S1: 700 years before the birth of the Messiah, Jesus, a
S1: Jewish prophet, foretold where he would be born. Stay with me.
S1: We'll talk about the significance of that prophecy in just
S1: a moment. Hello, friends. Welcome to Open Line. My name
S1: is Michael Riedel. I'm the academic dean and a professor
S1: of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute. It's
S1: time for our Bible study across America. I'm so grateful
S1: that you're here. Joining me around the radio kitchen table.
S1: And we're talking about your questions about the Bible, God
S1: and the spiritual life. If you have a question and
S1: you'd like to call the phone number here is Seven five.
S1: Let me say it again a little slower. (877) 548-3675. You
S1: can write it down and call us anytime, but it's
S1: always good to call at the beginning of the program.
S1: If you think, how am I going to get through?
S1: Start now. Uh, this is the time to call because
S1: this is when the lines are open. Uh, otherwise it
S1: gets a little crowded for people. So call (877) 548-3675 with
S1: your question about the Bible, God or the spiritual life.
S1: Tricia McMillan is in the producer's chair. Ably assisted by
S1: Tara Ulmer. Mendoza's our tech guy today. And Gabby T
S1: is back answering the phones. Uh, well, go get yourself
S1: a cup of coffee. Open your Bible, because we're about
S1: to study the scriptures together. Where do you come from?
S1: I can't say how many times I've been asked that question.
S1: I always give the same answer. The Holy Land, Brooklyn,
S1: New York. I understand how knowing a person's hometown can
S1: give some insight and understanding of that person. Brooklyn has
S1: certainly shaped me in many ways. Nevertheless, where I come
S1: from didn't identify me as anyone special. I think most
S1: of America has their have their roots in Brooklyn. It
S1: wasn't a fulfillment of Bible prophecy that I was born
S1: in Bethlehem. Not so with the birthplace of the Messiah, Jesus.
S1: His birth in Bethlehem was a fulfillment of prophecy and
S1: identified him as the promised Messiah. The Hebrew prophet Micah
S1: foretold where the Messiah would be born. And it wasn't
S1: just Bethlehem. There was much more to it. The prophecy
S1: of Micah five two reveals three truths about the Messiah's
S1: true origins. Here's what it says. Bethlehem, Ephrathah you are
S1: small among the clans of Judah. One will come from
S1: you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin
S1: is from antiquity, from eternity. Well, to begin, this prophecy
S1: reveals that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem. It's very specific.
S1: Not that other Bethlehem that was in Galilee, but Bethlehem,
S1: Ephrata in Judah, David's hometown. Some have objected that Jesus
S1: didn't really fulfill Bible prophecy, but rather he just set
S1: it up. He knew the prophecies and then intentionally did
S1: those things predicted by the prophets to make it look
S1: like he was the Messiah. This prophecy shows that this
S1: can't be true. A person can't choose where he or
S1: she will be born. I had no say in Brooklyn
S1: as my birthplace, any more than my sister could choose. Berlin.
S1: But that's where the Lord determined it for both of us.
S1: Jesus birth in Bethlehem was not manufactured by him or
S1: even his parents. God in his sovereignty sent forth His son.
S1: Just when a Roman census required Joseph and Mary to
S1: travel to their ancient hometown, and just then, in the
S1: specific place predicted, the Lord Jesus was born not through
S1: his own manipulations, but as part of God's plan. The
S1: prophecy also reveals that Messiah was to come from the
S1: line of David. It says he was to be ruler
S1: over all Israel for me, the only rightful ruler over Israel.
S1: According to two Samuel 712 through 16, what's called the
S1: Davidic Covenant had to be from the line of David.
S1: The Lord Jesus was born to a poor Galilean young
S1: Jewish woman, but both she and her husband, they were
S1: both from the line of David. Although born in obscurity,
S1: The Lord Jesus was born in the royal house to
S1: be the King of Israel. The most amazing aspect of
S1: this prophecy is that it reveals that the Messiah was
S1: to be was to come actually from eternity past. It
S1: says his origin is from antiquity, from eternity. The literal
S1: translation would be this. This is the Michael translation. His
S1: goings forth are from the ancient past, from the days
S1: of forever. The Hebrew word for goings forth means appearances.
S1: Meaning that the Messiah actually made appearances in past times.
S1: This likely refers to all those times in the Hebrew
S1: Bible that God the Son appeared as the angel of
S1: the Lord. The words about the ancient past can mean
S1: long ago or ancient times, like the beginning of creation.
S1: It's even used in the Bible for eternity past in
S1: places like Deuteronomy 3327 and Habakkuk 112. The words the
S1: days of forever, when used in the Hebrew Bible, can
S1: mean long ago or refer to eternity past. Now here's
S1: the key. When the phrase ancient times and the days
S1: of forever are used together, as in Proverbs 822 and 23,
S1: these two words always, always mean eternity past. So this
S1: prophecy is actually saying, this is the paraphrase. Although the
S1: Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, he will really come
S1: from eternity past. This indicates it's not just the birth
S1: of a special human king, but this king will be deity,
S1: the Eternal One God in the flesh. When you and
S1: I come, where you and I come from is significant
S1: because it marks and defines us. But where the Messiah
S1: Jesus comes from is far more special. It identifies him
S1: as the much longed for Messiah, the King from the
S1: line of David. God in the flesh. Well, I am
S1: so grateful that Micah five two is in the Bible.
S1: That was one of the passages that convinced me personally
S1: to believe in Jesus. And I hope that it was
S1: an encouragement to you to look at it, too. We're
S1: going to go to the phones in just a moment.
S1: But what I wanted to, uh, to mention is our
S1: current resource. This is a great time to mention it.
S1: The books of Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, those four books
S1: are filled with biblical truth. They're really significant. And, uh,
S1: sometimes they need a little. We all need a little
S1: help when we're reading them to unpack all the profound
S1: truths that we can find in them. And that's where
S1: the Moody Bible Commentary excerpt comes in. This is a
S1: trusted resource, and it offers clear explanations that bring the
S1: teachings of these letters to life. If you're preparing a
S1: Bible lesson or leading a home group discussion, or just
S1: want deeper understanding for your own time in the word,
S1: this excerpt from the Moody Bible Commentary will enrich your
S1: study of God's Word. And when you give a gift
S1: of any size, we'd like to say thank you by
S1: sending you a copy of the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.
S1: Excerpt from the Moody Bible Commentary. Here's what you do
S1: if you want to give a gift, especially at this season, it's, uh,
S1: the last month of the year. It would really help
S1: us here at Moody at Open Line. Uh, if you
S1: were to choose to say this is the month I
S1: want to give a gift, and we want to say
S1: thanks by sending, by sending you this excerpt, call (888) 644-7122
S1: or visit openline radio.org and click on the link there
S1: about this current resource. Be sure to ask for the
S1: excerpt from the Moody Bible Commentary. Well, we're going to
S1: talk to Carolyn in Bradenton, Florida, listening on Wqsm. Welcome
S1: to Open Line. Carolyn, how can I help you?
S2: Well, good morning Michael. I tried to get this question
S2: in last year and didn't. I waited all year to
S2: ask a whole year.
S1: You could have called the week after Christmas. It's okay, Carolyn,
S1: we can do Christmas questions after Christmas. Well that's.
S2: True. But anyhow, I'm so glad to to get to you.
S2: I do not agree with people who believe that Mary was.
S2: Mary was in her last stages of pregnancy and even
S2: in labor when she arrived in Bethlehem. One of the
S2: verses that gives people that impression, I think, is Luke
S2: two five, which describes Mary as being great with child. Now,
S2: I've been thinking about this for a year. And in Matthew,
S2: every time Mary's pregnancy is referred to, it is always
S2: that she is with child. Luke uses an entirely different
S2: Greek word to describe her pregnancy use only by him.
S2: It's it's kind of medical, I understand, and I and
S2: I just feel I would just like to see if
S2: you feel the same way I do, that the translation
S2: of that word in Luke is, is not the best.
S2: That she was great with child. Because Luke also says
S2: that while she was there at the time was fulfilled
S2: that she should be delivered. I just don't believe that
S2: Mary would have made such a trip, or that her
S2: mother would have allowed her to make such a trip
S2: in her last stages of pregnancy. So what? What stage
S2: of pregnancy do you think she was in when she
S2: arrived in Bethlehem?
S1: Well, do you think that she was there for months?
S1: Is that what you're saying before she gave birth?
S2: I do, I do think so, but certainly certainly not
S2: the last month.
S1: I kind of think that you're pushing it a little
S1: bit with that. I don't know that it means great
S1: with child like the King James Version. I think it
S1: just means with child and it means that she's pregnant.
S1: That's what that I don't see the word.
S2: That's what that Greek word means. And there are now
S2: the ASV uses great with child for Luke two five.
S2: But there are other versions the NIV.
S1: The wait, wait, wait. The New American Standard version says
S1: was with child. The Hcsb says that she was pregnant. Uh,
S1: and and uh, the Net Bible, which is a really
S1: good translation, uh, says that she was expecting a child.
S1: That's it. She was expecting. So she was pregnant for sure. Uh. And. Great. Okay.
S1: That's fine. That she's. But here's the thing in terms
S1: of timing, they arrive there. And while they were there,
S1: her days were completed for her to give birth. There's
S1: no basis for saying that. They were there for a
S1: long time. So it may have been a week. A
S1: few days, I don't know. But they arrived and then
S1: the time was complete for her to give birth. I
S1: don't know why you would say that. They were there
S1: for a long time.
S2: Well, I don't know why people would would say that she.
S2: In fact, I heard somebody on Moody Radio that she
S2: was ten months pregnant when she arrived at Bethlehem.
S1: Well, I can't speak for that. It just sounds to
S1: me like she was near term when they arrived and
S1: there was no room for them, and they had to stay.
S1: Not in the guest room, in someone's house, but rather
S1: they had to stay in the in the barn, so
S1: to speak. Uh, in the stable, which was probably attached
S1: to the back of the house. Uh, and then, uh,
S1: but it doesn't I mean, if it were the case
S1: that she was there for a while, there wouldn't have
S1: been in the stable already. They would have had, you know,
S1: if they got there and there was no room for them.
S1: They would have. They would have not stayed in this.
S1: They might have stayed in the stable for a couple
S1: of days, but then they would have found a place
S1: to stay. So it sounds to me like they arrived
S1: when she was there near term, or she would not
S1: have been in the stable. So.
S2: Oh that's interesting. I appreciate that insight.
S1: Yeah. So but that that's it. Now, the thing is,
S1: she was, uh, she was definitely pregnant and, uh, that's
S1: that's I think what we what we can see, you know,
S1: from this, that's for sure. And, and the thing is
S1: that she was there, uh, to, uh, to kind of
S1: to give birth and think about it. She was from Nazareth,
S1: and yet she gave birth to fulfill the prophecy of Bethlehem.
S1: God arranged that whole thing right then for that to happen. Hey, Carolyn,
S1: thanks for your question. Thanks for studying the Bible so carefully.
S1: We're going to come back with more questions right here
S1: on Open Line with Michael. Stay with us. There's a
S1: lot more to come. Uh, can you just see them
S1: dancing right there? Trish is dancing along with them right now. So?
S1: So everyone in the studio is is dancing just like
S1: all the peanuts characters were. It's one of my favorite
S1: TV shows. Actually, that's the very first New Testament passage
S1: I ever heard. I was a little kid when that
S1: Christmas special came, and my parents let me watch it.
S1: And it's the first time I ever heard anything from
S1: the New Testament. It was pretty exciting. Uh, now, as
S1: I look back at it, uh, anyway, I hope what
S1: I love about that show is it's such a clear
S1: message about the good news of the birth of Jesus.
S1: It's not your typical, uh, Christmas cartoon. Uh, and if
S1: you've never seen it, I can't imagine there's anyone that's
S1: never seen it. Be sure to check it out and
S1: have your kids check it out, too. Uh, grandkids, show
S1: it to them. It'll be a lot of fun. Uh,
S1: we're going to go back to the phones right now
S1: and speak with Eileen in Ravenna, Ohio. I think it's Ravenna. Ravenna. Okay. Ravenna, Ohio.
S1: Listen on Wtxf. Welcome to Open Line. How can I
S1: help you today, Eileen?
S3: Um, thanks for taking my call. So I have a question.
S3: Is it true that newborn lambs were placed in mangers
S3: and wrapped in a cloth to keep them from being blemished,
S3: like for animal sacrifice in the Old Testament?
S1: No.
S4: Okay. Thank you.
S1: There's a book that came out a couple of years ago,
S1: a very popular book that talked about that. And, uh,
S1: I think it's a big stretch. I really here's let
S1: me just say, the reason the Messiah Jesus was placed
S1: in a in a manger was because he was born
S1: where the animals were rather than in the guest room.
S1: So there was no room for them in the house.
S1: And so he, they put him in the stable. And
S1: that's where a manger was, that they had no cradle
S1: that served it. And also all babies were swaddled just
S1: like today.
S4: Uh, right. Do you have.
S1: Any do you have, do you have have you had
S1: any kids? I mean.
S3: Kids and grandkids. And yes, I swaddled all of them.
S1: Exactly. And so, uh, the I you know what? I'm
S1: all for using rabbinic backgrounds, but I'm not for reading
S1: into rabbinic backgrounds and seeing more there than ever was
S1: in there. And I think, let me just say that
S1: most 99.9% of the time. Do you know how we
S1: can understand the Bible best.
S3: By reading it?
S5: Yeah, exactly.
S1: You don't need any other kind of secret backgrounds. That's it.
S1: You got it. Eileen. Yeah. Thanks so much. Really appreciate it.
S3: Clarifying that.
S1: Yep. Great. Thank you so much. Uh. Bye bye. Uh,
S1: we're going to speak next with Doug in Ohio listening online.
S1: Welcome to Open Line. Doug. How can I help you?
S6: Oh, thank you, doctor. Nick, this is great. I I'm
S6: curious if we know anything about the wise men. After
S6: they visited Jesus, did they understand that he was their savior, too,
S6: or what became of them?
S1: Well, I think they understood something about who the Messiah
S1: would be. I don't think they just had a star,
S1: because why would they even listen to the star? Here's
S1: what what we know is that, and I'm convinced of this,
S1: that Daniel was one of the wise men of the East.
S1: 500 years before. And he had a profound influence on
S1: those wise men there in Babylon and then Persia. And
S1: because of that, I'm sure he gave them the scriptures.
S1: And of course, as the scriptures were formed, there were
S1: still people there, Jewish people in those places of the world.
S1: They had the scriptures, and so did the wise men.
S1: And so hundreds of years pass. 500 years passed and
S1: they are still reading the scriptures, and they are reading
S1: about the coming Messiah. And, you know, the scriptures are
S1: very plain. Uh, the Lord Jesus talked about how the
S1: the scriptures foretold that the Messiah would suffer and die
S1: and be raised again to glory. Uh, and and so
S1: I'm sure they saw that and understood the significance of, uh,
S1: of the, the death, the coming death of the Messiah. Uh,
S1: some people have even suggested that the purpose of the myrrh,
S1: the gift of myrrh, was it's a burial spice to
S1: prepare him for burial. So I believe they did understand
S1: the the that the Messiah would come as a redeemer.
S1: And and because they wanted to worship him for that reason. Uh,
S1: I think they understood him as the Savior. So I
S1: think that, uh, I think you asked, uh, did they
S1: ever reconnect with the Lord Jesus again throughout his life? Doubtful.
S1: I think, uh.
S6: Come come back into the region? Or did they even
S6: start a church in their own home?
S1: Well, the church was not born yet. Uh, to be
S1: the church wasn't born until Pentecost. Uh, so that's, uh,
S1: some 37 years later.
S6: They were almost like pre disciples, like they understood that
S6: this was.
S1: They were like Old Testament believers, but they or like
S1: Simeon as well. Uh, they they were and, uh, the
S1: thing is, we have no evidence whatsoever that they, uh,
S1: that they came back to Israel and, and came to
S1: hear the public ministry of Jesus or anything like that.
S1: We have. No, that that would be, I think, pretty
S1: far fetched. But you know what, Doug? You should write
S1: a novel about it. Probably it'll sell a million copies. Okay.
S6: Okay. Well.
S1: Thank you. Sure. Thanks for your call. Appreciate it. Uh,
S1: we're going to talk with Craig in Midland, Texas, listening
S1: online with uh, to on Ktg. Hey, Craig, how can
S1: I help you today?
S7: Yeah, I'd like to do a follow up question to
S7: Genealogy's last week. Uh, I think in Matthew, it includes
S7: Jeconiah in Joseph's lineage. Uh, Jeconiah was an evil king
S7: during Jeremiah's time. God said none of your descendants will
S7: ever sit on the throne of David. And I think
S7: that the Pharisees understood that that indeed made Jesus the Messiah,
S7: because if Joseph had been his father, he would have
S7: been no threat to them. And I think that's a
S7: reason that Matthew wrote that genealogy was because the Pharisees
S7: are very knowledgeable with the old, what we would call
S7: the Old Testament. I just want to make sure that
S7: I'm not Extending rabbinic thought to something that should listen.
S1: I don't I don't know what the Pharisees thought about
S1: the Jeconiah curse. I don't know what they thought about
S1: the genealogy. I think that's a lot of speculation. Here's
S1: what I think about this. Uh, Jeremiah 2230 is the
S1: passage where it says, right, this man childless. Uh, I'll
S1: read you the verse if I can find it. Jeremiah 2230.
S1: Here's what it says. Record this man as childless, a
S1: man who will not be successful in his lifetime. None
S1: of his descendants will succeed in sitting on the throne
S1: of David or ruling again in Judah. What this does
S1: is it sets up a catch 22. The catch 22
S1: is this the only person who has the right to
S1: reign would have to be descended from Jeconiah. And yet
S1: the line is cursed so that no one who is
S1: actually descended from Jeconiah can sit on the throne. Do
S1: you see? The catch 22 has to be from that
S1: line and then. But no one can be. So what
S1: we have is the physical birth of Jesus through his mother, Mary,
S1: who's also the line of David, but from the line
S1: of Nathan. So Jeconiah is not in there. That's recorded
S1: in the Gospel of Luke. So he is the Son
S1: of David, but he needs to be through the line
S1: of Solomon to be king. That's what Joseph was. Joseph
S1: adopts the Lord Jesus, so he has all the rights
S1: to sit on the throne, though adopted. However, he is
S1: literally of the line of David through Mary. He's adopted
S1: through Joseph. And because of that, because of that adoption,
S1: he's able to, uh, to at the same time have
S1: the right to sit on the throne. And also, he
S1: is not of the physical descent of Jeconiah, so he
S1: can still be, uh, the king. The curse does not
S1: apply to him. Is that what you're trying to get at, Craig?
S7: Well, that okay, that that because I assumed I'm not Jewish.
S7: I don't have a background, but I just figured because
S7: Mary was through Nathan, who's through David, that that would
S7: have given him rights to the throne, but that would
S7: not then that it had to be adopted through Joseph.
S1: Yeah. Well, that's that's how it's one of the reasons,
S1: I believe, for the virgin birth is to give the
S1: right to rule from the line of David through Mary
S1: and the the right to the throne through his adopted
S1: father not and therefore not cursed. So that's that's how
S1: I understand it. So. Well, we're going to come back
S1: with the mailbag. You can always reach us by going
S1: to Open Line radio.org and clicking on Ask Michael a question,
S1: and then Tricia will put it in the mailbag. And
S1: that's what she's going to bring in. We're ready for
S1: the Febc mailbag. Don't go away. We're coming right back
S1: with the questions you've sent in. This is Michael Ray Dolnick.
UU: On Open Line.
S8: What child.
S9: Is this? Who laid to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping?
S9: Whom angels greet.
UU: With anthems sweet while shepherds.
S9: Watch our key.
S1: Wow. Beautiful. What a wonderful version of that classic hymn.
S1: So grateful to be celebrating the season with you. You know,
S1: I'm getting ready for three holidays. Trisha Trisha is joining
S1: me right now. Holidays. Mailbag. Yes.
S10: Tell me, what are they? I know about Christmas. Christmas.
S1: And then Hanukkah starts the day after.
S10: Christmas, right? Yeah. Christmas at sundown. Yep. It's so late
S10: this year.
S1: Yeah, I know, and then every Jewish holiday is either
S1: late or early. It's never on time. So, uh. And
S1: so we've got. And then also my grandson was born
S1: on the 24th and that's a holiday too.
S10: Oh, yes.
S1: There we go. Yeah. So we're going to be celebrating
S1: his birthday on the 24th. Uh, celebrating the Messiah, as
S1: we call it, on the 25th. And then celebrating Hanukah
S1: on the 26th because Hanukkah lasts eight days. So.
S10: So you've got, like, a ten day celebration coming up here? Yeah. Yeah. Fantastic.
S10: I got I.
S1: Got partying, I don't know how much weight I'm going
S1: to gain. Going to eat a lot. That's what I'm
S1: going to do.
S10: That's a next day problem, right? Yeah. Yeah.
S1: Birthday cake. Latkes. Who knows what else? Uh, there we go.
S1: So candy canes. Anyway, I'm glad you're with me, and, uh,
S1: I it's time for the Febc mailbag. I'm so grateful
S1: at this season for all this past year. Far Eastern
S1: Broadcasting Company partners with Open Line to bring the weekly
S1: Febc mailbag. Febc is a wonderful organization. It brings the
S1: good news to people with media and also personal engagement.
S1: There are people there, not just it's just not radio waves.
S1: It's it's with people as well. And you should check
S1: out the Febc podcast. it's called Until All Have Heard.
S1: The way you find it is by going to npr.org.
S1: And Tricia, did you notice how all these people in
S1: in the studio with you?
S10: Yes, yes I did.
S1: Yeah. We've got Omar sometimes. Merl is in there helping
S1: him out. And then we've got Lisa there. And to
S1: hear her. And you. What a team we got.
S10: Yeah, it's a great team.
S1: Yeah. And, you know, there's someone else behind this team.
S1: And that. Those are our kitchen table partners. They're part
S1: of the team too. I also think that every listener
S1: is part of the team, because we wouldn't have a
S1: program if no one was listening, so I'm grateful for that.
S1: But those kitchen table partners, they're the ones that give
S1: monthly so that we can be on the air weekly.
S1: And I so appreciate them, uh, doing that. They, uh,
S1: and I think at Christmas time, I need to mention this. Right.
S1: You can get if a person commits to $30 a month.
S1: Then they get 50% off everything in the Moody Publishers catalog,
S1: including what I think is the best Christmas present for everyone.
S1: The Moody Bible Commentary.
S10: So it's a great one, though, at this time of year,
S10: your your book about the messianic prophecies might be a
S10: good one for people to. But that you didn't say
S10: that I said that, but but as a general rule,
S10: the Moody Bible Commentary is great all year round.
S1: Yeah, it's great all year round. And then the what
S1: Tricia was mentioning was the Handbook of Messianic Prophecy, which
S1: is a labor of love that I was involved with
S1: for a number of years, and I'm really grateful for it.
S1: So with that said, uh, I appreciate all of you
S1: being part of the team. If you'd like to become
S1: part of the team by becoming a kitchen table partner,
S1: all you have to do is call (888) 644-7122 or go
S1: to open line radio.org and remember every other week. Then
S1: you'll get a special Emailed audio Bible study prepared exclusively
S1: for our kitchen table partners. Just a way of saying thanks.
S1: I've been really enjoying them. Recently we did a special
S1: Christmas and we've got a special New Year's one coming out.
S1: Eve has been helping me out with those and they're
S1: fun Bible studies. Again, if you'd like to become a
S1: kitchen table partner, call (888) 644-7122 or go to open Line radio.org.
S1: And it's greatly appreciated. Uh, okay. We've got a bunch of, uh,
S1: emailed questions. Let's see what we can do with those.
S10: All right. Our first question is from Lori. She wrote
S10: us on Facebook and says she had two questions. Can
S10: you talk about, first, Mary's knowledge of Scripture. I heard
S10: someone teach that her Magnificat in Luke one covers 14
S10: Old Testament passages. Was that empowered by the Holy Spirit,
S10: or did she know the scriptures? How unusual would it
S10: have been for a Jewish woman to know Scripture, because
S10: they were not taught the same way men were?
S1: She says here. Someone said it's highly unusual for Jewish
S1: women to know the scripture, right as I'm reading this question. Well,
S1: first of all, of course she was empowered by the
S1: Holy Spirit, but she did know the scriptures just to
S1: just saying, okay, uh, that, you know, there's she didn't
S1: write the the book of Luke. Luke did. So he
S1: was the one superintended by the scriptures to write the
S1: inspired text of Scripture. But it's an accurate reflection of
S1: what she said. And she knew the scriptures, and that's
S1: why she was able to compose her Magnificat the way
S1: she did. It was very biblical. In New Testament times.
S1: Jewish women were indeed educated in both the Bible and
S1: rabbinic law, because they had to keep the law in
S1: the home. In fact, among scholars, Jewish scholars like what
S1: we think of the scribes and Pharisees and lawyers. The
S1: that's what we read in the New Testament. The daughter
S1: of a scholar was considered the best prospect for marriage
S1: in Judaism in the first century because of her education,
S1: because she had even a better teacher than her, uh,
S1: than her father. Just an ordinary father. He was a scholar. Uh,
S1: there are, if you read the Talmud, there are many
S1: stories about women whose husband died and or maybe a
S1: husband was exiled or separated from his family. And yet
S1: these women were able to educate their children because of
S1: their own education. So this idea that Jewish women weren't
S1: taught the scriptures, I don't know where that comes from,
S1: but people say it all the time about Mary, that
S1: she was unusual because she knew the scriptures from the Magnificat.
S1: That's not true. All young Jewish women were taught the Bible.
S10: That's great. Yeah, I and I wonder how much is
S10: just the the assumptions of men versus women and where
S10: the care was in on scholarly learning or that type
S10: of teaching. Yeah.
S1: Some carried on actually because of their fathers became scholars. Wow.
S1: And and also, if you read rabbinic literature when mothers
S1: are so honored. Mm. Uh, because of their love for
S1: God and love for the word. That's what honors them.
S1: And so, obviously, in the Jewish world, knowing the scriptures
S1: was not limited to men. Then by the time you
S1: get to the Middle Ages, which is later, the greatest
S1: Jewish Bible interpreter of the Middle Ages, from about, uh,
S1: 1040 to 1105. Ah, his dates, some people say 1110.
S1: His name was Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, and or sometimes he's
S1: called for short. Rashi. Okay. And Rashi's daughters became scholars
S1: as well. So I think yeah, that's that's important.
S10: Yeah. Well thank you for that. Um, her second question is,
S10: is there a resource to demonstrate all of the symbolism
S10: of Jesus birth? So we had a caller earlier in
S10: this hour who asked about the lambs. Were they kept
S10: in mangers similar to Jesus would have been. Um, and
S10: this this.
S1: Person says, are they like this thing about swaddling, swaddling.
S10: Cloths that they were wrapped in as baby lambs? Like
S10: some of these, uh, I'll call them extra biblical stories,
S10: but were that they get used as illustrations of how
S10: Jesus is similar to other things that existed already. Is
S10: there a resource or something that talks about those things?
S1: Here's what I would suggest. The best thing to do
S1: is to, uh, to read the Bible and not worry
S1: about all those other things. The Bible is quite understandable,
S1: I think. Like the swaddling cloth thing, there are people
S1: who always want to find mysteries. Secrets that only when
S1: you know the Jewish background will you really get it. Well,
S1: I don't think that's true. I'm reaching here to a
S1: book on my, uh.
S10: On your shelf behind you. Yeah.
S1: Talk for a second.
S10: I'm going to grab a second. I think I think
S10: sometimes he's not going to hear me, but I think
S10: sometimes we. It gives it can give extra meaning. It
S10: can give some extra meaning when we hear some of
S10: these things. Not because we can't understand it otherwise, but
S10: I wonder if it's like, oh, it has this extra
S10: dual meaning that I didn't understand before. I think sometimes
S10: there are things like that that maybe people are looking for.
S1: Yeah, they're looking for a lot of stuff in Jewish backgrounds.
S1: But if we want to get the cultural historical background,
S1: here's a really good book. It's written by a Jewish archaeologist. Uh. Uh,
S1: she's a professor of early Judaism at at UNC University
S1: of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The book is is written
S1: by Jodi magness. Jodi magness m a g n e
S1: s and the name of the book is Stone and dung.
S1: Oil and spit. Sounds lovely, doesn't it? Stone and dung.
S1: Oil and spit. The subtitle is Jewish daily life in
S1: the time of Jesus.
S10: Mhm.
S1: And that might be a book that helps you understand
S1: just basic life. And then when we read in the Gospels,
S1: we'll understand, for example, what's the whole deal with wanting
S1: to wash their hands. There's a whole section here about
S1: how Jewish people would have a ritual washing of hands.
S1: And this explains it. So this is this is helpful. Uh,
S1: there's another book from a century earlier by Alfred Edersheim,
S1: called Sketches of Jewish Social Life in the days of
S1: in the Time of Christ or Days of Christ. Something
S1: like that. Sketches of Jewish Social Life by Alfred Edersheim.
S1: Uh e d e r s h e I'm. Uh,
S1: and those are some books that might help, but I
S1: really think that sometimes some of the more contemporary ones
S1: that you read about, they're trying to find things that
S1: aren't there. And I would just be really cautious.
S10: Okay. So and I will link both of those on
S10: our website for people who are looking for them or
S10: missed the titles. So I will link both of those.
S10: How do we know? I guess where's the difference between
S10: that symbol and prophecy and knowing that Jesus fulfilled those prophecies? How?
S10: How do we know if those are a stretch or
S10: if those are biblical?
S1: Well, the thing is, when you look at the prophecy
S1: that he would be born in Bethlehem, he's born in Bethlehem, right?
S10: Yeah. You know.
S1: It's it's, uh, but he really comes from eternity. Uh,
S1: when they the this whole thing, it doesn't say he's
S1: going to be wrapped in, uh, uh, it doesn't.
S10: Say he'll be wrapped in swaddling cloths.
S1: Yeah, it doesn't say that. And and every baby was
S1: wrapped in swaddling cloth and and and I will tell
S1: you this. If you try to wrap a baby lamb
S1: in a swaddling cloth, boy, they would be really unhappy
S1: with you. That's not true. So. Okay. Okay. All right. Well,
S1: we're going to take a break. All right. We'll take
S1: some next time when we come back. Next hour. Lightning.
S1: I'm going to answer quickly. Okay. Quickly. All right. Okay.
S1: And we'll get as many in as we can next hour. Uh,
S1: but we're going to come back with more of your
S1: called in questions in just a moment. That was Tricia McMillan.
S1: I'm Michael Ray Dolnick. This program is called Open Line,
S1: and we'll be right back with your questions. Mostly seems
S1: like about Christmas. Stay with us.
S11: Hark! How the bells, sweet silver bells all seem to say.
S11: Throw cares away Christmas is here. Bringing good cheer to
S11: young and old. Meek and the poor. Ding dong, ding dong.
S11: That is their song. With joyful ring all caroling. One
S11: seems to hear words of good cheer from everywhere.
UU: Filling the air. Oh how they pound. Raising the sound
UU: in the dark. Telling the tale gaily they ring while
UU: people sing songs of good cheer Christmas is here. Merry, merry,
UU: merry Christmas. Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas.
S1: Wow. You know what? What a wonderful season. I you know,
S1: I wasn't raised to celebrate Christmas. I remember the very
S1: first year after I came to faith in Jesus. How
S1: exciting it was. I'm not talking about a tree or
S1: anything like that, but to celebrate the birth of the King,
S1: that was very exciting. And then also the second time,
S1: it became especially exciting for me at Christmas season. I
S1: always like Christmas season. Always have. But when it was
S1: really special was when my firstborn was born, and there
S1: I was holding a two month old baby and to
S1: the amazement of God becoming incarnate enfleshed in a baby
S1: and taking on such limitation that just as I held
S1: that baby, I was just awed by the incarnation. And
S1: so that's a that's a great reminder. When we're celebrating,
S1: it's not just, uh, the caroling and the bells and
S1: all that. It's what it points to. The birth of
S1: the messianic king. Uh, who is God in the flesh?
S1: That's just amazing. Well, uh, you know, most people think
S1: of Hanukkah as the season's only Jewish holiday. But when
S1: Jesus was born to a Jewish virgin in Bethlehem of Judea,
S1: according to the Jewish scriptures. So it's in a Jewish town.
S1: Jewish scriptures. Jewish virgin. Jewish adopted father. What could be
S1: more Jewish about this story? I can't think of anything. Well, now.
S1: Chosen People Ministries, one of Open Lines partners, is offering
S1: a free book called Christmas Through Jewish Eyes. It's designed
S1: to help us understand and see the Jewishness of Christmas.
S1: If you'd like a free copy, just go to Open
S1: Line radio.org. That's our website. Scroll down and you'll see
S1: the link that says A free gift from Chosen People Ministries.
S1: Click on that and you'll be taken to a form
S1: where you can sign up for your own free copy
S1: of Christmas Through Jewish Eyes. And we're going to go
S1: right to the phones now, we're going to talk to
S1: Donna in Cleveland, listening on Wtxf. Welcome to Open Line, Donna.
S1: How can I help you?
S12: Yes. Um, both Mary and Joseph were of the line
S12: of David, and I've always wondered why there weren't other
S12: relatives traveling with them to Bethlehem. And as a mother,
S12: if I had a daughter that was expecting that close
S12: to birth, I'd want to travel with her.
S1: Well, you know where there's a lot of conjecture that
S1: people have about the Bible, and we see the stories
S1: of Christmas. And so we always assume that the conjectures
S1: are true. So, for example, we don't know that they
S1: didn't come with other people from the house, from the
S1: line of David, from Nazareth. We don't know that. Or
S1: from Galilee. Uh, it just says that when they got
S1: to Bethlehem, there was there was no room for them
S1: in in the guest house. It is very likely and
S1: very possible that there were other people with them on
S1: the route coming down, and maybe even family members we
S1: don't know. Okay. That Mary's mother was alive. Yet at
S1: this point, we don't know that. Doesn't talk about Mary's mother.
S1: Maybe she had passed already. We don't know. Uh, so
S1: there's there's a lot of conjecture. Here's what we know.
S1: We know what the scriptures say. That they came to Bethlehem.
S1: How and with whom? We don't know. And there was
S1: no room for them, probably because there were so many
S1: people coming from other parts of the country to be
S1: in Bethlehem for this, from the house of David, so
S1: that they could pay this tax. And so as a result,
S1: there's no room for them in the guest house. The
S1: guest room. And so what do they do now? Now,
S1: maybe there's some relatives staying in in the house. And
S1: that's why there's no room for Mary and Joseph. We
S1: just don't know. So. Okay. Uh, don't don't don't presume
S1: that no one else was there. But we know in
S1: the in the stable there, there were a bunch of
S1: angels too. So. And shepherds and so all that kind
S1: of shows up. Okay, I should say shepherds, not angels.
S1: The angels are out in the field with the shepherds.
S1: So there we go. Okay.
S12: All right. Thanks.
S4: Good.
S1: Thank you for your call, Donna. Appreciate it. Uh, Eric
S1: in Chicago listening on Wmbi. How can I help you today?
S13: Hi. Uh, my name is Eric. And, uh, my question
S13: is because I have, uh, um, I can understand. Virgin. Virgin. Inception, uh,
S13: of Jesus in Mary's womb. Uh, but I still have
S13: a struggle with the virgin birth without breaking the purity
S13: of Mary.
S1: Well, uh, the only way to break purity is through
S1: sexual relations outside of marriage. And, uh, here's what we know.
S1: Here's what. Here's what we know. The prophecy of Isaiah
S1: 714 doesn't just say that she would conceive as a virgin.
S1: It actually says the pregnant virgin. That's really how the
S1: Hebrew reads the pregnant virgin will give birth. So that's
S1: first of all, it was predicted that way. Uh, Mary
S1: says to the angel, how can this be? For I
S1: have not known a man. So she says, I'm a virgin.
S1: He says it's the Holy Spirit. And then it says
S1: in Matthew that, uh, Joseph kept her a virgin until
S1: she gave birth. So she wasn't a perpetual virgin. She, uh,
S1: had a normal marriage with with Joseph. And they had
S1: other children, but, uh, she was kept a virgin until
S1: she gave birth. And so she never had sexual relations
S1: until after the birth of Jesus. And that's why she
S1: was always a virgin. And that's. That's the best. I
S1: can explain it to you. Uh, no sexual relations until
S1: after the birth of Jesus, which is a great miracle,
S1: if you can. I mean, it's still a miracle. It
S1: was a miracle. It's amazing. Well, thanks for listening, everyone.
S1: That's the first hour. Keep listening to the second hour
S1: of Open Line coming up on most of these stations.
S1: And if you if your station doesn't carry it, you
S1: can always check out the podcast or Moody Radio app,
S1: or you can listen online. Check out our web page
S1: during the break. Open Line radio.org. It's got all sorts
S1: of links that you're going to find helpful, including how
S1: to get our current resource and how to become a
S1: kitchen table partner. The Bible study across America will continue
S1: in the second hour, so stay with us. Open line
S1: with Doctor Michael Melnick is a production of Moody Radio,
S1: a ministry of Moody Bible Institute. We'll be right back,
S1: so don't go away.