guys do?
S3: Sail international exists for those in ministry. Paul described his
S3: ministry as fighting the good fight of faith, and many
S3: times throughout the scriptures we see that terminology for those
S3: that are serving the Lord. It is a battle at times.
S3: There are things you struggle with, although we do have
S3: the promise of victory. So our ministry comes alongside pastors,
S3: their families, missionaries and their families when they're dealing with
S3: life issues, disappointments, sin, discouragement because Satan is after them
S3: to either make their ministry ineffective or to get them
S3: completely out of ministry. So we come alongside those in
S3: ministry to help them continue serving the Lord.
S1: Don, nobody can do what your husband does. What you
S1: do apart from, you know, complete investment. How do you
S1: how do you share the load in this ministry?
S4: Well, sometimes it's making beds for those coming to stay
S4: with us. Sometimes it's cleaning. Many times it's counseling. Pastors,
S4: wives and missionaries. Wives and their children have special heart
S4: for their children. They have, uh, really not signed up
S4: for this. You know, they're born into the family, and
S4: sometimes they feel like they're living in a glass house.
S4: Everybody's eyes are on them. So it's a joy, a
S4: real joy to enter into difficult moments with them.
S1: Chris, what made you guys think about a trip to
S1: Israel in the first place?
S3: Well, we have actually dreamed about this for as long
S3: as we've been married. 34 years now this week. And
S3: our Hispanic church that we planted in Charleston, South Carolina,
S3: they found out about our desire to come to Israel.
S3: And so they raised the money and they gave us
S3: the money for this trip. And they said, you need
S3: to go with Charlie Dyer in the land of the book.
S3: And so here we are.
S1: So let me ask you, Don, what do you hope
S1: to come away from this trip with anything specific?
S4: Well, you know, you dream of this. You study God's Word. Uh,
S4: you teach it, you teach your children about it. It's
S4: your life. You're delving in, and then you want to
S4: go see the places that you've read about. And so
S4: for sure, that will be connecting the dots there for
S4: me from all those years. But I think I'll be
S4: telling Bible stories in a whole new fashion now and
S4: for certain, I'm taking back something I never dreamed I'd
S4: be taking back. And that is the fact that every
S4: place we have stopped, I have gotten new insights into
S4: the Word of God. Nuggets that I know I've read about.
S4: But when you put it together, the way that you
S4: and Charlie both have taught us this trip, it's just
S4: been amazing for me.
S1: Chris and Don Phillips are both involved in ministry, coming
S1: alongside of pastors and missionaries and other Christian leaders who
S1: need little support. And they're joining us here on this
S1: trip to Israel. How do you think visiting Israel, Chris,
S1: will shape the way that you read Scripture when you
S1: go back home?
S3: No doubt it will be completely different than before. I
S3: was always interested in getting the underlying historical data together
S3: to be able to share insights into Scripture. In fact,
S3: many sermons that I preach when we're going to pastors
S3: conferences or just encouraging others is from the Psalms. Now
S3: it is totally changed the depth of the preaching and
S3: the meanings of those Psalms now that we've seen them.
S3: For example, uh, one morning Charlie gave us a devotional
S3: on Psalm 121 about how David was being led out
S3: of the city, and we were driving right by the
S3: hills that David probably saw when he penned the words,
S3: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from
S3: whence cometh my help. And Charlie just drove home the
S3: fact that he didn't know how he was going to
S3: make it up those hills in the condition that he was.
S3: But he said, well, that's okay, because my hope is
S3: not in the hills. My hope is in the Lord.
S3: Who created those hills? And then later on that same day,
S3: he brought in the fact of how that David, when
S3: he was facing Goliath, had similar faith. He said to
S3: Goliath that, yes, you're coming to me with all of
S3: these swords and you're built for battle. But the battle
S3: is the Lord's. And so I believe now I'm going
S3: to be able to take those insights, connect it with
S3: the geography, and then make it even more powerful whenever
S3: we do come alongside pastors that may be discouraged and
S3: going through their dark desert time.
S1: Okay, you've mentioned a couple of David incidents. What about you, Don?
S1: Any kind of a story, a passage specifically that you
S1: might be seeing teaching just a bit differently as you
S1: go back home? Anything come to mind?
S4: I've talked a lot to ladies about our fortress, our rock.
S4: I have a whole new meaning now after going to
S4: Masada and just, um, being there and realizing what it
S4: truly means to have our God as our fortress. It's
S4: hard to be anxious. It's hard to be fearful when
S4: your eyes are on our God, who is our fortress,
S4: our rock, our deliverer.
S1: Let's get back to your ministry. As you're working with people,
S1: people who have been impacted either by a sense of
S1: failure or an issue of sin, whatever it might be.
S1: How do you think this trip to the Holy Land
S1: might shape the way you do ministry once you get back?
S3: Chris, I think no doubt the way that we apply scripture,
S3: you know, as preachers, a lot of times we are
S3: so good at helping others apply scripture to their difficulties,
S3: to their knees that they have. But so many times
S3: it's challenging to do it to our own lives. So
S3: that's when we need to humble ourselves and allow someone
S3: else to speak into us, because we are not infallible.
S3: And being able to now bring some of these insights
S3: in applications to help these pastors and these missionaries apply
S3: Scripture to their life in their darkest moments, I believe
S3: it will never be the same. Um, thinking about what
S3: Don just mentioned. Masada. Masada means fortress. Whenever we are
S3: being criticized, whenever we are being attacked, our defense is
S3: not in ourselves. Our defense will come from the Lord
S3: in his timing. And when you see Masada, how impenetrable
S3: it seemed. But yet anything built by man, as Charlie said,
S3: can be destroyed by man. But if it's built by
S3: God and you are resting and you're falling on that rock,
S3: then nothing will penetrate God's fortress around you.
S1: That's Chris Phillips with his wife Dawn, here in Jerusalem
S1: on the land. In the book, we're talking about a
S1: trip that we're wrapping up here. Not quite done, but
S1: let me ask you, Dawn, so far, what has been
S1: your most favorite spot? I'm coming your way. Next, Chris.
S1: Get ready.
S4: Well, it's strange as it seems. When we got out
S4: of that bus and we trudge down through some weeds
S4: and right down there by the brook. Isla. And I
S4: absolutely loved it, you know, Charlie said before getting out
S4: of the bus, it was his job to convince us
S4: that it was right where it happened. And he certainly did.
S4: And he retold the story and I could visualize it.
S4: He gave proof of the actual geographical location there. It
S4: was wonderful. And for me, it was just a really
S4: special moment.
S1: All right, Chris, a favorite spot for you so far is.
S3: It is so hard to pick just one spot. Right?
S3: But I'll have to say, when we were going around
S3: the area of Galilee, Capernaum, just the the commonness, the ordinariness,
S3: if you want to say it that way of that
S3: land and how it's really nothing spectacular. But when you
S3: bring in the fact that Jesus, the Messiah, walked there,
S3: healed people there, and did these miracles, and provided for
S3: his disciples there, and called these ordinary men there, I
S3: could not get past the fact that no matter what
S3: we feel like we have as giftedness, or no matter
S3: what area we're serving in, it's ordinary. But yet when
S3: you bring the Messiah in, anything that's ordinary becomes extraordinary.
S3: We'll just be faithful and serve him and keep our
S3: eyes on him.
S1: All right, I'll leave this open to whoever wants to
S1: grab it first. What here is smaller than you may be.
S1: Thought it might be. We all got our misconceptions or
S1: preconceptions before we come to Israel. You show up. What's
S1: smaller here than you maybe thought it might be?
S4: Jordan River. I thought that was a lot bigger. You
S4: just get these pictures in your mind, you know, and
S4: you think it's a certain way. And you, you carry
S4: that image from the time you hear it. You're 6
S4: or 7 years old in Sunday school, and you carry
S4: these images. That you've created for yourself, or you saw
S4: from a Bible storybook or flannel graph and it stays
S4: with you. And then you get here and it's like, wow,
S4: this is totally different than I imagined.
S3: I think for me, the smallness of the Sea of Galilee,
S3: even though it is a large lake, to be able
S3: to have a storm come up where the disciples would
S3: be fearing for their lives. I think of the ocean,
S3: an ocean sized body of water, where that would scare me.
S3: But I looked at the lake and it was just
S3: so peaceful. I just could not grasp that. How that
S3: they were fearing for their lives. Sea of Galilee, I
S3: guess for me, would be the shocker.
S1: All right. What's bigger than you thought it might be?
S1: Anything come to mind.
S3: There today, when we saw a model of Jerusalem to
S3: see the way the whole city was laid out, that
S3: to me was amazing. How that David and Solomon and
S3: Hezekiah and all the kings had added to that city,
S3: and then to see it in all of its glory
S3: was just it was just incredible. And, you know, and
S3: thinking about the New Jerusalem one day when we're going
S3: to be able to be there and there'll be nothing
S3: to be compared to that. But I think the city
S3: of Jerusalem for me was shocking how large that was.
S1: Anything come to mind for you? Bigger?
S4: Well, he stole mine, but yeah.
S5: But we'll forgive him.
S4: Yes. I was just enraptured. Today, so much is different
S4: than what I had thought it was. Even in books
S4: I had seen it. It doesn't give it justice. It just.
S4: It's not. It's so incredible. And to stand there today
S4: amongst the olive trees and. Oh, it was a dream
S4: come true.
S1: You know, the importance of water shows up dramatically, it
S1: seems to me, everywhere you go here in Israel. What
S1: does that do for the way you now consider Jesus
S1: calling himself the water of life?
S3: Through life, so many things affect us that just suck
S3: the life out of us. Desert heat. And I think
S3: of maybe barren times in your ministry. Everyone goes through those.
S3: When you're serving the Lord and you're seeing fruit, that's easy,
S3: that's exciting. But when there's a dry time or when
S3: the Bible is not as alive as it was before,
S3: or you're feeling far away from the Lord. Um. The
S3: water of life does not come from without. It comes
S3: from within. John 738 when he says that the spring
S3: of water springing up inside of you, that spring of water,
S3: is Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
S1: You know, Psalm 122 six tells us, pray for the
S1: peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper who love you. This
S1: may be one of the only times in your life
S1: you're ever able to pray for the peace of Jerusalem
S1: in Jerusalem. I would invite you to close our interview
S1: with a brief prayer for the peace of Jerusalem.
S3: Heavenly father, what a powerful God that you are. Lord,
S3: we know one day you have promised that you will
S3: make every injustice right. You will make every single trial
S3: worth it. We can even compare the weight of glory
S3: that's waiting. If we will patiently serve you and wait
S3: upon you during our trials. So, Lord, I pray right
S3: now for this great city, the history here, the way
S3: that you love this city. Lord, we know that you
S3: love it. How that your son wept over it. So, God,
S3: I pray right now. Father, I pray for the peace
S3: of Jerusalem. Lord, in your time we ask that you
S3: would bring that to pass. In Jesus name, Amen.
S1: Amen. Well, it's been a blast talking with you guys,
S1: and I'm sure you're going to be faithful stewards of
S1: all that God has shown you. Thanks for being a
S1: part of the land of the book, Don.
S4: Thank you John.
S1: Thank you.
S3: Chris. It's been a pleasure. John.
S1: I hope you guys have got your Bibles handy because
S1: Charlie Dyer is back in our next segment. He's got
S1: a whole bunch of Bible questions, and you can attest
S1: to it. Now, having been here and traveling with Charlie,
S1: he's got some great answers, doesn't he?
S3: Absolutely.
S1: That's all ahead next here on the land and the book.
S1: Questions and answers. That's where we're headed in this next
S1: segment on the land and the book. Welcome back. I'm
S1: John Jaeger, and many people, Charlie, are asking, how do
S1: I share the gospel with my Jewish friend? It's a
S1: good question. And that question recognizes the need, of course,
S1: for a sensitive approach to sharing Jesus with Jewish people. Right?
S2: That's right. That's why our friends at Life in Messiah
S2: want to help answer that question. They put together a
S2: series of helpful articles on how you can share the
S2: good news with Jewish people around you. You'll learn about
S2: Jewish cultural sensitivities, how anti-Semitism affects Jewish evangelism, the importance
S2: of messianic prophecy, and more. To access the articles, visit
S2: Life in Messiah. Org. Click on the Moody Radio logo
S2: and sign up. You'll receive the articles to equip you
S2: with practical ways to share the good news with Jewish
S2: people around you or online. Again, click on the Moody
S2: Radio icon at Life in messiah.org.
S1: Charlie. One of the things I enjoy in life is
S1: a good lightning storm. I mean, there's there's so much
S1: intrigue in a burst of lightning, and when there's a
S1: whole bunch of it coming, rapid fire, all the better,
S1: don't you think?
S2: Oh, I love lightning storms. All right, well.
S1: We've got the, uh, the question equivalent of that today
S1: in a email conversation with a listener named Janie. And
S1: so she's got a series of questions about the feasts
S1: and laws, and we're going to go through them quickly,
S1: sort of a lightning round of questions. So stick around,
S1: buckle your seatbelts. Here comes question one. Deuteronomy 16, verse
S1: 16 says that the males of Israel were to appear
S1: before the Lord three times a year Passover, Shavuot, and
S1: Sukkot with their wife and children. Join them.
S2: You know, it doesn't say so in Deuteronomy, but I
S2: believe the families did usually accompany the men to the feasts.
S2: Two reasons one Old Testament, one new. In first Samuel one,
S2: we're told that Elkanah went up year after year to
S2: worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty. Now we're not
S2: told which of the feasts, but many think it's the
S2: feast of, uh, Sukkot or Tabernacles. But it doesn't matter,
S2: because the point is, he took along his family, including Hannah.
S2: And then in the New Testament, in Luke 241, were told,
S2: every year Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem for the
S2: feast of Passover. So in both the Old and New Testament,
S2: we have examples of wives going to the feast with
S2: their husbands.
S1: Here's question number two in our lightning round. Would Passover
S1: an all nighter also roll into the Feast of Unleavened
S1: Bread and the Feast of Firstfruits for eight days?
S2: Yeah, I think Passover did roll over into the Feast
S2: of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Firstfruits, and that
S2: also helps explain the prophetic significance of those feasts, as
S2: they pointed to the death and burial and resurrection of
S2: Jesus as the first fruits from the dead.
S1: Third question in our lightning round is the blowing of
S1: the trumpet at Rosh Hashanah done only at Jerusalem, or
S1: is it happening throughout Israel?
S2: You know, we don't know what it was like in
S2: the past, but, uh, we do know right now that
S2: the trumpet is sounded today in synagogues throughout Israel and
S2: around the world at Rosh Hashanah.
S1: Question four when it came for Sukkot, day 15 of
S1: the seventh month would travel to Jerusalem. Also include day
S1: ten of the seventh month, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
S1: Or do people regard the Day of Atonement at home?
S2: Yeah. It's interesting that Yom Kippur was not included in
S2: the times when the people were told to present themselves
S2: before the Lord in Jerusalem. The significance of the day
S2: involved the priest's work on behalf of himself and the people,
S2: to provide that temporary atonement for sin. So it was
S2: a day when the people were to afflict their souls,
S2: which they took to mean it was a day when
S2: they were too fast from sunup to sundown. I assume
S2: those in Jerusalem could have gone to the temple, though
S2: much of what the high priest did was performed out
S2: of sight inside the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.
S1: Lightning round. Question number five when Elkanah and Hannah went
S1: up yearly, is there a biblical allowance to come to
S1: only one feast? And if so, what is that feast?
S2: Yeah, well, the command was to appear three times a year.
S2: So it's possible that first Samuel one is simply compressing
S2: events to let us know they went up every year.
S2: But Luke two specifically mentions just Passover, and acts two
S2: describes Jews from around the world gathering at Pentecost. In
S2: acts 20, we're told Paul and his traveling companions spent
S2: Passover unleavened bread in Philippi, but Paul wanted to reach
S2: Jerusalem in time to celebrate Shavuot or Pentecost in acts 20,
S2: verse 16. But in answer to the question now, I'm
S2: not sure how hard and fast the requirement was to
S2: make it to Jerusalem for all three feasts, especially as
S2: the Jewish people expanded beyond the land throughout the entire
S2: Roman Empire.
S1: Last question from Janie in this lightning round, Joseph and
S1: Mary in Luke one after eight days named Jesus and
S1: then had him circumcised. Would this have been done at
S1: their local synagogue? And then, fulfilling the law 33 days later,
S1: would the trek be to Jerusalem for Mary's purification?
S2: Yeah. It's unclear whether the circumcision took place in the
S2: synagogue or at their home. I have always thought personally
S2: that it might have been at their home. And I
S2: say that because when John the Baptist. Us was circumcised.
S2: It mentioned the gathering of their neighbors and relatives. And
S2: in verse 65, again it mentions the neighbors, which makes
S2: it sound more like a more intimate affair for family
S2: and close friends. But whether it took place in the
S2: local synagogue or in the home, we can't say for sure.
S2: I believe the circumcision of Jesus would have taken place
S2: in Bethlehem, whether in the house of Joseph and Mary
S2: where they were living, or the local synagogue. And then
S2: they were still there in Bethlehem 33 days later, when
S2: they went up to Jerusalem for Mary's purification.
S1: This is the land in the book from Moody Radio,
S1: our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, welcoming your Bible questions anytime
S1: with a quick email to the land and the book@moody.edu,
S1: Rex says I see the problems we have in our
S1: American society because of a lack of a true biblical worldview.
S1: Could you send me some recommendations for materials that I
S1: could use in our church for teaching a biblical worldview?
S1: Any help as appreciated.
S2: Well, I can offer two suggestions that you might want
S2: to explore. The first is called the Truth Project and
S2: it's by Del del Tackett. Tackett. It's put out by
S2: focus on the family, and it's a video series on
S2: developing a biblical worldview. It's designed to be used in
S2: a small group setting, so it could be very helpful.
S2: At the second. You might have to adapt just a
S2: little bit. It's Josh McDowell's evidence that demands a verdict.
S2: The revised version of the book has been around for
S2: a little while, and he's also prepared an online video
S2: series in connection with the book. The book and video
S2: series can help people better articulate a biblical view in
S2: our secular culture, and a better understanding of the Bible.
S1: Question from Steve. How do you understand the phrase that
S1: she has received from the Lord's hand double for all
S1: her sins? That's Isaiah 40, verse two.
S2: Yeah. You know, when you first read it, it sounds
S2: like God saying, I'm going to punish you twice as
S2: much as you deserve. But that doesn't make any sense
S2: theologically or contextually or in our understanding of God himself.
S2: So I think the key is the Hebrew preposition there.
S2: It's it's the letter bait. In that third phrase. And
S2: rather than literally saying she's received from the Lord's hand,
S2: double in all her sin, I take that bait there
S2: with the word that follows in the sense of, in
S2: place of or instead of. Now there are three parallel
S2: phrases in that verse. They picture God reversing the judgment
S2: that he's just announced on Israel up through chapter 39.
S2: Isaiah is now saying her hard service has been completed. Well,
S2: chapters 40 to 48. The next nine chapters talk about
S2: Israel's promised return from captivity in Babylon, which God had announced.
S2: And then he says, her iniquity has been removed. That's
S2: chapters 49 to 57, where he talks about the work
S2: of the servant who's going to come. And ultimately, in
S2: Isaiah 53, died to pay the penalty for her sin.
S2: And then he says, and shall receive from the Lord's
S2: hand a double portion of blessing in place of the
S2: judgment she just received. And that's the last nine chapters
S2: of Isaiah 58 to 66, where he focuses on the
S2: millennial blessing God will now pour out on the nation.
S2: So I take the double there in the sense of
S2: the double portion of of the inheritance or blessing given
S2: by a parent to the firstborn in place of the
S2: judgment that Israel had just received. God promises to pour
S2: out a double portion of his blessing on the nation.
S1: Todd wants to know, do you think Jesus was born
S1: on December the 25th? He says, I used to think
S1: there was no historical basis for that at all, but
S1: I was recently doing some reading, and it sounds like
S1: there are some things that point to that date. What
S1: do you think?
S2: Well, yeah, you got to start by saying it has
S2: at least a 1 in 365 day chance of being
S2: correct now, but many would say the date was chosen
S2: at the time of Constantine in the year 354. And
S2: they have the celebration of Jesus birth replace a pagan
S2: holiday called Saturnalia in the Feast of Soul, which was
S2: celebrated on that date. However, there's some new evidence to
S2: challenge that old assumption statue of Hippolytus, a third century
S2: Christian theologian, was discovered. It now stands in the Vatican Library.
S2: An inscription on the side of the chair and the
S2: statue has a lunar table that records the dates of
S2: the full moons. He also records a common belief in
S2: the early church that Jesus was conceived during Passover and
S2: born exactly nine months later, which would be December 25th. Now,
S2: my point here is there's tradition that existed before the
S2: time of Constantine, the place Christ's birth on December 25th.
S2: It's interesting this date was given before that became the
S2: date when the Romans celebrated Saturnalia. Now, however, this identification
S2: of December 25th is based on a tradition that says
S2: Jesus was conceived during Passover, and unfortunately, we don't have
S2: any external confirmation for that tradition. So I'm left with
S2: this conclusion could Jesus have been born on December 25th? Yes.
S2: Can we say precisely when he was born? And no,
S2: we can't, at least with any degree of absolute certainty.
S2: And that doesn't bother me. There's at least some early
S2: church tradition pointing to his birth around December 25th, and
S2: it's as good a day as any other. To celebrate
S2: this event.
S1: Philip writes, I heard once a year that the rock
S1: at the tomb where Jesus was buried. Catches fire. What
S1: are your thoughts on this? Have you ever seen it
S1: in person? Yeah, I've.
S2: Never seen the ceremony because I've never been to church
S2: of the Holy Sepulchre at that time of year. It's
S2: held the Saturday before the Eastern Orthodox Easter. You ask
S2: my thoughts. Here they are. I think it's a fraud. Uh,
S2: there are early traditions of the event, but there's also
S2: very on the Western Church prohibiting its priests from participating
S2: because they thought it was fraudulent. So, anyway, it's primarily
S2: a belief of the Eastern Orthodox churches, and I don't
S2: put much stock in its authenticity.
S1: Thanks for those questions, Charlie. Thanks for your answers. And
S1: thank you for sticking around as Charlie Dyer's devotional is
S1: next right here on the land and the book. Welcome
S1: back to our fourth and final segment here at The Land.
S1: In the book, I'm John Geiger with our host, doctor
S1: Charlie Dyer. And Charlie, I have a confession to make. Okay, John,
S1: I walk from the train station to Moody. It's about
S1: a mile and a half every day, and sometimes I
S1: bump into some moody friends. But today I deliberately tried
S1: to avoid them because by mistake, I had taken a
S1: pair of gym shoes that I should have thrown out
S1: long ago. They've got big ugly holes right on the
S1: top of them, and I thought, that is so tacky looking.
S1: I don't want to be seen wearing these shoes. So
S1: those were people I tried to avoid. Now, I understand
S1: that your devotional has something about people we should avoid
S1: or try to avoid.
S2: That's exactly what it's on. Three kinds of people we
S2: should avoid, and none of them have to do with
S2: holes in our shoes. But we'll get.
S1: To that devotional after we hear this Holy Land experience testimony.
S1: I love it when people go to Israel, come back
S1: and share their thoughts with us.
S6: Hi, my name is Graham. I've been to Israel three
S6: times now and I'm already planning the the fourth return trip.
S6: It's such a life changing experience. It really makes the
S6: reading of the Bible. It changes it from reading in
S6: black and white to to reading it in, in full color. Uh,
S6: and the thing that impressed me was so much of
S6: what you read, uh, of the places, it's still very similar, uh, Galilee,
S6: still very rural. Um, the wilderness is still very remote.
S6: Jerusalem is still very religious. And this is, uh, it's
S6: like stepping into the Bible and having a immersing yourself
S6: in its culture. Uh, I can highly recommend it for,
S6: for anyone who would like to understand the scriptures in a,
S6: in a deeper and more a real way.
S1: All right, we're headed to Proverbs 25. Charlie, I understand
S1: in your devotional that you've titled three Kinds of People
S1: to Avoid. Take it away.
S2: Uh, thanks, John. I had a number of part time
S2: jobs in high school. One of the shortest and most
S2: unusual was at a milk processing plant. A local farmer
S2: processed and bottled the milk from his cows and sold
S2: it in his own roadside dairy store. My friend, his
S2: younger brother and I ran the small plant where the
S2: raw milk was pasteurized and bottled. I loaded the crates
S2: of bottled milk and drove them from the processing plant
S2: to the roadside store, mainly because I was the only
S2: one of the three of us who was over 16
S2: and had a driver's license. I think we did a
S2: pretty good job. At least no one ever became ill
S2: from drinking the milk we processed. However, we were still
S2: high school students, actually three teenage boys. So we did
S2: some things that, in hindsight, were really stupid. For example,
S2: after processing the milk, we had to tear down and
S2: clean all the equipment. This involved flushing all the tanks
S2: and pipes with water before cleaning them with a hot
S2: alkaline wash followed by a warm, acidic rinse. Now this
S2: is more than 50 years ago, but if I remember correctly,
S2: we used sodium carbonate for the alkaline wash and something
S2: like muriatic acid for the acid rinse. Now, we were
S2: told never to mix the acid and alkaline base. And
S2: so of course, one afternoon after we were all done,
S2: we decided to see what would happen if the two
S2: got mixed. We took an empty half gallon glass milk
S2: jug and filled it halfway up with the alkaline base solution.
S2: My buddy then gingerly walked over and poured the acid
S2: into the bottle. Let's just say it was a really
S2: stupid thing to do. Thankfully, the two liquids were relatively diluted,
S2: or we could have been severely injured. Two years later
S2: when I had chemistry in high school, I already understood
S2: from experience what happens when an acid is mixed with
S2: a base. Now I share that story with you as
S2: we walk along the new wall just built by Hezekiah
S2: to enclose the western hill of Jerusalem. The city expanded
S2: onto this hill following the fall of the northern Kingdom
S2: of Israel to Assyria. Hezekiah is preparing the city for
S2: an anticipated attack by the Assyrians. But in addition to
S2: working on the physical defenses of the city, Hezekiah has
S2: also been working on the city's spiritual defenses. We read
S2: about his revival in the first part of Second Kings 18,
S2: but we can also find hints of his spiritual revival
S2: in the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs 25 one begins by saying,
S2: these are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men
S2: of Hezekiah, king of Judah. Hezekiah wanted to preserve some
S2: of the practical day to day wisdom of Solomon. These
S2: were truths on how life really works to help people
S2: live wisely. And today I want us to look at
S2: three key verses in this chapter verses 18, 19 and 20. Now,
S2: at first they don't seem to connect, but by the
S2: end I think you'll spot the common denominator in these verses,
S2: Solomon focused on three kinds of people to avoid, and
S2: by the time we're done, you'll also understand the connection
S2: to my time working at a milk processing plant. The
S2: first proverb is 2518 like a club or a sword
S2: or a sharp arrow is the man who gives false
S2: testimony against his neighbor, a club, a sword, and a
S2: sharp arrow share one thing in common they can do
S2: great damage to the intended target, even though the word
S2: like isn't found in the Hebrew translators. Add it because
S2: Solomon is intending to make a comparison. So what does
S2: he say is like a weapon that can do great damage?
S2: An individual who gives false testimony against his neighbor, someone
S2: willing to lie about a person to cause harm is
S2: just as dangerous, and can do just as much damage
S2: as a soldier swinging a sword or club, or shooting
S2: a sharp, iron tipped arrow. The point of the proverb
S2: is quite direct if you come across someone willing to
S2: lie to hurt or harm another, stay away from them.
S2: What they're doing to others they could eventually do to you.
S2: Now we come to verse 19, which at first seems
S2: to change topics, but listen carefully like a bad tooth
S2: or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in
S2: times of trouble, ever have a toothache and temporarily forget
S2: about it until you happen to bite into something hard?
S2: That shooting pain is unforgettable. How about a lame foot?
S2: Several years ago, I tore the interior meniscus in my
S2: left knee. One minute I was out for my morning walk,
S2: and the next I was trying to keep myself from
S2: tumbling off the sidewalk and onto the street. In both illustrations,
S2: the pain index can shoot from 0 to 10, from
S2: virtually no pain to excruciating pain in an instant. So
S2: what does Solomon compare to a toothache? Or in my case,
S2: a torn meniscus? He compares that to someone relying on
S2: or having confidence in an unfaithful person when facing a
S2: time of trouble. When the going gets tough, suddenly the
S2: one on whom you're depending decides it's time for them
S2: to get going, leaving you to face the problem alone.
S2: The point of this proverb is also quite direct avoid.
S2: Depending on someone who has demonstrated himself or herself to
S2: be unreliable. If they haven't demonstrated dependability in small areas,
S2: find someone else you can trust. And finally, Solomon comes
S2: to my pasteurized milk proverb in verse 20. Listen to
S2: the point of comparison as he begins, like one who
S2: takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar,
S2: put on soda. Okay, the first part we get imagine
S2: standing in downtown Chicago today, only to have someone come
S2: by and steal your heavy jacket. Anyone who takes your
S2: coat on a cold day is certainly not trying to
S2: help you. You could freeze to death. But what about
S2: the second comparison? Vinegar is acidic, and soda doesn't just
S2: refer to the East Coast name for a soft drink,
S2: it refers to calcium carbonate, one of the main components
S2: of lye. The words used one other time in Jeremiah 222.
S2: Although you wash yourself with lye, there's the word and
S2: use an abundance of soap. The stain of your guilt
S2: still before me, declares the sovereign Lord. So what happens
S2: when you mix an acid and a base or alkali together?
S2: You get a chemical reaction that generates heat, but that
S2: otherwise isn't really helpful. So what's like taking someone's coat
S2: on a cold day or causing an unpleasant chemical reaction?
S2: Both are compared to the one who sings songs to
S2: a heavy or troubled heart. What's the point of this proverb? Well,
S2: if you've ever experienced a problem that is weighing you down,
S2: the last thing you wanted at that moment was to
S2: have someone come along and say, you know what your
S2: problem is? You need to sing a song. So let's sing.
S2: I'm a Yankee Doodle dandy. That suggestion is about as
S2: helpful as yanking off your coat on a cold day,
S2: and about the only reaction they'll get from you is
S2: like seeing the frothing that bubbles up from the chemical reaction.
S2: Solomon's point is that in times of discouragement and struggle,
S2: you need to avoid the person who is totally clueless
S2: and insensitive to your pain. They will do you no good. Well,
S2: it's time to head back home. But before we say
S2: goodbye to the people in Hezekiah's day, busy copying all
S2: these proverbs, what's the message we need to take back
S2: with us? Well, how about this? In life, there are
S2: three kinds of people we need to avoid. Stay away
S2: from someone willing to lie about others. Stay away from
S2: someone who's shown that he or she is undependable, and
S2: stay away from someone who is clueless and insensitive. Or
S2: to turn this around and make it positive. Search for
S2: and connect with people who are truth tellers, who are
S2: dependable and who demonstrate genuine care and sensitivity. Oh, and
S2: while you're at it, make sure you never mix an
S2: acid and a base together.
S1: Thank you Charlie. Very, very practical as always. Hey, if
S1: you have never taken advantage of our podcast, it's a
S1: great tool at our website, The Land and the book.org.
S1: You can share us with your friends. They might not
S1: live near a moody radio station or any station that
S1: carries this great program, but with the podcast they can
S1: connect to at the land and the book. Org. Thanks
S1: for carving out time to spend with us. Thanks for
S1: the management of this station, for letting us be part
S1: of the great lineup of programs that you enjoy day
S1: in and day out. The land in the book is
S1: a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.
S1: I'm John Geiger for the team.
UU: Have a great day.