1 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:10,600 S1: What if one of the reasons marriage was given to 2 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:13,720 S1: us by God is to better understand his love and 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,119 S1: future plan for believers? What if we understood marriage through 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:21,080 S1: this biblical lens? Coming up, we'll explore how marriage actually 5 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,520 S1: images the message of revelation. Plus, we'll share all the 6 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:26,840 S1: major news stories from the Middle East, all from a 7 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:30,160 S1: biblical perspective. Welcome to the land and the book with 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,560 S1: our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, noted Middle East scholar. I'm 9 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:36,080 S1: John Gager. And you know, Charlie, a lot of people 10 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,720 S1: are wondering, what does Passover mean for us as believers 11 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,840 S1: in Jesus today? We, of course, remember the story from 12 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:44,000 S1: the book of Exodus, but there is so much more 13 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,640 S1: to it. Did you know that the Last Supper was 14 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,959 S1: actually a Passover meal? And not only did Jesus and 15 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:53,760 S1: his disciples celebrate Passover, but it also foreshadowed his death 16 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:55,840 S1: on the cross for our redemption. 17 00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:00,150 S2: Yeah, Passover is an amazing connection point with our Jewish friends, 18 00:01:00,150 --> 00:01:03,550 S2: both around the world and across the street. Jewish people 19 00:01:03,550 --> 00:01:06,990 S2: have been keeping this feast for thousands of years. Understanding 20 00:01:06,990 --> 00:01:09,910 S2: the importance of this holiday and its history helps you 21 00:01:09,910 --> 00:01:13,470 S2: better understand these precious people. And what better way to 22 00:01:13,510 --> 00:01:17,110 S2: learn than to experience a Passover Seder yourself? If you've 23 00:01:17,110 --> 00:01:20,670 S2: never celebrated Passover, our friends at Life in Messiah would 24 00:01:20,670 --> 00:01:24,150 S2: love to partner with you in hosting a Seder experience. 25 00:01:24,350 --> 00:01:28,030 S2: Every year, their staff engage churches and small groups in 26 00:01:28,030 --> 00:01:31,589 S2: an interactive Messiah in the Passover Seder, where you can 27 00:01:31,590 --> 00:01:35,070 S2: taste and see the redemption story. If you're interested in 28 00:01:35,110 --> 00:01:37,789 S2: having someone come and lead a Seder in your area, 29 00:01:37,830 --> 00:01:41,670 S2: visit life.in. Messiah. Org and click on the radio button 30 00:01:41,670 --> 00:01:44,150 S2: to learn more. That's Life.in Messiah. 31 00:01:45,470 --> 00:01:47,990 S1: Thank you Charlie. And now a look at current events, 32 00:01:47,990 --> 00:01:50,830 S1: all based in the Middle East, all from this past week. 33 00:01:51,190 --> 00:01:53,310 S1: As the days start to grow longer, we know the 34 00:01:53,310 --> 00:01:56,790 S1: weather will begin heating up. But in Iran, it's already 35 00:01:56,790 --> 00:02:00,380 S1: reached a boiling point. What exactly is happening? Will the 36 00:02:00,380 --> 00:02:03,980 S1: ayatollahs be replaced, or does this signal the beginning of 37 00:02:03,980 --> 00:02:05,940 S1: a larger conflict in the region? 38 00:02:05,980 --> 00:02:08,220 S2: You know, last week I said that this could be 39 00:02:08,220 --> 00:02:11,300 S2: a year of relative peace, though Iran did have the 40 00:02:11,300 --> 00:02:13,900 S2: potential to become a threat as they were facing their 41 00:02:13,900 --> 00:02:17,419 S2: own political and economic struggles. Well, what we've seen in 42 00:02:17,419 --> 00:02:20,380 S2: the past week is an explosion in the anger in 43 00:02:20,419 --> 00:02:24,620 S2: that country over the economic, political and religious tensions. The 44 00:02:24,620 --> 00:02:27,260 S2: value of their currency collapsed to the point where people 45 00:02:27,260 --> 00:02:30,580 S2: were struggling to put food on the table. The regime 46 00:02:30,580 --> 00:02:33,460 S2: has responded harshly, which has led to the death of 47 00:02:33,460 --> 00:02:37,780 S2: several thousand protesters. President Trump threatened to intervene, and the 48 00:02:37,820 --> 00:02:41,500 S2: US's actions in Venezuela served as an exclamation point in 49 00:02:41,500 --> 00:02:44,940 S2: his threats. Iran is apparently trying to take some steps 50 00:02:44,940 --> 00:02:48,340 S2: to boost the economy and calm the anger and frustration, 51 00:02:48,340 --> 00:02:51,260 S2: but they've also cut off phone and internet access to 52 00:02:51,300 --> 00:02:54,500 S2: keep protesters from organizing, and to keep the world from 53 00:02:54,500 --> 00:02:58,089 S2: knowing fully the extent of their crackdown. The Times of 54 00:02:58,090 --> 00:03:01,169 S2: London reported that the Supreme Leader has an escape plan 55 00:03:01,169 --> 00:03:03,890 S2: that involves fleeing to Russia with a small group of 56 00:03:03,889 --> 00:03:08,210 S2: loyalists and up to about $95 billion in assets. But 57 00:03:08,210 --> 00:03:10,690 S2: it's unclear if this is a reflection of the fear 58 00:03:10,690 --> 00:03:14,490 S2: within Iran's leadership, or if it's a false story planted 59 00:03:14,490 --> 00:03:17,530 S2: to sow dissension within the ranks of his own followers. 60 00:03:18,050 --> 00:03:21,210 S2: Iran has also threatened to attack Israel and US forces 61 00:03:21,210 --> 00:03:24,450 S2: in the region and close the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. 62 00:03:24,490 --> 00:03:29,169 S2: Should either country respond militarily to their vicious crackdown on protesters, 63 00:03:29,450 --> 00:03:32,810 S2: Israel is preparing its own response to a possible Iranian 64 00:03:32,810 --> 00:03:36,610 S2: attack should one take place. And President Trump has been 65 00:03:36,610 --> 00:03:42,010 S2: weighing U.S. options, including cyber attacks and different military options. 66 00:03:42,130 --> 00:03:44,450 S2: There are elements within our government that are pushing for 67 00:03:44,450 --> 00:03:50,050 S2: negotiations before launching any attack. Europe has condemned Iran's crackdown 68 00:03:50,050 --> 00:03:53,890 S2: on dissent and threatened additional sanctions. But few there are 69 00:03:53,890 --> 00:03:57,360 S2: calling for regime change. Right now. There's a race underway 70 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,680 S2: in Iran. Internally, the people of Iran are pushing for 71 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,760 S2: regime change, while the government of Iran is trying to 72 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:07,440 S2: quash the rebellion without drawing the United States into the 73 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,920 S2: conflict militarily and externally, Israel is racing to replenish its 74 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,520 S2: defensive systems, while Iran is racing to build more ballistic 75 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,240 S2: missiles and repair their air defenses to discourage anyone from 76 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,440 S2: the outside who wants to intervene. But while all this 77 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,800 S2: is going on, it's the citizens of Iran who continue 78 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,080 S2: to suffer and die. And we need to be praying 79 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:30,280 S2: for them and for the believers who are there. 80 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,360 S1: Well, Turkey has been in the news recently, though most 81 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:36,600 S1: haven't seen the connection between the different stories. What do 82 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:38,800 S1: we need to know in order to connect all the 83 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,680 S1: dots when it comes to the ambitions of Turkey and 84 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:42,400 S1: its leader? 85 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,080 S2: Yeah, very quickly, let me look at five different stories 86 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:48,120 S2: and see how they connect. First, Turkey's been pushing to 87 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,280 S2: be part of the security alliance that will help control Gaza. 88 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:55,860 S2: Israel's against the plan because Turkey's aligned ideologically with Hamas, 89 00:04:56,100 --> 00:04:59,299 S2: and Israel's concerned they would help support and strengthen Hamas, 90 00:04:59,339 --> 00:05:02,660 S2: not eliminate them. The second story is that Turkey has 91 00:05:02,660 --> 00:05:06,620 S2: apparently approached Russia about taking back the S-400 air defense 92 00:05:06,620 --> 00:05:10,140 S2: system it bought from them. Turkey's doing this because our 93 00:05:10,140 --> 00:05:14,580 S2: Congress barred their participation in the F-35 fighter program when 94 00:05:14,580 --> 00:05:17,820 S2: they made that purchase. Turkey wants to buy our advanced 95 00:05:17,820 --> 00:05:21,540 S2: fighters for their fleet. The third story focused on a 96 00:05:21,540 --> 00:05:24,860 S2: recent meeting between Israel, Greece and Cyprus, where the three 97 00:05:24,900 --> 00:05:29,059 S2: countries reaffirmed security and energy commitments to one another. The 98 00:05:29,060 --> 00:05:32,339 S2: one threat all three countries share in common comes from Turkey. 99 00:05:32,620 --> 00:05:35,460 S2: Turkey was the elephant in the room during those talks. 100 00:05:35,820 --> 00:05:38,300 S2: The fourth story was the report of a plane crash 101 00:05:38,300 --> 00:05:40,980 S2: in Turkey that killed the top commander of the Western 102 00:05:40,980 --> 00:05:44,779 S2: forces in Libya. This is the Islamic leaning government there 103 00:05:44,820 --> 00:05:47,900 S2: that's supported by Turkey. There are rumors the plane was 104 00:05:47,900 --> 00:05:51,020 S2: brought down by an unnamed hostile force. And the fact 105 00:05:51,020 --> 00:05:54,850 S2: that Russia is backing the rival eastern Libya forces of 106 00:05:54,890 --> 00:05:59,010 S2: Khalifa Haftar adds to that intrigue, and the final story 107 00:05:59,010 --> 00:06:01,650 S2: comes from news reports in Turkey saying that all the 108 00:06:01,650 --> 00:06:06,490 S2: country's security institutions now see Israel as Turkey's main threat. 109 00:06:06,810 --> 00:06:10,370 S2: They're calling the Syrian Kurds an Israeli proxy and have 110 00:06:10,370 --> 00:06:13,010 S2: warned that Turkey is preparing for war. Now put all 111 00:06:13,010 --> 00:06:15,930 S2: those pieces together, and it looks as if Erdogan is 112 00:06:15,930 --> 00:06:19,610 S2: trying to prepare his country for a possible conflict with Israel. 113 00:06:19,810 --> 00:06:22,490 S2: He wants to bolster his defences to protect against an 114 00:06:22,490 --> 00:06:26,930 S2: Israeli attack, and he's also threatening Greece, Cyprus and parts 115 00:06:26,930 --> 00:06:29,969 S2: of Syria. Is this simply bluster on his part, or 116 00:06:29,970 --> 00:06:32,490 S2: is he really trying to take advantage of the current 117 00:06:32,490 --> 00:06:36,170 S2: chaos in the region to rebuild the Ottoman Empire? But 118 00:06:36,170 --> 00:06:38,169 S2: right now, we don't have a clear answer. But we 119 00:06:38,170 --> 00:06:39,490 S2: do need to keep watching. 120 00:06:39,690 --> 00:06:42,810 S1: Charlie, what possible gain would there be for Israel in 121 00:06:42,810 --> 00:06:44,850 S1: launching any kind of attack on Turkey? 122 00:06:45,210 --> 00:06:47,409 S2: Well, Israel would not want to do that because Turkey 123 00:06:47,410 --> 00:06:50,089 S2: is part of NATO. And if any member of NATO's attacked, 124 00:06:50,089 --> 00:06:52,120 S2: all are to come to their defense. So it would 125 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:54,279 S2: be an attack of last resort. And I think by 126 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,360 S2: bringing it into the for Israel's trying to prevent Turkey 127 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,320 S2: from pushing to the edge of war and trying to 128 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:02,280 S2: provoke Israel into such an attack. 129 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:05,800 S1: That's Doctor Charlie Dyer, noted Middle East scholar. I'm John Gager. 130 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:08,400 S1: We're looking at current events from the Middle East. Well, 131 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:12,080 S1: one aspect of traveling to Israel is bringing home souvenirs. 132 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:16,240 S1: From carved olive wood to antiquities and religious jewelry to 133 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:19,080 S1: a host of other keepsakes. Right. But this isn't a 134 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,840 S1: new phenomenon. Charlie, tell us about the recent archaeological find 135 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:27,080 S1: that points to souvenirs from earlier pilgrimages to the Holy Land. 136 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:29,360 S2: Yeah, and I'm one of those souvenir packrats. I've got 137 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,200 S2: an entire shelf in front of me filled with the 138 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:34,360 S2: ones I've brought back. But in this case, archaeologists found 139 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:39,080 S2: a carved limestone mold used to produce souvenir clay flasks 140 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,800 S2: or jars. The discovery dates back to the Byzantine era. 141 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,160 S2: The mold features a cross on the side, along with 142 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:50,360 S2: the Greek words Lord's blessing from the holy places. It's 143 00:07:50,470 --> 00:07:53,750 S2: possible the flasks or jars were sold to pilgrims as 144 00:07:53,750 --> 00:07:57,110 S2: simple gifts or trinkets from the Holy Land. It's also 145 00:07:57,110 --> 00:08:00,430 S2: possible the flasks were used to enable those pilgrims to 146 00:08:00,470 --> 00:08:03,630 S2: return home with water from the Jordan River, or water 147 00:08:03,630 --> 00:08:05,550 S2: that had been blessed by a priest at one of 148 00:08:05,550 --> 00:08:08,670 S2: the holy sites. The excavators at this one site in 149 00:08:08,670 --> 00:08:12,830 S2: the Judean wilderness also discovered a rare gold coin featuring 150 00:08:12,830 --> 00:08:16,070 S2: the image of the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, along with a 151 00:08:16,070 --> 00:08:20,070 S2: small gold ring. But these likely belonged to someone living 152 00:08:20,070 --> 00:08:22,630 S2: at the site, or perhaps a visitor at the site 153 00:08:22,630 --> 00:08:25,950 S2: who lost them. They're much too expensive to have served 154 00:08:25,950 --> 00:08:29,950 S2: as high end souvenirs. People visiting the Holy Land today 155 00:08:30,110 --> 00:08:33,910 S2: want to bring back some tangible reminder of their special journey. 156 00:08:34,350 --> 00:08:39,189 S2: And evidently, pilgrims 1400 years ago had the same desire. 157 00:08:39,750 --> 00:08:42,830 S1: Well, anybody who has experienced food allergies will appreciate a 158 00:08:42,830 --> 00:08:46,270 S1: new study out of the Weizmann Institute where scientists have 159 00:08:46,270 --> 00:08:49,980 S1: discovered how the body learns to tolerate food. Tell us 160 00:08:49,980 --> 00:08:52,660 S1: about this latest insight out of Amazing Israel. 161 00:08:53,020 --> 00:08:56,620 S2: Yeah. This research team uncovered how the body's immune system 162 00:08:56,660 --> 00:08:59,939 S2: learns to treat food as harmless rather than as a threat. 163 00:09:00,179 --> 00:09:03,100 S2: They identified a network of immune cells that allowed the 164 00:09:03,100 --> 00:09:06,260 S2: body to eat safely, while staying alert to the real 165 00:09:06,260 --> 00:09:11,140 S2: dangers of infection. The process of oral tolerance begins before birth, 166 00:09:11,140 --> 00:09:14,060 S2: as the developing child is exposed to traces of food 167 00:09:14,059 --> 00:09:18,940 S2: molecules from the mother's diet. The process continues through breastfeeding 168 00:09:18,940 --> 00:09:22,420 S2: and into early eating. The process is started by a 169 00:09:22,420 --> 00:09:26,860 S2: rare cell type known as R gamma T cells. When 170 00:09:26,860 --> 00:09:30,420 S2: the researchers enabled these cells in mice, the animals quickly 171 00:09:30,420 --> 00:09:34,740 S2: developed food allergies. These cells begin a chain reaction that 172 00:09:34,740 --> 00:09:38,300 S2: prevents the body from attacking food. They also discovered that 173 00:09:38,300 --> 00:09:41,860 S2: if the system encounters an actual infection, it suspends the 174 00:09:41,860 --> 00:09:45,500 S2: tolerance to allow the immune system to fight off the intruder. 175 00:09:45,900 --> 00:09:48,890 S2: In addition to having an application to food allergies. The 176 00:09:48,890 --> 00:09:52,290 S2: researchers believe the discovery could also help explain what goes 177 00:09:52,290 --> 00:09:57,370 S2: wrong in disorders like celiac disease. In Psalm 139, David said, 178 00:09:57,370 --> 00:10:00,930 S2: we are fearfully and wonderfully made. And this discovery by 179 00:10:00,929 --> 00:10:04,890 S2: researchers at the Weizmann Institute shows how intricately our bodies 180 00:10:04,890 --> 00:10:08,170 S2: have been designed by God. It could eventually lead to 181 00:10:08,210 --> 00:10:12,250 S2: ways to eliminate food allergies and other diseases, while still 182 00:10:12,250 --> 00:10:16,729 S2: allowing our bodies to stay vigilant to fight off genuine invaders. 183 00:10:17,130 --> 00:10:19,570 S1: Charlie, I want to circle back to the Iran turmoil 184 00:10:19,570 --> 00:10:22,290 S1: right now. What do we know about Israel's unique assessment 185 00:10:22,290 --> 00:10:23,290 S1: of what's going on there? 186 00:10:23,770 --> 00:10:27,130 S2: Uh, they believe that the Iranian regime probably is going 187 00:10:27,130 --> 00:10:30,010 S2: to survive. Sadly, what they definitely know is that they 188 00:10:30,010 --> 00:10:32,730 S2: don't want to do anything to intimidate them, because Iran 189 00:10:32,730 --> 00:10:35,650 S2: could use that to turn the people with them against 190 00:10:35,650 --> 00:10:37,170 S2: their common enemy, Israel. 191 00:10:37,690 --> 00:10:39,570 S1: But what if one of the reasons marriage was given 192 00:10:39,570 --> 00:10:42,530 S1: to us by God is to better understand his love 193 00:10:42,530 --> 00:10:45,930 S1: and future plan for believers? Coming up, a conversation about 194 00:10:45,929 --> 00:10:49,520 S1: how marriage images revelation with doctor Bob Mueller. That's up 195 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:51,880 S1: next on the land and the book. Been to our 196 00:10:51,880 --> 00:11:09,679 S1: website lately. We're at the land and the book.org. Everybody 197 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:13,319 S1: loves a wedding. There's the bride, the groom, the flowers 198 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:16,679 S1: and everything. And everyone is at their beautiful best. But 199 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:21,679 S1: what if weddings, specifically ancient Jewish weddings, offered pictures of 200 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:25,559 S1: Christ's return? How would that help us better anticipate Jesus 201 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:28,720 S1: second coming? Welcome back to the land and the book. 202 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,480 S1: I'm John Yeager, and before we show up for the wedding, 203 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,480 S1: let's ponder this idea for reaching out to Jewish friends 204 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:37,559 S1: and neighbors with the gospel of Christ. So maybe you've 205 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,400 S1: tried reaching out to your Jewish friend by way of 206 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:43,439 S1: thoughts on your own spiritual journey, and you find that 207 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:45,400 S1: they're polite, but they don't seem to want to go 208 00:11:45,500 --> 00:11:48,620 S1: any deeper on the subject. Why are my Jewish friends 209 00:11:48,620 --> 00:11:51,380 S1: so polite about my faith in Jesus, but don't really 210 00:11:51,380 --> 00:11:54,700 S1: want to go any further along that conversation? Let's ask 211 00:11:54,740 --> 00:11:57,420 S1: Eva riding with Chosen People Ministries. What's the answer there? 212 00:11:57,740 --> 00:12:01,540 S3: Well, I think our Jewish friends are encouraged by our faith, 213 00:12:01,580 --> 00:12:06,260 S3: our spiritual practice. They're very broad in their acceptance of 214 00:12:06,260 --> 00:12:10,939 S3: any sort of spirituality, religious practice. And they're happy that 215 00:12:10,940 --> 00:12:14,100 S3: we have a relationship with God that is meaningful to us. 216 00:12:14,700 --> 00:12:19,380 S3: But for them, Christianity, Jesus is a closed door. They 217 00:12:19,380 --> 00:12:21,579 S3: want to be, oh, this is really good for you, 218 00:12:22,020 --> 00:12:24,860 S3: but it's not for me. And our challenge is to 219 00:12:24,900 --> 00:12:28,220 S3: say it's really for everybody. I'm not targeting you because 220 00:12:28,220 --> 00:12:31,860 S3: you're Jewish. I just want everybody to understand the promises 221 00:12:31,860 --> 00:12:35,420 S3: that God made in the Tanakh, the Old Testament, and 222 00:12:35,420 --> 00:12:40,420 S3: how they were fulfilled in Jesus Yeshua. And they're for everybody, 223 00:12:40,420 --> 00:12:44,570 S3: for me as a non-Jew and for Jewish people as well. 224 00:12:44,690 --> 00:12:47,370 S3: They don't want to offend us by saying, oh, don't 225 00:12:47,410 --> 00:12:51,569 S3: talk to me. They're very open and warm, but they're hesitant. 226 00:12:51,730 --> 00:12:54,530 S1: Yeah. Two thoughts about this closed door analogy. Number one 227 00:12:54,530 --> 00:12:56,970 S1: would be it's never polite to bang on a door. 228 00:12:56,970 --> 00:13:00,010 S1: So there's some sensitivity there for us. And number two, 229 00:13:00,210 --> 00:13:03,929 S1: Jesus still specializes in opening locked or slammed doors as 230 00:13:03,929 --> 00:13:04,290 S1: he knocks. 231 00:13:04,330 --> 00:13:06,810 S3: Exactly. And I think our best tool is to love 232 00:13:06,809 --> 00:13:08,530 S3: people until they ask us why. 233 00:13:08,610 --> 00:13:12,330 S1: Eva Riedel serves with Chosen People Ministries. Thanks for your conversation. 234 00:13:12,370 --> 00:13:13,090 S3: Thank you John. 235 00:13:14,690 --> 00:13:17,809 S1: Doctor Bob Mueller is the founder of For Keeps Ministries. 236 00:13:18,090 --> 00:13:21,090 S1: He leads marriage seminars across the country, is the host 237 00:13:21,090 --> 00:13:24,290 S1: of a popular marriage TV program, has written many books 238 00:13:24,290 --> 00:13:26,970 S1: on marriage. Also happens to be one of our favorite 239 00:13:26,970 --> 00:13:30,530 S1: guests here at the land and the book. Welcome back Bob. 240 00:13:30,730 --> 00:13:32,330 S4: Thank you so much, John. 241 00:13:32,370 --> 00:13:35,330 S1: Someone has said that the Bible essentially opens with a 242 00:13:35,330 --> 00:13:38,370 S1: wedding scene and closes with a wedding. How accurate do 243 00:13:38,370 --> 00:13:39,050 S1: you think that is? 244 00:13:39,090 --> 00:13:41,010 S4: Oh, I think it's very accurate. And in fact, the 245 00:13:41,010 --> 00:13:44,280 S4: ministry of Jesus is introduced to us in the Book 246 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:46,880 S4: of John at a wedding, and I don't believe that's 247 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:49,479 S4: any accident either. The wedding of Cana of Galilee. 248 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:53,680 S1: Well, marriage in the last days is a interesting topic 249 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,280 S1: that you have taken up and studied. Give us a 250 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,040 S1: big picture view of what you're talking about here. 251 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:04,000 S4: Well, John, it's incredible the way ancient Jewish wedding customs 252 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:08,120 S4: mirror what the Bible teaches about the return of Christ 253 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:12,559 S4: in particularly what it teaches about the rapture. John, if 254 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:16,640 S4: you study the ancient wedding ceremonies, particularly in the area 255 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:22,560 S4: of Galilee, there were customs that suggest this was a 256 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:27,120 S4: parallel to the rapture of the church, that everyone listening 257 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:30,000 S4: would have known what a wedding was like in that day, 258 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:33,120 S4: and what he has to say about his return is 259 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:34,400 S4: remarkably similar. 260 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:36,760 S1: And let's break some of those down and dig in 261 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:39,800 S1: just a bit. For example, the guy goes off having 262 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:42,910 S1: been engaged to his bride, and he goes to prepare 263 00:14:42,910 --> 00:14:44,750 S1: a place, a home for her. What are we talking 264 00:14:44,750 --> 00:14:45,110 S1: about here? 265 00:14:45,150 --> 00:14:49,230 S4: Well, there were several stages to the Jewish wedding, unlike ours. Uh, 266 00:14:49,390 --> 00:14:52,150 S4: you know, it's basically an engagement, a wedding and a 267 00:14:52,190 --> 00:14:55,230 S4: ceremony in that day. It started with a betrothal. And 268 00:14:55,230 --> 00:14:57,910 S4: we know that word from the story of Joseph and Mary. 269 00:14:57,910 --> 00:15:00,870 S4: They were betrothed in ancient Israel. A family would go 270 00:15:00,870 --> 00:15:05,230 S4: to the bride's home to initiate a betrothal. The groom's 271 00:15:05,230 --> 00:15:08,870 S4: family would be willing to pay a bride price in 272 00:15:08,870 --> 00:15:13,350 S4: order to purchase the bride, so to speak. It could be, uh, jewels. 273 00:15:13,350 --> 00:15:15,910 S4: It could be gold. It could even be animals. When 274 00:15:15,910 --> 00:15:19,710 S4: the two families agreed upon the price, they husband and 275 00:15:19,710 --> 00:15:22,230 S4: wife to be would seal the deal with a sip 276 00:15:22,230 --> 00:15:25,630 S4: from a glass of wine. Now, consider what Jesus says 277 00:15:25,630 --> 00:15:29,790 S4: in Matthew 26. Then Jesus took the cup, gave thanks, 278 00:15:29,790 --> 00:15:32,150 S4: and offered to them, saying, drink from it, all of you. 279 00:15:32,150 --> 00:15:34,630 S4: This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured 280 00:15:34,630 --> 00:15:37,630 S4: out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, 281 00:15:37,630 --> 00:15:39,990 S4: I will not drink of this fruit of the vine 282 00:15:40,260 --> 00:15:42,820 S4: from now on until the day I drink it anew 283 00:15:42,820 --> 00:15:47,420 S4: with you in my father's kingdom. And so what he's 284 00:15:47,460 --> 00:15:52,220 S4: saying there is that I'm sealing this evening, this betrothal 285 00:15:52,260 --> 00:15:56,020 S4: to the church. I will purchase it with my body 286 00:15:56,020 --> 00:15:58,620 S4: and my blood. And of course, that's what happens the 287 00:15:58,620 --> 00:16:01,940 S4: next day. And I won't drink of this until I 288 00:16:01,940 --> 00:16:06,060 S4: return for my bride, for the church. So just the 289 00:16:06,100 --> 00:16:08,020 S4: betrothal is an interesting parallel. 290 00:16:08,060 --> 00:16:10,940 S1: Okay, so you're opening our eyes to these things today, Bob. 291 00:16:11,100 --> 00:16:13,420 S1: And for some of us, this is like new. I'm 292 00:16:13,420 --> 00:16:18,300 S1: saying wow. But to Christ's audience, this wouldn't have been 293 00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:19,940 S1: difficult to envision at all. 294 00:16:20,100 --> 00:16:22,500 S4: Not at all. In fact, everybody was familiar with the 295 00:16:22,500 --> 00:16:26,700 S4: customs of the day. So as they're hearing this, they're thinking, wedding. 296 00:16:27,020 --> 00:16:30,420 S4: Let me read to you from second Corinthians 11 two. 297 00:16:30,660 --> 00:16:33,300 S4: Paul says, I'm jealous for you with a godly jealousy. 298 00:16:33,300 --> 00:16:37,220 S4: I promise you to one husband to Christ, so that 299 00:16:37,220 --> 00:16:39,850 S4: I might present you as a pure virgin. To him. 300 00:16:39,850 --> 00:16:44,010 S4: He's using the analogy of a promised bride, one that 301 00:16:44,010 --> 00:16:47,890 S4: is keeping herself until her groom returns for her in 302 00:16:47,890 --> 00:16:52,930 S4: purity and wholeness. Whatever. So he's starting to unpack his return, 303 00:16:52,930 --> 00:16:56,650 S4: and what the ultimate purposes are of his coming to 304 00:16:56,690 --> 00:16:59,130 S4: an audience that's going, hmm, this sounds a lot like 305 00:16:59,170 --> 00:17:00,210 S4: weddings I've been to. 306 00:17:00,370 --> 00:17:03,650 S1: You know, I'm still stuck on this. This analogy that 307 00:17:03,650 --> 00:17:07,010 S1: Jesus has used here. Among his hearers are those who 308 00:17:07,050 --> 00:17:09,689 S1: have been married, those who are going to be married. 309 00:17:10,010 --> 00:17:12,970 S1: And here he says, hey, the bride price is so 310 00:17:12,970 --> 00:17:15,450 S1: much higher than I'm paying my life. 311 00:17:15,609 --> 00:17:19,810 S4: Yes. I mean, it's the ultimate price. Revelation five nine 312 00:17:20,010 --> 00:17:22,210 S4: and they sang a new song saying, you are worthy 313 00:17:22,210 --> 00:17:25,090 S4: to take the scroll to open its seals because you 314 00:17:25,130 --> 00:17:28,810 S4: were slain, and with your blood you purchased a god, 315 00:17:28,810 --> 00:17:33,369 S4: persons from every tribe, language, people and nation. So in 316 00:17:33,410 --> 00:17:37,169 S4: heaven they're celebrating this purchasing of the bride, which came 317 00:17:37,210 --> 00:17:38,560 S4: at a tremendous cost. 318 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:41,920 S1: How ancient Jewish weddings mirror the return of Christ. We're 319 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:45,320 S1: digging into Scripture, bringing back some great spiritual gems with 320 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:49,000 S1: doctor Bob Mohler of For Keeps Ministries. Let's talk about 321 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,520 S1: this issue of Of the Sun having now been engaged. 322 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:54,600 S1: He goes and does what? 323 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:59,240 S4: He disappears. He leaves for almost an entire year. Why? 324 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:03,639 S4: He's going to build a home for his bride. And 325 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:06,679 S4: according to custom, they would not see each other again 326 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,639 S4: until he came for her on the day that he 327 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:14,320 S4: would take her home. John 14 verse one. Trust in God. 328 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:18,160 S4: Trust also in me, in my father's house are many rooms. 329 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:19,959 S4: If it were not so, I would have told you. 330 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,440 S4: I'm going there to prepare a place for you. And 331 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:24,199 S4: if I go and prepare a place for you, I 332 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:26,520 S4: will come back to take you to be with me. 333 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:28,840 S4: That you may also be where I am. There it is. 334 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:32,280 S4: He's almost quoting from the wedding ceremony. Or at least 335 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:35,119 S4: the tradition I'm leaving. So he would literally go to 336 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,910 S4: his father's home, Start building a room where the two 337 00:18:37,910 --> 00:18:40,429 S4: of them could live and he would not come back. 338 00:18:40,470 --> 00:18:44,189 S4: They wouldn't see each other until the day comes where 339 00:18:44,190 --> 00:18:45,790 S4: the father says, you can go get her. 340 00:18:45,830 --> 00:18:49,390 S1: And again, people in Jesus day would have absolutely gotten this. 341 00:18:49,430 --> 00:18:52,429 S4: Absolutely. They knew what the custom was. Which leads us 342 00:18:52,430 --> 00:18:54,990 S4: to the next stage in all this. And that's the 343 00:18:54,990 --> 00:18:57,669 S4: father's decision to send him. 344 00:18:57,710 --> 00:18:58,510 S1: Not the groom. 345 00:18:58,510 --> 00:19:00,709 S4: No, the groom doesn't have any say over when he 346 00:19:00,710 --> 00:19:02,389 S4: gets to get. I mean, if it were up to him, 347 00:19:02,390 --> 00:19:06,950 S4: it'd be tomorrow, right? Or yesterday. But he has to wait. 348 00:19:07,030 --> 00:19:10,270 S4: An ancient wedding customs. Only the father of the groom 349 00:19:10,270 --> 00:19:12,950 S4: knew the exact day and hour when he would send 350 00:19:12,950 --> 00:19:15,790 S4: his son to retrieve his bride. This could be anywhere 351 00:19:15,790 --> 00:19:18,470 S4: from several months to an entire year. When the groom 352 00:19:18,470 --> 00:19:21,590 S4: was ready, the father would say, son, go get your bride. 353 00:19:22,150 --> 00:19:25,869 S4: Matthew 2436. No one knows about that day or hour. 354 00:19:25,910 --> 00:19:28,390 S4: Speaking of the return of Christ, not even the angels 355 00:19:28,390 --> 00:19:30,670 S4: in heaven, nor the son, but only the father. 356 00:19:30,790 --> 00:19:33,030 S1: So in the same way, what we're really saying is 357 00:19:33,030 --> 00:19:35,609 S1: God the Father himself has that calendar. 358 00:19:35,609 --> 00:19:38,649 S4: He does and he has not. And this is by 359 00:19:38,650 --> 00:19:41,490 S4: divine choice. I don't think it's any lack of omniscience 360 00:19:41,490 --> 00:19:43,409 S4: on the part of Jesus. I think it's an agreement 361 00:19:43,410 --> 00:19:46,370 S4: within the Trinity that the father will wait to say 362 00:19:46,369 --> 00:19:49,530 S4: to the son, go get your bride. That's when the 363 00:19:49,530 --> 00:19:53,250 S4: rapture occurs. So the son didn't know he had to 364 00:19:53,250 --> 00:19:57,090 S4: be ready. But as things started coming to conclusion in 365 00:19:57,090 --> 00:20:00,129 S4: the building, he knew the hour was near and word 366 00:20:00,130 --> 00:20:03,370 S4: probably got to the bride that hey, it's almost time. 367 00:20:03,770 --> 00:20:06,650 S1: Am I pushing things too far, Bob? By, uh, by 368 00:20:06,690 --> 00:20:09,810 S1: transferring the excitement that an earthly groom would have had 369 00:20:09,810 --> 00:20:12,290 S1: for his bride, that maybe there's a sense of that 370 00:20:12,290 --> 00:20:14,290 S1: same excitement on the part of Jesus, as. 371 00:20:14,290 --> 00:20:17,650 S4: I think that's so true. He's longing to be with 372 00:20:17,650 --> 00:20:21,330 S4: his bride. He purchased her with such great price. It 373 00:20:21,369 --> 00:20:25,170 S4: cost him everything for his sake. You know, the Bible 374 00:20:25,170 --> 00:20:28,210 S4: teaches us he went from riches to rags in order 375 00:20:28,210 --> 00:20:30,290 S4: to come from heaven to earth to redeem us. 376 00:20:30,730 --> 00:20:33,770 S1: I'm told that the bride, kind of when she sensed 377 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:36,280 S1: the time might be drawing near, she made her own 378 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:37,360 S1: kind of preparation. 379 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,760 S4: Yes she did. When the groom was away building a 380 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,680 S4: room in his father's house, she would make herself ready, 381 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,240 S4: knowing his return could be at any hour. She'd prepare 382 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,639 S4: her wedding dress and often would even sleep in it. 383 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:53,600 S4: Is she assumed that the day was very close to occurring? 384 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:57,320 S4: She'd pack her belongings to leave, she'd gather her bridesmaids, 385 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:01,200 S4: and she knew his return could be morning, evening or noon. 386 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:04,480 S4: Listen to revelation 19, seven and eight. Let us rejoice 387 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:06,680 S4: and be glad and give him glory. For the wedding 388 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:09,040 S4: of the lamb is come, and his bride has made 389 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,840 S4: herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, were given her 390 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:16,520 S4: to wear. And the fine linen in parentheses were told. 391 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:19,360 S4: Is the righteous acts of the saints. So, John, as 392 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:22,800 S4: someone has said, every day when God's people are living 393 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:28,920 S4: out righteous lives, holy lives, actively preaching his kingdom, actively 394 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,240 S4: serving him. It's as if we're packing our bags. We're 395 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:36,429 S4: were getting the dress ready and we're preparing because the 396 00:21:36,430 --> 00:21:37,350 S4: groom is coming. 397 00:21:37,590 --> 00:21:39,909 S1: We're talking with doctor Bob Mueller today on the land 398 00:21:39,910 --> 00:21:43,230 S1: and the book How Ancient Jewish Weddings Mirror the Return 399 00:21:43,230 --> 00:21:45,630 S1: of Christ. Well, the flip side of that, of course, 400 00:21:45,630 --> 00:21:49,710 S1: is those who are sort of lulled into worldliness, falling 401 00:21:49,710 --> 00:21:53,429 S1: asleep spiritually, not particularly excited about Jesus return. 402 00:21:53,470 --> 00:21:55,429 S4: Well, there is the parable of the wise and the 403 00:21:55,430 --> 00:21:59,629 S4: foolish virgins, where some had their lamps trimmed and ready 404 00:21:59,630 --> 00:22:01,350 S4: for him to arrive because it could be in the 405 00:22:01,350 --> 00:22:04,149 S4: middle of the night. No one knew. Usually did happen 406 00:22:04,150 --> 00:22:06,950 S4: at night, by the way, the trumpet that was blown 407 00:22:06,950 --> 00:22:11,550 S4: and the shouting would wake everybody up, including the the bride. Um, 408 00:22:11,750 --> 00:22:15,550 S4: in Matthew 26, Jesus is talking about that parable says, 409 00:22:15,590 --> 00:22:18,790 S4: at midnight the cry rang out, here is the bridegroom, 410 00:22:18,790 --> 00:22:22,750 S4: come to meet him. And so there was a preparation. 411 00:22:23,109 --> 00:22:28,190 S4: He would have his friends blow a trumpet, the shofar horn. 412 00:22:28,390 --> 00:22:32,180 S4: And some have said this probably means a call to assembly. 413 00:22:32,300 --> 00:22:36,020 S4: Everybody come out! Everybody come and join this. Wonderful. And 414 00:22:36,020 --> 00:22:39,140 S4: so when we hear that last trumpet, when it's blown 415 00:22:39,140 --> 00:22:41,740 S4: in the dead in Christ shall rise first. And whatever. 416 00:22:41,740 --> 00:22:44,060 S4: It's going to be a call to assemble all of 417 00:22:44,060 --> 00:22:48,659 S4: God's people, uh, the dead, the living, whatever, to meet him. Listen, 418 00:22:48,660 --> 00:22:51,540 S4: I tell you a mystery. Paul writes, we will not 419 00:22:51,540 --> 00:22:53,820 S4: all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, 420 00:22:53,820 --> 00:22:56,700 S4: in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. 421 00:22:56,700 --> 00:22:59,659 S4: For the trumpet will sound. The dead will be raised imperishable, 422 00:22:59,660 --> 00:23:02,380 S4: and we will be changed. So Paul picks up this 423 00:23:02,380 --> 00:23:03,940 S4: same analogy as well. 424 00:23:03,980 --> 00:23:06,820 S1: Okay, next in the whole big picture is a feast. 425 00:23:06,820 --> 00:23:10,500 S4: It is. It's the consummation of this whole process. Once 426 00:23:10,500 --> 00:23:13,060 S4: the bride and groom would reach his father's house. And 427 00:23:13,060 --> 00:23:15,660 S4: by the way, this is fascinating. They would often have 428 00:23:15,660 --> 00:23:19,260 S4: a platform or a throne carried on men's shoulders. It 429 00:23:19,260 --> 00:23:23,300 S4: was called Flying the bride. And this is a picture 430 00:23:23,300 --> 00:23:25,900 S4: of the rapture. This is a picture of the church 431 00:23:25,900 --> 00:23:30,810 S4: being picked up and carried to the groom's house. Well, 432 00:23:30,810 --> 00:23:33,290 S4: once they reached the house, they would enter the wedding 433 00:23:33,290 --> 00:23:37,050 S4: chamber under a wedding canopy called in Hebrew Huppah, and 434 00:23:37,050 --> 00:23:40,130 S4: they would stay there seven days. They wouldn't come out 435 00:23:40,130 --> 00:23:42,649 S4: for seven days. The bride and groom would be in 436 00:23:42,650 --> 00:23:45,490 S4: this room that he had built. They'd consummate their marriage. 437 00:23:45,609 --> 00:23:48,810 S4: And by the way, John, those seven days, many scholars believe, 438 00:23:48,810 --> 00:23:52,210 S4: represent the seven years of the tribulation. In other words, 439 00:23:52,210 --> 00:23:55,770 S4: the church will be gone in heaven while those seven 440 00:23:55,770 --> 00:23:59,969 S4: years of tribulation are unfolding, and at the end the 441 00:23:59,970 --> 00:24:04,650 S4: church will return with Christ. Meanwhile, there's a celebration going outside. 442 00:24:04,650 --> 00:24:07,090 S4: The wedding feast is going on, and at the end 443 00:24:07,090 --> 00:24:10,570 S4: of the week the couple would appear and join the celebration. 444 00:24:10,570 --> 00:24:14,250 S4: Revelation 719, seven and nine let us rejoice and be 445 00:24:14,250 --> 00:24:16,290 S4: glad and give him glory, for the wedding of the 446 00:24:16,290 --> 00:24:19,450 S4: lamb has come. Then the angel said to me, blessed 447 00:24:19,450 --> 00:24:21,810 S4: are those who are invited to the wedding supper of 448 00:24:21,810 --> 00:24:22,410 S4: the lamb. 449 00:24:22,810 --> 00:24:25,970 S1: So many images, so very powerful. Bob, how should this 450 00:24:26,010 --> 00:24:28,920 S1: impact us today? It sounds to me, as I'm listening, 451 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:31,560 S1: that there's a whole lot of enthusiasm that might be 452 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:33,640 S1: lacking when we ponder the return of Christ. 453 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:36,080 S4: Well, one lesson that we learned from this is we 454 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,639 S4: need to be ready for the sudden and unexpected return 455 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:42,480 S4: of Christ. When I say unexpected, we don't know the 456 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:46,879 S4: precise time it's imminent. Meaning could happen at any time. So, John, 457 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:48,879 S4: when we wake up in the morning, do we say 458 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,120 S4: this could be the day before the evening comes? Could 459 00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:54,919 S4: I be caught up with the Lord Jesus? If so, 460 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:58,240 S4: how should I use the intervening hours that I might 461 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:01,359 S4: still have on earth? Should I make certain that those 462 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:05,040 S4: I know, and particularly my loved ones, understand the gospel, 463 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:08,400 S4: and that they be ready to meet him? Because when 464 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:12,080 S4: that trumpet blows and the groom arrives, there's no time. 465 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:14,560 S4: Are you certain that you have received the gift of 466 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:19,440 S4: eternal life? Have you accepted the salvation, the bride price 467 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:22,639 S4: that was paid for you? Not just for random people 468 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:24,640 S4: or strangers, but for you? 469 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:27,160 S1: A conversation you can have right now about that very 470 00:25:27,270 --> 00:25:29,990 S1: question is yours? As you head online to chat about 471 00:25:29,990 --> 00:25:34,869 S1: Jesus or chat about Jesus, a volunteer will listen to 472 00:25:34,869 --> 00:25:37,710 S1: you answer your questions and help you receive Christ so 473 00:25:37,710 --> 00:25:41,630 S1: you can be ready for his second coming. Bob. Fascinating conversation. 474 00:25:41,630 --> 00:25:44,030 S1: Thank you for all that you've shared. Thank you. And 475 00:25:44,030 --> 00:25:46,750 S1: a link to Bob Mueller's Ministry for Keeps ministries is 476 00:25:46,750 --> 00:25:51,790 S1: at our website. The land and the book Bible questions 477 00:25:51,830 --> 00:25:55,030 S1: answers there all ahead next here on the land and 478 00:25:55,030 --> 00:26:09,030 S1: the book. I love it, others love it. And I'm 479 00:26:09,070 --> 00:26:12,590 S1: guessing you do too. It's our question and answer segment, 480 00:26:12,590 --> 00:26:16,070 S1: and it's next on the land and the book. Welcome. 481 00:26:16,070 --> 00:26:18,470 S1: I'm John Yeager. Always happy to be sitting down with 482 00:26:18,470 --> 00:26:21,470 S1: Doctor Gerald Peterman. And before we get to our first 483 00:26:21,470 --> 00:26:23,750 S1: question of the day, just a quick thought. What does 484 00:26:23,750 --> 00:26:27,420 S1: Passover really mean for us as believers in Jesus today. 485 00:26:27,420 --> 00:26:29,620 S1: Some might remember the story from the book of Exodus, 486 00:26:29,619 --> 00:26:31,700 S1: but there's a lot more to it. Did you know 487 00:26:31,700 --> 00:26:35,300 S1: that the Last Supper was actually a Passover meal? Not 488 00:26:35,300 --> 00:26:38,619 S1: only did Jesus and his disciples celebrate Passover, but it 489 00:26:38,619 --> 00:26:42,540 S1: also foreshadowed his death on the cross for our redemption. 490 00:26:42,540 --> 00:26:45,859 S1: Passover is an amazing connection point with our Jewish friends, 491 00:26:45,859 --> 00:26:49,180 S1: both around the world and across the street. Jewish people 492 00:26:49,180 --> 00:26:52,020 S1: have been keeping this feast for thousands of years and 493 00:26:52,060 --> 00:26:55,540 S1: understanding the importance of this holiday. Its history helps you 494 00:26:55,540 --> 00:26:58,980 S1: better understand these precious people. And what better way to 495 00:26:59,020 --> 00:27:03,140 S1: learn than to experience a Passover Seder for yourself? Now, 496 00:27:03,140 --> 00:27:06,619 S1: if you've never celebrated Passover, well, good news, our friends 497 00:27:06,619 --> 00:27:09,260 S1: at Life and Messiah would love to partner with you 498 00:27:09,619 --> 00:27:13,260 S1: in hosting an actual Seder experience. And every year, their 499 00:27:13,260 --> 00:27:17,860 S1: staff engage churches and small groups in an interactive Messiah 500 00:27:17,859 --> 00:27:21,020 S1: in the Passover Seder, where you can taste and see 501 00:27:21,020 --> 00:27:24,740 S1: the redemption story. If you're interested in having somebody come 502 00:27:24,890 --> 00:27:27,930 S1: lead a Seder in your area. Just visit Life in 503 00:27:27,930 --> 00:27:31,650 S1: Messiah and click on the radio button to learn more. 504 00:27:31,690 --> 00:27:35,210 S1: That's life in Messiah. Org and we now say hello 505 00:27:35,210 --> 00:27:38,129 S1: to Doctor Gerald Peterman from the Moody Bible Institute faculty. 506 00:27:38,369 --> 00:27:41,210 S1: Stepping away from his classes just long enough to record 507 00:27:41,210 --> 00:27:42,650 S1: with us. And man, we're glad to see you. 508 00:27:42,690 --> 00:27:43,730 S5: Looking forward to it. 509 00:27:43,770 --> 00:27:45,889 S1: All right, let's dig right in. We got a question 510 00:27:45,890 --> 00:27:48,610 S1: here that we'll start with from Ellie. She says are 511 00:27:48,609 --> 00:27:52,450 S1: there prophets today like those in the Old Testament? I've 512 00:27:52,450 --> 00:27:54,890 S1: been taught no by my church, and I believe and 513 00:27:54,890 --> 00:27:57,889 S1: follow that. I also know the Bible says, and your 514 00:27:57,890 --> 00:28:00,930 S1: sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men 515 00:28:01,090 --> 00:28:04,530 S1: shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. 516 00:28:04,970 --> 00:28:06,929 S1: I understand and believe that. But I know some others 517 00:28:06,930 --> 00:28:09,729 S1: who claim to be prophets are taking a lot of 518 00:28:09,730 --> 00:28:11,690 S1: authority for themselves. What do you think? 519 00:28:11,730 --> 00:28:13,689 S5: Well, I think this is an important question, and I 520 00:28:13,690 --> 00:28:17,450 S5: appreciate that Ellie's church is teaching her. No, because that's 521 00:28:17,450 --> 00:28:21,290 S5: the conclusion I draw that there are no prophets like 522 00:28:21,290 --> 00:28:24,229 S5: the Old Testament prophets with us today. If you know, 523 00:28:24,270 --> 00:28:26,270 S5: if you look back into the Old Testament and you 524 00:28:26,270 --> 00:28:29,270 S5: look back on what Jesus said, the Old Testament prophets, 525 00:28:29,270 --> 00:28:32,869 S5: many of them were very reluctant to take up the job. 526 00:28:32,869 --> 00:28:36,070 S5: If you've been in Exodus three and Exodus four, when 527 00:28:36,109 --> 00:28:38,910 S5: God calls Moses, wow, is he hesitant? And then when 528 00:28:38,910 --> 00:28:43,070 S5: God calls Jeremiah, he's he's simply saying, I can't speak. Well, 529 00:28:43,110 --> 00:28:44,310 S5: you know, I'm not going to do a good job 530 00:28:44,310 --> 00:28:46,950 S5: at this. It seems that he's a bit resistant. Again, 531 00:28:46,950 --> 00:28:49,750 S5: Old Testament prophets, when they spoke, it was the word 532 00:28:49,750 --> 00:28:52,990 S5: of God. You do not evaluate it, you just do it. 533 00:28:53,070 --> 00:28:56,950 S5: But many of these prophets were persecuted. I remember our 534 00:28:56,950 --> 00:29:01,590 S5: Lord's words. Matthew 23 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that 535 00:29:01,590 --> 00:29:06,670 S5: kills the prophets and stone those sent to it. But 536 00:29:06,670 --> 00:29:09,670 S5: there's another question involved in Ellie's question. That is, how 537 00:29:09,710 --> 00:29:12,750 S5: do New Testament prophets work? Well, there's a great place 538 00:29:12,750 --> 00:29:15,390 S5: for us to go. We can go to first Corinthians 14, 539 00:29:15,710 --> 00:29:18,150 S5: where Paul is talking to the church about how to 540 00:29:18,150 --> 00:29:20,590 S5: use gifts, how to use them in the in the assembly. 541 00:29:20,590 --> 00:29:24,140 S5: And so Paul says, first Corinthians 14 three the one 542 00:29:24,140 --> 00:29:28,380 S5: who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement 543 00:29:28,380 --> 00:29:31,820 S5: and consolation. So whoever it is that's claiming to be 544 00:29:31,820 --> 00:29:34,660 S5: a prophet today, this is your goal. That is, you're 545 00:29:34,660 --> 00:29:36,660 S5: going to build people up. You're going to encourage them. 546 00:29:36,660 --> 00:29:38,980 S5: You're going to console them. Later. Paul says in first 547 00:29:38,980 --> 00:29:43,020 S5: Corinthians 14 verses 26 to 29, when you gather together, 548 00:29:43,300 --> 00:29:47,220 S5: let 2 or 3 prophets speak. And he also says, 549 00:29:47,340 --> 00:29:49,820 S5: one at a time. So in other words, the prophet 550 00:29:49,820 --> 00:29:52,620 S5: has to be, if you will, self-controlled. And then he 551 00:29:52,620 --> 00:29:54,540 S5: goes on, he says, let 2 or 3 prophets speak, 552 00:29:54,540 --> 00:29:59,860 S5: and let the others weigh what is said. Very interesting thing, 553 00:29:59,900 --> 00:30:03,780 S5: this word weigh. This is the typical word for discern 554 00:30:03,780 --> 00:30:07,420 S5: or even or even judge. You do not do this 555 00:30:07,420 --> 00:30:09,980 S5: with the with the words of Jeremiah, but with the 556 00:30:09,980 --> 00:30:13,780 S5: New Testament prophet. Other people in the congregation need to say, well, now, 557 00:30:13,780 --> 00:30:15,780 S5: how does this prophecy work for us? There needs to 558 00:30:15,780 --> 00:30:19,020 S5: be some sort of evaluation. So that's a so New 559 00:30:19,020 --> 00:30:22,170 S5: Testament prophets are very different from Old Testament prophets. 560 00:30:22,210 --> 00:30:25,730 S1: Okay. Important clarification. Thank you. If you've got a question 561 00:30:25,730 --> 00:30:27,650 S1: that you'd love to get to us, we'd love to 562 00:30:27,650 --> 00:30:30,810 S1: hear it. Just email us at. The land and the book. 563 00:30:30,850 --> 00:30:37,370 S1: At the land and the book at. Jeff says, I 564 00:30:37,370 --> 00:30:41,370 S1: think the Sabbath command, since it's moral law, still applies 565 00:30:41,370 --> 00:30:43,930 S1: to Christians. It's just that the day has simply been 566 00:30:43,930 --> 00:30:47,250 S1: changed from Saturday to Sunday. But what are your thoughts? 567 00:30:47,810 --> 00:30:49,570 S5: Well, I have a few. Let me let me see 568 00:30:49,570 --> 00:30:52,890 S5: what I can add here. That is, I recognize what 569 00:30:52,890 --> 00:30:56,090 S5: Jeff is saying when he says the Sabbath is moral law. 570 00:30:56,130 --> 00:30:57,810 S5: I know a lot of Christians who do this. They 571 00:30:57,810 --> 00:31:01,170 S5: say the 613 Commandments of Moses can be divided up 572 00:31:01,170 --> 00:31:06,290 S5: into moral laws or civil laws or ceremonial laws. But 573 00:31:06,290 --> 00:31:09,010 S5: I'm sorry, many, 30 times I've read through the Bible. 574 00:31:09,010 --> 00:31:12,450 S5: I never find this actually supported from Scripture itself. So 575 00:31:12,450 --> 00:31:16,690 S5: my conclusion is the Sabbath isn't a moral law. But wait, 576 00:31:17,170 --> 00:31:21,800 S5: did Christians start meeting on Sunday. They certainly did. The 577 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,680 S5: first day of the week they made that their habit 578 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:28,600 S5: is Sunday, the first day of the week ever commanded? 579 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:31,720 S5: No it's not. Is it ever called the Sabbath? No, 580 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:35,120 S5: I'm sorry it isn't. But because the Christians of the 581 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:38,160 S5: first century made it a habit of meeting on Sunday, 582 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:41,080 S5: I think we should make a habit of meeting on Sunday. Yeah, 583 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:43,800 S5: but I don't think that Sunday is a Sabbath. 584 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:48,480 S1: Okay. And along with that, then the Sabbath requirements, the 585 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:51,200 S1: idea of of work. And don't do this and don't 586 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:54,520 S1: do that. Those things are no longer as well repeated 587 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:55,560 S1: in the New Testament. Right? 588 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:58,480 S5: Right, right. But of course, if you listen to Jesus, 589 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:01,080 S5: and I hope we do, then Jesus is always let 590 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:05,120 S5: us know that even if you were under mosaic legislation, 591 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:09,040 S5: some laws were more important than other laws. Your son 592 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:10,960 S5: falls into a pit on the Sabbath. You say, oh, 593 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,040 S5: I'm sorry, I can't work and pull him out. No. 594 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:16,240 S5: I'm sorry. Love requires you to do that work. So 595 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:20,230 S5: there's always been a kind of Holy Spirit guided discernment 596 00:32:20,230 --> 00:32:21,150 S5: that needs to apply. 597 00:32:21,150 --> 00:32:22,630 S1: And if I could talk out of the other side 598 00:32:22,630 --> 00:32:25,190 S1: of my mouth, there is certainly benefit in a in 599 00:32:25,230 --> 00:32:28,950 S1: a type of Sabbath rest. Apart from its mandatory ness, 600 00:32:28,990 --> 00:32:29,950 S1: if I could use that phrase. 601 00:32:29,990 --> 00:32:32,670 S5: Oh, many, many benefits, not only for the rest of 602 00:32:32,670 --> 00:32:37,070 S5: our body, but for community. For focusing our attention on God. 603 00:32:37,350 --> 00:32:39,230 S5: There are many benefits of taking a Sabbath. 604 00:32:39,750 --> 00:32:43,990 S1: Marianne wants to know. Revelation 24 says, tears, mourning, crying 605 00:32:44,030 --> 00:32:46,790 S1: and pain will pass away after the new heavens and 606 00:32:46,790 --> 00:32:49,150 S1: earth arrive. So here's the question which came up in 607 00:32:49,150 --> 00:32:52,270 S1: her Bible study Will there be tears when we are 608 00:32:52,270 --> 00:32:55,190 S1: in heaven before the time of the new heaven and earth? 609 00:32:55,990 --> 00:32:59,390 S5: This is an interesting question. I'm sorry to say I 610 00:32:59,390 --> 00:33:01,950 S5: don't have what I am certain is the answer to 611 00:33:01,950 --> 00:33:04,470 S5: this question. Will there be tears? But I'm never short 612 00:33:04,470 --> 00:33:08,270 S5: on words. I'm sorry. So let us go to revelation six. 613 00:33:08,270 --> 00:33:11,670 S5: What do we find in revelation six? That is Jesus. 614 00:33:11,670 --> 00:33:14,150 S5: The lamb is there. We see that he was slain 615 00:33:14,150 --> 00:33:17,460 S5: and now he's living. The 24 elders sing and we 616 00:33:17,460 --> 00:33:21,780 S5: come to revelation six nine. The lamb opened the fifth seal, 617 00:33:22,180 --> 00:33:25,140 S5: and I saw under the altar the souls of those 618 00:33:25,140 --> 00:33:27,860 S5: who had been slain because of the word of God. 619 00:33:28,300 --> 00:33:30,940 S5: And they cried out with a loud voice, saying, O 620 00:33:31,060 --> 00:33:35,380 S5: sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will 621 00:33:35,380 --> 00:33:39,220 S5: judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on 622 00:33:39,220 --> 00:33:41,860 S5: the earth? That is, you have here those who have 623 00:33:41,860 --> 00:33:44,500 S5: been martyred for their faith in Christ, and they're calling 624 00:33:44,500 --> 00:33:47,660 S5: out for the Lord to work. And note the way 625 00:33:47,660 --> 00:33:50,459 S5: they call out how long, O Lord? That is the 626 00:33:50,460 --> 00:33:53,820 S5: language of lament. That is the language of a painful heart. 627 00:33:54,220 --> 00:33:58,100 S5: So I don't find tears there, but I do find sorrow. 628 00:33:58,300 --> 00:34:01,660 S5: So I suspect, yes, I suspect there's tears in heaven. 629 00:34:01,660 --> 00:34:03,420 S5: Before we get to our final home. 630 00:34:03,420 --> 00:34:05,500 S1: The email address you can use to get your question 631 00:34:05,500 --> 00:34:09,580 S1: to Doctor Peterman is the land and the book at Moody's. 632 00:34:10,900 --> 00:34:13,859 S1: Esther says, I've heard pastors on Christian radio speak about 633 00:34:13,860 --> 00:34:17,210 S1: how God sometimes takes the life of a believer who 634 00:34:17,210 --> 00:34:20,610 S1: is continuing in sin to keep him from sinning. Further. 635 00:34:20,610 --> 00:34:22,250 S1: Any biblical support to this? 636 00:34:22,730 --> 00:34:27,930 S5: I'm very hesitant to say there's explicit biblical support for this. 637 00:34:27,969 --> 00:34:30,170 S5: God could do it, but I don't know of any 638 00:34:30,170 --> 00:34:34,290 S5: passage that says a disciple or a believer was put 639 00:34:34,290 --> 00:34:35,930 S5: to death for this purpose, but I'm not going to 640 00:34:35,930 --> 00:34:38,730 S5: stop there. Let's look at some Old Testament examples. You 641 00:34:38,730 --> 00:34:39,729 S5: have an example, John. 642 00:34:39,730 --> 00:34:41,730 S1: Well, I was going to say, what about Ananias and Sapphira? 643 00:34:41,770 --> 00:34:43,730 S6: Ah, that is a great example. 644 00:34:44,090 --> 00:34:47,450 S5: That is, they sell some property. They say they're giving 645 00:34:47,450 --> 00:34:49,850 S5: all the money, right? We know they're not giving all 646 00:34:49,850 --> 00:34:54,050 S5: the money and they die. Now, wait, does acts say 647 00:34:54,370 --> 00:34:56,890 S5: God killed them so they wouldn't sin anymore? It doesn't 648 00:34:56,890 --> 00:34:59,930 S5: say that. No, but it did. It's clear he holds 649 00:34:59,930 --> 00:35:03,009 S5: them accountable. It's really clear he holds them accountable. And 650 00:35:03,010 --> 00:35:04,930 S5: he's done this several times in the Old Testament as well. 651 00:35:04,930 --> 00:35:07,370 S1: So what you're saying is there's just not enough there 652 00:35:07,370 --> 00:35:09,770 S1: to extrapolate what's being said here. 653 00:35:09,810 --> 00:35:12,810 S5: Yeah, I think that's exactly right. Yeah. Um, let me 654 00:35:12,810 --> 00:35:15,870 S5: give you one Old Testament example. this is Genesis 38, 655 00:35:16,150 --> 00:35:19,230 S5: and I'm going to quote verses 7 to 10. But 656 00:35:19,270 --> 00:35:23,030 S5: ere Judah's firstborn was wicked in the sight of the Lord, 657 00:35:23,030 --> 00:35:27,030 S5: and the Lord put him to death. So here's God 658 00:35:27,030 --> 00:35:30,550 S5: stepping into history and killing someone because of wickedness. But 659 00:35:30,910 --> 00:35:32,509 S5: we don't know if this was to keep him from 660 00:35:32,510 --> 00:35:35,830 S5: further wickedness because he was had a habit. God can 661 00:35:35,830 --> 00:35:39,670 S5: do it. We should be living our lives in godly fear. 662 00:35:40,110 --> 00:35:43,750 S1: From Naomi. This question I always thought that during the exile, 663 00:35:43,750 --> 00:35:46,950 S1: the land received its 70 years of being fallow that 664 00:35:46,950 --> 00:35:50,109 S1: hadn't been allowed, as the Israelites hadn't practiced the years 665 00:35:50,110 --> 00:35:52,629 S1: of Jubilee like they were supposed to. But we know 666 00:35:52,630 --> 00:35:55,430 S1: that the Assyrians had moved people back into the land 667 00:35:55,430 --> 00:35:58,950 S1: after the ten northern tribes had been exiled before the 668 00:35:58,950 --> 00:36:02,149 S1: southern tribes were exiled by Nebuchadnezzar. And we know that 669 00:36:02,150 --> 00:36:03,989 S1: some of the poorest people were left in the land 670 00:36:03,989 --> 00:36:07,030 S1: by the Babylonians. So here's the question was the land 671 00:36:07,030 --> 00:36:11,230 S1: inhabited during the years of exile? Did surrounding peoples move in? 672 00:36:11,270 --> 00:36:13,980 S1: Did the land receive its years of rest. 673 00:36:14,460 --> 00:36:17,100 S5: Were there people in the land during the exile? There were, 674 00:36:17,100 --> 00:36:20,859 S5: but it was a much, much diminished number. And it's 675 00:36:20,860 --> 00:36:22,980 S5: hard to know what exactly they were doing, because not 676 00:36:22,980 --> 00:36:27,180 S5: much Scripture speaks exactly to that people group. But I 677 00:36:27,180 --> 00:36:30,220 S5: think what's happening is the number is much, much reduced. 678 00:36:30,260 --> 00:36:33,300 S5: There's there's much less farming going on. So the land 679 00:36:33,340 --> 00:36:35,620 S5: is getting at 70 years of rest. And let's keep 680 00:36:35,620 --> 00:36:38,460 S5: in mind that those olive trees are going to keep 681 00:36:38,460 --> 00:36:41,779 S5: on giving olives. Right. Right. And those grapevines in the 682 00:36:41,780 --> 00:36:43,939 S5: orchards are going to keep on giving grapes. So there 683 00:36:43,940 --> 00:36:47,260 S5: would be food available even if you're not tilling the ground. 684 00:36:47,300 --> 00:36:50,140 S1: Okay. Boy, there's been some great questions today. Thank you 685 00:36:50,140 --> 00:36:52,540 S1: for emailing those to us. If you'd like to be 686 00:36:52,540 --> 00:36:54,779 S1: a part of this all, get the satisfaction of an 687 00:36:54,780 --> 00:36:57,500 S1: answer that finally makes sense to you. Email us at 688 00:36:57,540 --> 00:37:02,980 S1: the land and the Book at Moody's. One more segment 689 00:37:02,980 --> 00:37:05,900 S1: to go. No need to rush off. It's Charlie Dyer's devotional. 690 00:37:05,900 --> 00:37:08,620 S1: I'm looking forward to it. It's next on the land 691 00:37:08,620 --> 00:37:24,370 S1: and the book. Welcome back to the land and the book. 692 00:37:24,370 --> 00:37:28,410 S1: I'm John Gager asking, what's the big deal with barley? 693 00:37:29,050 --> 00:37:32,090 S1: I think of that old nursery rhyme. Oats, peas, beans 694 00:37:32,090 --> 00:37:35,810 S1: and barley grow. But what could possibly be so important 695 00:37:35,810 --> 00:37:38,089 S1: about barley that it would be at the center of 696 00:37:38,090 --> 00:37:40,370 S1: today's devotional? Charlie, are you going to let us know 697 00:37:40,370 --> 00:37:41,130 S1: in a few minutes? 698 00:37:41,330 --> 00:37:42,410 S2: I'll let you know, John. 699 00:37:42,410 --> 00:37:45,410 S1: Okay. Before we hand things over, though, let's first listen 700 00:37:45,410 --> 00:37:48,170 S1: to a testimony from an Israel traveler who has a 701 00:37:48,170 --> 00:37:50,050 S1: memory that they're sharing with us right now. 702 00:37:54,330 --> 00:37:57,930 S7: Hi, my name is Julie. I'm from Greenfield, Indiana, and 703 00:37:57,930 --> 00:38:00,650 S7: this is my Holy Land experience. It was really special 704 00:38:00,650 --> 00:38:04,650 S7: to me. I lead a ladies Bible study at my church, 705 00:38:04,650 --> 00:38:08,450 S7: and we had studied the story of Ruth and Naomi 706 00:38:08,730 --> 00:38:14,520 S7: and Boaz, And my mind was opened to the type 707 00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:18,839 S7: of land that they came across. Naomi and Ruth from Moab, 708 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:24,520 S7: across the Dead Sea and over the desert area just 709 00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:27,359 S7: to get to Bethlehem. And I had seen it on 710 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:31,440 S7: a map, but seeing it with my own eyes and 711 00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:35,240 S7: the topography, and how that would have been so difficult, 712 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:39,120 S7: just really changed my whole perspective on that story. 713 00:38:40,880 --> 00:38:43,919 S1: Well, Charlie, we're in a series called Seven Species of 714 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:47,000 S1: the land, and today it's barley. What you got? 715 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:50,839 S2: Uh, well, John, I love this part of the devotional. Uh, 716 00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:53,279 S2: you know, in Deuteronomy eight, Moses summarized the bounty of 717 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:55,959 S2: the land into which Israel was about to enter. He said, 718 00:38:55,960 --> 00:39:00,120 S2: it's a land of wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, 719 00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:03,040 S2: olive oil and honey. And this week's journey takes us 720 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:06,440 S2: to Bethlehem to look at the roll barley played in 721 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:09,790 S2: changing the course of Israel's history while a field of 722 00:39:09,790 --> 00:39:12,270 S2: barley looks similar to a field of wheat, the two 723 00:39:12,270 --> 00:39:15,510 S2: plants are quite distinct and each played an important role 724 00:39:15,510 --> 00:39:19,430 S2: in Israel's history. Barley thrived in the warmer, drier climate 725 00:39:19,430 --> 00:39:22,390 S2: of the Middle East, and it ripened earlier than wheat. 726 00:39:22,590 --> 00:39:25,629 S2: Barley was harvested around the time of Passover, while wheat 727 00:39:25,630 --> 00:39:29,629 S2: was harvested around the time of Pentecost. Historically, wheat was 728 00:39:29,630 --> 00:39:33,230 S2: the more preferred food grain. In Second Kings seven one, 729 00:39:33,230 --> 00:39:36,630 S2: Elisha announced the dramatic end of a siege by crying out. 730 00:39:36,870 --> 00:39:40,230 S2: About this time tomorrow, a measure of fine flour shall 731 00:39:40,230 --> 00:39:43,030 S2: be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley 732 00:39:43,030 --> 00:39:47,030 S2: for a shekel. In revelation six six, the apostle John 733 00:39:47,030 --> 00:39:50,270 S2: describes a still future time of famine, when a day's 734 00:39:50,270 --> 00:39:53,830 S2: wages will buy a quart of wheat or three quarts 735 00:39:53,830 --> 00:39:57,590 S2: of barley. In both passages, barley could be purchased for 736 00:39:57,590 --> 00:40:00,989 S2: one third to one half the price of wheat. This 737 00:40:00,989 --> 00:40:04,750 S2: lower price for barley reflects its more humble nature. However, 738 00:40:04,750 --> 00:40:09,180 S2: barley was still a useful grain when Jesus fed the 5000. 739 00:40:09,219 --> 00:40:11,780 S2: John six nine says he did so using a young 740 00:40:11,780 --> 00:40:15,859 S2: lads five barley loaves. But why grow barley if wheat 741 00:40:15,860 --> 00:40:18,900 S2: was the preferred cereal grain? The answer might be less 742 00:40:18,940 --> 00:40:21,620 S2: obvious to those of us living in a modern society, 743 00:40:21,620 --> 00:40:24,180 S2: where we go to the grocery store to buy our food. 744 00:40:24,460 --> 00:40:27,180 S2: But it was very obvious to those growing their own. 745 00:40:27,420 --> 00:40:30,660 S2: They grew both crops because of the uncertainty of the climate. 746 00:40:30,820 --> 00:40:33,740 S2: If the winter rains were below normal, the wheat harvest 747 00:40:33,739 --> 00:40:36,940 S2: might fail, but the barley harvest might survive since it 748 00:40:36,980 --> 00:40:41,299 S2: required less moisture. Common sense, born from years of struggle, 749 00:40:41,340 --> 00:40:44,540 S2: taught the farmers to diversify, and barley was a good 750 00:40:44,540 --> 00:40:48,899 S2: insurance policy against starvation. And that's why we're standing just 751 00:40:48,900 --> 00:40:53,020 S2: outside Bethlehem today. After several years of drought, the fields 752 00:40:53,020 --> 00:40:56,620 S2: of grain are once again turning a golden color. Bethlehem, 753 00:40:56,620 --> 00:40:58,940 S2: the house of bread, is about to live up to 754 00:40:58,980 --> 00:41:02,380 S2: its name one more time. It's early spring, about the 755 00:41:02,380 --> 00:41:05,660 S2: time of Passover. The number of fields sown in barley 756 00:41:05,660 --> 00:41:08,850 S2: is higher than normal. It seems the farmers planted less 757 00:41:08,890 --> 00:41:12,330 S2: wheat after the years of drought caused that crop to fail. 758 00:41:12,330 --> 00:41:16,049 S2: So many times. Barley might be more humble, but better 759 00:41:16,050 --> 00:41:19,770 S2: to have some barley than no wheat. It's the time 760 00:41:19,770 --> 00:41:22,450 S2: of the judges, that time when everyone did what was 761 00:41:22,450 --> 00:41:24,969 S2: right in their own eyes. The country seemed to be 762 00:41:24,969 --> 00:41:29,969 S2: in self-destruct mode, with natural disasters, competing with foreign enemies 763 00:41:29,969 --> 00:41:33,730 S2: to see who could cause the greatest sense of national malaise. 764 00:41:34,210 --> 00:41:36,250 S2: But the dark days were about to end, as a 765 00:41:36,250 --> 00:41:39,569 S2: young widow cautiously made her way down a dirt path 766 00:41:39,610 --> 00:41:42,969 S2: leading to a nearby barley field. The widow is Ruth, 767 00:41:43,130 --> 00:41:46,169 S2: and the field belongs to a man named Boaz. As 768 00:41:46,170 --> 00:41:49,370 S2: a foreigner and a widow, Ruth had few illusions about 769 00:41:49,370 --> 00:41:52,009 S2: what the future held, but she'd made a commitment to 770 00:41:52,010 --> 00:41:55,290 S2: her mother in law. Where you go, I will go. 771 00:41:55,410 --> 00:41:58,330 S2: And where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall 772 00:41:58,330 --> 00:42:01,970 S2: be my people and your God. My God. And Ruth 773 00:42:01,969 --> 00:42:05,880 S2: intended to keep her promise. Her only hope for survival 774 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:08,319 S2: was to follow the Reapers in the field and pick 775 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:11,160 S2: up the few stalks of grain that fell from their hands, 776 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:13,600 S2: in addition to those left standing in the corners of 777 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:16,680 S2: the field. She didn't know what the future held, but 778 00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:19,520 S2: she would do her best to keep her vow to Naomi. 779 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:23,680 S2: Ruth's sense of faithfulness and commitment was matched by the 780 00:42:23,680 --> 00:42:26,600 S2: owner of the field she had seemingly chosen at random. 781 00:42:26,960 --> 00:42:29,600 S2: When Boaz learned of her identity and of her faithfulness 782 00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:33,279 S2: to Naomi, he responded in kind. Do not go to 783 00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:37,120 S2: glean in another field. Furthermore, do not go from this one, 784 00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:39,839 S2: but stay here with my maids. Let your eyes be 785 00:42:39,840 --> 00:42:42,680 S2: on the field where they reap and go after them. 786 00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:46,520 S2: Boaz had compassion for Ruth and Naomi, and he looked 787 00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:49,360 S2: for ways to help meet their physical needs while also 788 00:42:49,360 --> 00:42:53,880 S2: preserving their sense of dignity and worth from providing water, food, 789 00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:57,080 S2: and shelter. While Ruth labored in the field to having 790 00:42:57,080 --> 00:43:00,319 S2: his own laborers become less efficient so Ruth would have 791 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:03,799 S2: more grain to gather, Boaz put the needs of others 792 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:07,260 S2: ahead of his own personal profit. For about two months, 793 00:43:07,260 --> 00:43:10,060 S2: Boaz did all he could to help Ruth and Naomi. 794 00:43:10,300 --> 00:43:13,500 S2: The writer carefully records that Ruth stayed close by the 795 00:43:13,500 --> 00:43:15,779 S2: maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end 796 00:43:15,780 --> 00:43:19,420 S2: of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. It became 797 00:43:19,460 --> 00:43:22,180 S2: obvious to Naomi that Boaz was a man of compassion 798 00:43:22,180 --> 00:43:24,620 S2: and honor, and more than that he was also a 799 00:43:24,620 --> 00:43:27,980 S2: near kinsman, a member of Naomi's extended family, who was 800 00:43:27,980 --> 00:43:30,739 S2: in a position to take care of Ruth and Naomi 801 00:43:30,900 --> 00:43:34,180 S2: if he so desired. While someone reading the story might 802 00:43:34,180 --> 00:43:37,300 S2: assume it took Naomi some time to reach this conclusion, 803 00:43:37,300 --> 00:43:40,660 S2: one detail in the story lets us know otherwise. Ruth 804 00:43:40,660 --> 00:43:43,259 S2: might have continued gleaning in Boaz's fields until the end 805 00:43:43,260 --> 00:43:46,219 S2: of the wheat harvest, but her encounter with Boaz in 806 00:43:46,219 --> 00:43:49,060 S2: chapter three took place when he was winnowing barley at 807 00:43:49,060 --> 00:43:53,420 S2: the threshing floor, and the barley harvest, including the winnowing process, 808 00:43:53,420 --> 00:43:56,859 S2: took place before the wheat harvest. We all know how 809 00:43:56,860 --> 00:44:00,980 S2: the story ends. Boaz affirms his commitment to Ruth and Naomi, 810 00:44:00,980 --> 00:44:03,450 S2: and he receives the right from a nearer kinsman to 811 00:44:03,489 --> 00:44:07,049 S2: buy back the land once owned by Naomi's husband. The 812 00:44:07,050 --> 00:44:09,770 S2: nearer kinsman refused because he would also have to take 813 00:44:09,770 --> 00:44:12,650 S2: Ruth as his wife, and he was unwilling to do so. 814 00:44:13,090 --> 00:44:16,130 S2: Boaz marries Ruth and we close the book, smiling at 815 00:44:16,130 --> 00:44:19,690 S2: the happy ending. But the story isn't over. The last 816 00:44:19,690 --> 00:44:22,489 S2: few verses of the Book of Ruth are really intended 817 00:44:22,489 --> 00:44:25,649 S2: as the climax for the book. Ruth and Boaz had 818 00:44:25,650 --> 00:44:28,210 S2: a son named Obed, and he eventually grew up and 819 00:44:28,210 --> 00:44:30,969 S2: had a son named Jesse, who eventually grew up and 820 00:44:30,969 --> 00:44:34,330 S2: had a son named David. The book began with the 821 00:44:34,330 --> 00:44:37,730 S2: heartache and confusion of the time of the judges, but 822 00:44:37,730 --> 00:44:39,969 S2: it ends with the birth of the king, who would 823 00:44:39,969 --> 00:44:43,169 S2: lead the nation in God's ways. And it all came 824 00:44:43,170 --> 00:44:46,690 S2: about because one man and one woman were committed to 825 00:44:46,730 --> 00:44:50,210 S2: being faithful, and because of a barley harvest that brought 826 00:44:50,210 --> 00:44:53,090 S2: them together. As we pull the last bits of straw 827 00:44:53,090 --> 00:44:55,450 S2: off our clothes and scrape the mud from the bottom 828 00:44:55,450 --> 00:44:58,570 S2: of our sandals, what lessons can we carry away with 829 00:44:58,570 --> 00:45:02,600 S2: us from the barley fields outside Bethlehem? I'd like to 830 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:07,080 S2: suggest to first, never underestimate what God can do through 831 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:09,520 S2: the life of a single man or woman who is 832 00:45:09,520 --> 00:45:13,040 S2: faithful from a human perspective. The faith of Ruth and 833 00:45:13,040 --> 00:45:15,640 S2: Boaz helped carry a nation from the time of the 834 00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:19,520 S2: judges to the time of King David. Determine in your 835 00:45:19,520 --> 00:45:21,879 S2: heart that you will remain a man or woman of 836 00:45:21,880 --> 00:45:26,120 S2: faithfulness and integrity, no matter what is happening around you. 837 00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:30,600 S2: And second, in the midst of life's personal difficulties, always 838 00:45:30,600 --> 00:45:33,839 S2: remember that God has a greater plan. In spite of 839 00:45:33,840 --> 00:45:38,040 S2: famine and personal loss, Ruth stayed faithful. She had no 840 00:45:38,040 --> 00:45:42,279 S2: idea God was using life's circumstances to prepare her to 841 00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:46,360 S2: become the great grandmother of King David. Or, as Matthew 842 00:45:46,360 --> 00:45:50,120 S2: shares in his gospel, one of five special women singled 843 00:45:50,120 --> 00:45:53,880 S2: out in the genealogy of Jesus, she was responsible to 844 00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:59,000 S2: remain personally faithful through life's trials. God was responsible to 845 00:45:59,040 --> 00:46:02,230 S2: work all things together for good in his eternal plan. 846 00:46:02,590 --> 00:46:06,589 S2: And the two intersected in a barley field in Bethlehem. 847 00:46:07,150 --> 00:46:09,430 S1: Boy, what a great backdrop there. Thank you, Charlie, for 848 00:46:09,430 --> 00:46:11,910 S1: bringing all those details to life for us. If you'd 849 00:46:11,910 --> 00:46:14,149 S1: like to hear it all again, you can enjoy any 850 00:46:14,150 --> 00:46:17,230 S1: program in its entirety as you visit our website, The 851 00:46:17,230 --> 00:46:20,670 S1: Land and the book. We encourage you to get started 852 00:46:20,670 --> 00:46:22,750 S1: with our podcast and to share it with a friend. 853 00:46:22,790 --> 00:46:26,990 S1: The land and the book. If you've got a Bible question, 854 00:46:27,030 --> 00:46:29,069 S1: you know we heard some earlier. Maybe you've got one 855 00:46:29,070 --> 00:46:32,230 S1: you'd like an answer to. Email that to the land 856 00:46:32,230 --> 00:46:40,590 S1: and the book at. The land and the book at. Well, 857 00:46:40,630 --> 00:46:42,910 S1: our time always goes too quickly, but we sure appreciate 858 00:46:42,910 --> 00:46:44,950 S1: your carving out time to be with us. Our host, 859 00:46:44,950 --> 00:46:48,630 S1: Charlie Dyer. Our producer, Dan Anderson. I'm John Gager, thanking 860 00:46:48,630 --> 00:46:51,230 S1: you for listening to The Land and the book, a 861 00:46:51,230 --> 00:46:54,910 S1: production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.