S1: Question do you know what modern country the biblical story
S1: of Esther is based in? The answer is Iran. Now
S1: what if we really understood the people, the culture, the
S1: history of Iran? How would that inform our reading of Esther?
S1: Coming up, a conversation with someone born and raised in
S1: Iran who has fresh insights on the story of Esther.
S1: This is the land and the book. Our team consists
S1: of noted Old Testament scholar Charlie Dyer, producer Dan Anderson,
S1: and I'm John Geiger, a guy who loves to ask questions. Well,
S1: you know, Charlie, Passover will soon be upon us. And
S1: one of the traditional Passover questions is what makes this
S1: night different from all others? Passover is just such an
S1: important biblical holiday that has great meaning for Jewish people
S1: and believers in Jesus. And I think this is a
S1: great question to ask.
S2: It is a great question to ask, and if you
S2: want to learn more about what makes Passover so special. Well,
S2: our friends at Life in Messiah are offering to mail
S2: you a free copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. The
S2: booklet will lead you through the celebration of Passover to
S2: see the rich connections to Jesus, our Messiah, and the
S2: Last Supper. You'll also receive a link for an interactive
S2: Passover Seder video with the Haggadah and video. You can
S2: celebrate Passover this year with your family and friends. To
S2: get this free offer, just go to Life in Messiah
S2: org and click on the radio button to find out
S2: more and to request your copy. That's life in Messiah.
S1: If you're new to the broadcast, this is segment one
S1: of four in which we look at current events, things
S1: happening in the Middle East this week and last week, Charlie,
S1: we discussed the political turmoil roiling Israel as the ruling
S1: coalition faced a series of crucial votes in the Knesset,
S1: with a March 31st deadline just a few days remaining
S1: in the month. Where does everything stand right now?
S2: You know, Prime Minister Netanyahu appears to have retained his
S2: title as the undisputed political chess master of Israel. Just
S2: over a week ago, he appeared to be facing an
S2: impossible situation with a razor thin majority in the Knesset.
S2: The ultra-Orthodox party said they wouldn't vote for the budget
S2: unless the Knesset first passed a bill granting military draft
S2: exemption for the ultra-Orthodox man. Now, without their support, Netanyahu
S2: didn't have enough votes to pass the budget, meaning the
S2: coalition would collapse. But then he reached a deal with Ben-Gvir,
S2: bringing the members of his party and their votes back
S2: into the coalition and providing enough votes to pass a
S2: budget even without the ultra-Orthodox. In the end, the ultra-Orthodox
S2: parties were forced to back down and agree to vote
S2: for the budget. To get the budget passed on time,
S2: the Knesset House Committee invoked a clause in the parliamentary
S2: rulebook to limit total debate on the budget to 15 hours,
S2: which went all night Monday. They also limited amendment votes,
S2: allowing just 35 votes on textual clauses and three votes
S2: per budget item. As a result, the budget passed Tuesday
S2: by a final vote of 66 to 52. By the
S2: end of the week, the hotly contested judicial selection bill
S2: also passed its final reading. The bill increases political control
S2: over judicial appointments. Currently, a nine member judicial selection committee
S2: makes all judicial appointments while the governments represented on the
S2: committee they're a minority. The judiciary basically gets to choose
S2: its own replacements. The new system removes two representatives from
S2: the Israel Bar Association and replaces them with two lawyers,
S2: one chosen by the coalition and the second by the opposition.
S2: Appointments are approved by majority vote, but must include at
S2: least one vote each from a representative of the coalition,
S2: one from the opposition, and one from the Supreme Court,
S2: giving all sides a veto. And the law doesn't take
S2: effect until after the next parliamentary election. It appears to
S2: be a fair compromise, though it's still opposed by some.
S2: And in the midst of dealing with all of those items,
S2: the cabinet passed a vote of no confidence in the
S2: current attorney general, which could lead to her dismissal. And
S2: they also voted to dismiss the head of Shin Bet,
S2: Israel's security agency. Israel's Supreme Court has temporarily blocked both
S2: those decisions and will hear arguments from those opposed to
S2: the actions. And this gets back to the heart of
S2: the dispute between the government and the courts, who has
S2: the ultimate authority. I'm sure this will play out in
S2: coming months, so we'll definitely be revisiting it again.
S1: Well, Israel's political struggles are not unique. Turkey seems to
S1: be matching Israel's drama with its own. As the mayor
S1: of Istanbul, who was assumed to be President Erdogan's main
S1: opponent in the next election, was arrested for corruption and terrorism.
S1: What do we know about these charges? Are they trumped up?
S2: Well, according to Erdogan, there's no connection between the arrest
S2: and the fact that this individual was just days away
S2: from being chosen to lead his party and challenge Erdogan
S2: in the next election. Again, according to Erdogan, it's just
S2: a coincidence that Istanbul's chief prosecutor and Turkey's, quote, independent
S2: judiciary at this time decided to arrest him along with
S2: scores of others in his party. In all honesty, John,
S2: that's just hard to believe. Ekrem Imamoglu is, or at
S2: least was, mayor of Istanbul. He's young, dynamic and he
S2: defeated Erdogan's party's candidate for mayor of Istanbul twice. The
S2: arrest took place just days before Emmanuel was due to
S2: be selected as his party's candidate for the next presidential election.
S2: According to Turkey's constitution, Erdogan's time in power ends with
S2: the next election scheduled for 2028. But many believe he
S2: was planning to call for early elections and then change
S2: the constitution to allow him to continue on as president indefinitely.
S2: In addition to being arrested. Istanbul University nullified Emmanuel's university
S2: diploma for what they described as alleged irregularities in his
S2: transfer from a private university 30 years ago. This move
S2: also bars him from running for president, since the position
S2: requires candidates to be university graduates. The court ordered Emmanuel
S2: to be jailed pending trial on the corruption charges. They
S2: rejected the request to have him imprisoned on terror related charges,
S2: though he still faces prosecution on them. But since he
S2: is already in jail, that really doesn't matter. The question
S2: for Turkey right now is how will this play out?
S2: This is widely seen as a political move on the
S2: part of Erdogan to sideline one individual who stood a
S2: good chance of defeating him in the next presidential race.
S2: Right now, this looks more like a conspiracy or a
S2: coup against Emmanuel, rather than just a series of coincidences,
S2: as Erdogan might claim.
S1: And of course, Americans like us wonder, why don't the
S1: people speak up? Why is there no opposition? Why does
S1: he get away with this?
S2: Well, 1500 people did speak up and have been arrested
S2: and are now in jail. Erdogan has very heavy handed
S2: in dealing with opposition.
S1: From Moody Radio. This is the land and the book.
S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer, our host. I'm John Gager, working our
S1: way through a list of stories that have unfolded this
S1: week in the Middle East. Well, Armageddon is in the news.
S1: And this time, though, the focus is on the past,
S1: not the future. What's the latest archaeological news from the
S1: ancient site of Megiddo? Biblical Armageddon?
S2: Well, two reports have focused on excavations at Megiddo. The
S2: first highlighted the discovery of an Egyptian military presence at
S2: the site in 609 BC. Large amounts of Egyptian and
S2: Greek pottery confirmed the presence of Egyptian forces and their
S2: Greek mercenaries there at that time. Now, this isn't a
S2: surprise to those who know the Bible, because the Bible
S2: records the death of King Josiah, Judah's last good king, there,
S2: at Megiddo in 609 BC. Second Kings 2329 says As
S2: Josiah marched out to meet Pharaoh Necho in battle, but
S2: Necho faced him and killed him at Megiddo. Apparently, the
S2: Egyptians then occupied Megiddo to control the strategic pass there
S2: through Mount Carmel. The second discovery at Megiddo dates from
S2: after the time of the New Testament. Archaeologists have uncovered
S2: a Roman military base that housed the Roman Sixth Legion,
S2: the so-called ironclad Legion. The camp was so large that
S2: only a small part it's actually been excavated so far.
S2: The rest was mapped using ground penetrating radar. Megiddo controlled
S2: the international highway at a strategic choke point and looked
S2: out over the Jezreel Valley. Archaeology is uncovering some of
S2: the history that helps demonstrate why the Hill of Megiddo
S2: was so important militarily. And from the Book of Revelation,
S2: we know this site will play a strategic role in
S2: the world's final conflict leading up to the return of Jesus.
S2: So the Hill of Megiddo, Armageddon has a role in
S2: the past, militarily and in the future.
S1: Charlie, how likely is it that visitors, you know, a
S1: few years from now, will see something different than what
S1: we have been experiencing when we tour? Megiddo?
S2: Uh, well, actually, if they if they know where to look,
S2: you know, where the tunnel goes down and out of
S2: the city? Yes. Uh, the water tunnel. Well, right next
S2: to that is where they were excavating and finding the
S2: Egyptian and Greek material. Uh, the Roman camp is down, actually,
S2: in the valley just at the foot of Megiddo. And
S2: so hopefully that at some point will also be open archaeologically.
S1: Well, moving from Megiddo to Jerusalem, archaeologists continue to excavate
S1: inside the church of the Holy Sepulchre. What have they uncovered?
S2: Well, you know, there's a debate over the exact location
S2: of Calvary and the tomb. We need to remember that
S2: the exact location isn't what's important. What's important is the
S2: reality that Jesus died on the cross for our sins
S2: in Jerusalem, that he was buried and that he rose
S2: from the dead. Now, I love the garden tomb, but
S2: my head tells me that the church of the Holy
S2: Sepulchre is likely the spot where the events actually took place,
S2: and that's why these excavations are so important. Archaeologists are
S2: currently exploring below the floor surrounding the Edicule, the building
S2: where the tomb was. They knew the area was originally
S2: used as a quarry, and after the quarry went out
S2: of use, they've now discovered it was turned into an
S2: agricultural site. Tombs were carved into the sides of the
S2: former quarry, and low stone walls were erected inside the area,
S2: and the space between them was filled with dirt. Archaeobotanical
S2: and pollen analysis of that dirt shows that the area
S2: grew olive trees and grapevines. This matches the Apostle John's
S2: description of the area around the tomb. He wrote. Now,
S2: in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden,
S2: and in the garden a new sepulchre. Now these current
S2: excavations don't resolve the debate between the two potential sites,
S2: but they do help show us that both sites match
S2: the details found in the Bible.
S1: Wow. That's interesting Charlie, thank you for that update on
S1: both Megiddo and Armageddon and our new stories as well.
S1: Coming up next, a look at Esther from someone who
S1: grew up in Iran, the country where Esther is based.
S1: That's all ahead on today's edition of The Land and
S1: the book from Moody Radio. An impossible dream, a forbidden romance,
S1: a mysterious book a simple cook navigates through heartache and
S1: danger in Sousa's ancient kitchens. Along the journey, she becomes
S1: Queen Esther's treasured friend. The story is fiction, yeah, but
S1: it sheds light on the life of the biblical character
S1: we know as Esther. I think you'll enjoy this conversation
S1: coming up on the land and the book. Hey, welcome
S1: back to segment two. I'm John Gager, inviting you to
S1: pause with me for this creative idea in loving our
S1: Muslim neighbors and coworkers for Christ. So you're standing in
S1: line at the bank and the teller is a muslim woman.
S1: May you talk to her or should you not? Let's
S1: ask Stefano. Affair with call of Hope.
S3: Well, you are not embarrassing her if you talk to her.
S3: No problem. In business life, that's okay. And even in
S3: many Muslim countries, that's totally normal. When you enter into
S3: Dubai or Qatar, there will be a woman issuing your visa,
S3: so that's fine. But that does not mean that you
S3: should go into a conversation for sure. Not about your
S3: faith with a muslim woman. This is something you should
S3: leave to your wife, to your sister, to your friend
S3: at church. Let them talk to this Muslim woman. But
S3: in business life, and when they talk to you and
S3: when they wish you a good day. Oh, of course
S3: you reply. But don't shake hands.
S1: And any other engagement with a muslim woman should, in
S1: a social setting, should definitely be woman to woman.
S3: Absolutely. Or you take your wife with you. You know,
S3: that's also possible. You can And be there as a couple.
S1: Okay. Stefano Ferrer is with call of Hope U.S. Practical
S1: Insights for sharing Jesus with your Muslim friends. Born in
S1: the Middle East, Tessa Afshar spent her teen years in
S1: England and later moved to the United States. Her conversion
S1: to Christianity in her 20s changed the course of her life.
S1: She holds a master of Divinity from Yale, where she
S1: served as the co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship for a year.
S1: Tessa is a devoted wife, a mediocre gardener. At least
S1: that's her statement. I doubt that, and an enthusiastic cook
S1: of biblical recipes. You may know her best, though, for
S1: her many books. Tessa's ancient historical fiction has been on
S1: several bestseller lists and has been translated into Get This
S1: 12 languages. Her novels have won many awards, and Tessa
S1: is one of my wife's very favorite authors. It's an
S1: honor to welcome you back to the land and the book. Tessa.
S4: I'm so delighted to join you and your listeners. John.
S4: Thank you for asking me.
S1: So the setting for your novel, which of course, is
S1: intricately woven together with the biblical account of Esther, takes
S1: place in the ancient city of Susa. And I'm told
S1: that Susa was located in the lower Zagros Mountains of
S1: southwest Iran, a vital center in the ancient Near East,
S1: the capital of Elam. What else can you tell us
S1: about Susa?
S4: Well, of course, at the time the nation was called Persia,
S4: and it was the greatest nation that the world had seen.
S4: It was an empire that had broken all the records
S4: of size up until that point. They spread from India
S4: to Egypt, and because of that they had five capitals,
S4: not just one. And Susa was one of those capital.
S4: Susa was an ancient city. It was a city that
S4: had been already quite great long before the Persians came
S4: to power. The king before the one who married Esther,
S4: After Darius had taken that Susa that had at the
S4: time sort of fallen on hard times, and he had
S4: built it up again, and he had made it grand again,
S4: and he had transformed it into one of the capitals
S4: of Persia. I believe that Esther probably grew up in
S4: this very area. She, at a very young age, lost
S4: her parents and was raised by Mordecai, who was a cousin,
S4: and although she grew up as a Jew, she grew
S4: up probably in a Jewish neighborhood. She grew up with
S4: the teachings of the Lord. So even though she would
S4: have grown up in the same city that Persians ruled
S4: and Persians lived in, she would still have had her
S4: own sort of separate existence, if that makes sense.
S1: Okay. Our guest today on the land and the book
S1: is Tessa Afshar. Born in the Middle East, she brings
S1: us unique insights into the life of Queen Esther using
S1: the tool of fiction. Here's an odd question what do
S1: we know about the diet of folks in Susa during
S1: Esther's day? What did they eat? Or do we really
S1: not know?
S4: So the Persians liked meat a lot, and in a
S4: given palace they probably would have had about a thousand
S4: animals that would be roasted for the day, because they
S4: didn't just feed the courtiers and the king and his family,
S4: but they also said the soldiers, his special guard who
S4: were called the immortals and the guests, and then the
S4: servants who worked in the palace, got to take the
S4: leftovers home with them. It was one of the perks
S4: of working in the palace. Now we also know that
S4: they had wine and grapes and figs and a whole
S4: bunch of other things. A lot of spices.
S1: Well, I like this idea of of takeout. That sounds
S1: good to me.
S5: Nice benefit.
S1: Well, ultimately, if I've got my history correct here, Esther
S1: is chosen to be the queen of Xerxes, who ruled
S1: from 486 to about 465 BC. What do we know
S1: about this king that might help us better understand Esther
S1: and the challenges that she faced?
S4: So Xerxes was the son of Darius. He was the
S4: grandson of Cyrus the Great. So right before the story
S4: of Esther. So at the time that the whole problem
S4: arose with Haman sort of coming up with this terrible
S4: edict and convincing the king to set all the Jews
S4: in all the 127 provinces to death. Right before this,
S4: Esther had been married for five years. And when you
S4: look at the years before this and up to his
S4: marriage to Esther, we find that Xerxes had been through
S4: a lot of difficulties. So he had lost a war
S4: to Greece. There had been some several terrible battles, and
S4: a lot of Persians had been killed. And then right
S4: after that, there were a couple of serious uprisings. One
S4: was in Babylon that he had to put out these fires,
S4: and he'd just been going from one hard thing to
S4: another to another. And by the time we meet him
S4: in the book of Esther, we get a sense he
S4: drinks too much. He doesn't trust his own judgment. You know,
S4: he's not in a good place. So I think for
S4: Esther at that time, on the one hand, there are
S4: certain things that are good about him, because we realize
S4: that as soon as he recognizes that he's made an error,
S4: that he has put his trust in Haman, who's a
S4: terrible person, he immediately sort of pulls back and tries
S4: to do what he can to put it to right,
S4: to put his mistakes to right. So there are some
S4: really good things about him, but I assume that when
S4: Esther first married him, he was a bit of a mess.
S1: If you're just joining us, this is the land and
S1: the book. I'm John Gager. We're talking with Tessa Afshar,
S1: who's written the fictional work The Queen's Cook, based in
S1: the times of the biblical Queen Esther, and with some
S1: wonderful imagination and a bit of creative license. You've crafted
S1: this novel The Queen's Cook. Give us a brief overview.
S4: So you know, John. So many people have written wonderful
S4: books about Esther, and because I was myself born in Persia,
S4: and Esther has always meant a lot to me, and
S4: I always wanted to come back and do something about her.
S4: But I also felt like her life had been covered
S4: really well by movies and books. So I decided to
S4: write a series of three books based on Esther's fictional friends.
S4: So on the one hand, I can go to town
S4: and just write a story kind of more freely about
S4: people who don't exist. But on the other hand, I
S4: can also show a little bit about Esther's world, about
S4: the Persian world, about the different characters who lived in
S4: that world, the different backgrounds who lived in that world
S4: by showcasing people who are from different backgrounds. So the
S4: first Character is a young woman who is from a
S4: Persian background, and she ends up becoming a cook in
S4: Esther's kitchens. Now there were almost 300 cooks in each palace.
S5: Really?
S4: Yeah. And it's extraordinary. Now, they were supposed to clean
S4: up after themselves. There weren't that many cleaning servants, but
S4: the cooks had specialties. Some of them focused on dairy,
S4: some of them focused on dessert, some of them focused
S4: on main meals. So obviously there was a lot of
S4: focus on food. The Persians like their food. They like
S4: their sweets. They like their desserts.
S5: You know, I'm with them.
S4: Me too. Totally. I had such a blast just coming up.
S5: With.
S4: That part of the story and the research. The research
S4: included John cooking a lot, so that was great. My
S4: husband loved that. But the story is basically showcases Esther
S4: in first person. She pops up every once in a
S4: while through her secret scrolls telling her side of the
S4: story a little bit. But mostly it's the story of
S4: this young woman who becomes a cook.
S5: I have to ask.
S1: You, if you had an audience today with the biblical
S1: character Esther, just given a moment, what one question would
S1: you ask her if you were given only one?
S4: The Lord gave you such profound responsibility. Did you find
S4: happiness as you juggled that responsibility?
S5: Hmm.
S1: All right. What about you? As you're writing this? Anything
S1: that maybe caught you by surprise as you researched this book?
S1: I mean, as you said, you're of Persian descent. This
S1: is a home base for you. Any surprises.
S5: Though?
S4: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I grew up in Persia, but
S4: I did not grow up a Christian, so I knew
S4: about the kings. But I'd never been told about Esther.
S4: And it wasn't until I became a Christian that then
S4: I started reading the Bible and I was like, hey,
S4: wait a minute. Like, these are my kings.
S5: These are my people.
S4: Um, you know, I went to school studying them, but
S4: I never heard about Esther. And it's actually not a surprise.
S4: Number one, Esther and Vashti. Neither of them. So the
S4: king's first wife. And neither of them are mentioned in
S4: any of the extra-biblical documents that we have from the
S4: Persians or from the Greeks, because the Greeks tell us
S4: a lot about what we know about the Persians, rather
S4: than the Persians themselves haven't left a lot, or what
S4: they have left has been destroyed. So I was surprised
S4: that the only wife of Xerxes that we hear about
S4: is a woman named Amestris. The question is, why is
S4: Esther not mentioned? But when I researched, I found out
S4: one fact about the Persians. They only recorded the names
S4: of the wives of the king who bore him children.
S4: So it is not surprising that Vashti isn't mentioned that
S4: Esther isn't mentioned. If they did not bear him children,
S4: then they would not have been in the records. So
S4: whereas Amestris gave him several children and it's one of
S4: her sons who then becomes Artaxerxes, the following king, we
S4: do hear from Josephus. Josephus mentions Esther in his book,
S4: but Josephus is 75 A.D. so we're talking over 400
S4: years after the events of the Book of Esther. So
S4: that was kind of a fun insight into why Esther
S4: is not mentioned outside the Bible. And another insight that
S4: I had when I was studying the book was Esther's
S4: initial response to Mordecai. As you probably know this first
S4: when Mordecai says, but who knows that you were brought
S4: to royal position for such a time as this? It's
S4: such a blessing that verse to so many of us,
S4: because it reminds us that God has not brought us
S4: to this particular time, this particular season, this particular location,
S4: even by happenstance that we are here for a reason. Yes,
S4: for this season. And it's very encouraging. But originally when
S4: you read the context and Mordecai says those words to Esther,
S4: I think he doesn't mean them necessarily all sweet and
S4: lovey dovey. He means them as a little bit of
S4: a slap to the back of Esther's hand, because he
S4: has brought to him the problem of the people he
S4: brought to her. He has said to her, our people
S4: are about to die. Will you go and intercede with
S4: the King on our behalf? And yet, Esther's first response.
S4: She doesn't say the words I can't, but more or
S4: less that's what she's saying. She says, look, everybody knows
S4: if I come before the King without being sent for
S4: the law, says, I shall be put to death. And
S4: he hasn't sent for me for 30 days. And essentially,
S4: what she's saying is, first of all, he's not going
S4: to send for me. And secondly, the king who hasn't
S4: sent for me in 30 days. She's basically saying, is
S4: not going to do that for me now. So her
S4: first response to Mordecai is, I can't do this. I'm
S4: useless to you. I have no authority. I have no
S4: influence with my husband. So Mordecai then tells her that
S4: verse because Mordecai knows for Esther she's only looking at
S4: her life through the past 30 days. She's looking through
S4: the lens of the 30 days where she has been
S4: a rejected wife. Her husband, for whatever reason after five
S4: years of marriage, has not sent for her, is not interested.
S4: We don't know why. The reason isn't given, but that's
S4: all she's looking at. She's looking at life through the
S4: lens of an abandoned and rejected wife. And Mordecai is saying,
S4: set that 30 days aside. It's God's such a time
S4: as this that matters. God's timing always trumps our 30 days.
S4: Set aside the lens of your past 30 days, 30 months,
S4: 30 years, whatever it is that's got you discouraged right now.
S4: And look at your life through the lens of God.
S4: Such a time as this.
S1: That's a lovely way to land this conversation. So much
S1: more to think about. And I love the way you
S1: help us wrestle with it all. Even if it's fiction.
S1: It is taking us to the biblical story and reminding
S1: us of important truths about God. Thank you, Tessa, for
S1: the book and for this conversation.
S4: It has been my absolute pleasure. Thank you for hanging
S4: out with me today.
S5: And.
S1: We'll look forward to another conversation in the future. Hey,
S1: coming up on the land and the book your friend
S1: in mind, Jerry Peterman taking a look at your Bible
S1: questions right here. It was written by more than 40
S1: divinely inspired authors over a period of nearly 2000 years.
S1: The Bible. That's the focus of this third segment here
S1: on the land and the book, more specifically, your questions
S1: as you open your copy of the Bible. I'm John Yeager,
S1: about to be joined by our host, Doctor Gerald Peterman.
S1: Before we get to that though, let's ask ourselves what
S1: does Passover mean for us as believers in Jesus? Some
S1: will remember the story from the book of Exodus, but
S1: there's more to it. Did you know that the Last
S1: Supper was really a Passover meal, and that Jesus and
S1: his disciples celebrated Passover, but it also foreshadowed his death
S1: on the cross for our redemption. Now, Jewish people, of course,
S1: have been observing the feast of Passover for thousands of years.
S1: So understanding its history, its importance will help us better
S1: connect with our Jewish friends, our Jewish neighbors. And boy,
S1: what better way to do that than to experience a
S1: Passover Seder yourself? If you've never celebrated Passover well, our
S1: friends at Life in Messiah would love to partner with
S1: you in hosting a Seder experience. Every year, their staff
S1: engage with churches and small groups in an interactive Messiah
S1: in the Passover Seder, allowing participants to taste and see
S1: the redemption story. So bottom line, if you're interested in
S1: having somebody come to lead a Seder in your area.
S1: Just head to life in Messiah Dot and click on
S1: the Moody Radio button there to learn more. That's life
S1: in Messiah. All right. Let me say welcome to Doctor
S1: Gerald Peterman. Always good to have you in the studio.
S6: Oh it's a pleasure to be here.
S1: What's the best thing about working with students at Moody?
S1: What do you like about that?
S6: Oh, wow. Do I have to pick just one thing?
S1: No. You can choose.
S5: Several.
S6: My goodness. Um. They're young, they're energetic. Yeah. And, um,
S6: they just want to learn. They just soak it up,
S6: and they will stop by the office and want to
S6: talk about life and what's going on in life. Uh,
S6: it's just a really blessed time to be welcomed into
S6: many young lives and try to give them some encouragement.
S6: I just love it.
S1: Now, I take it you've been here. How long on faculty?
S6: This is my 23rd year.
S1: 23 years. So I would guess that you're kind of pro.
S1: The idea of parents who are listening, grandparents who are listening,
S1: sending their kids to Moody as a as a.
S6: Oh, I'm totally pro sending your grandchildren to Moody or
S6: sending your children to Moody? Totally, bro.
S1: Yeah, it's a great environment. Our kids went here, and
S1: if their kids know what's good for them, why, they'll come.
S5: Here, too.
S1: All right, let's get to question number one. This is
S1: from me. Uh, last year, our pastor encouraged our small
S1: group to memorize Romans eight, all 39 verses. It was
S1: a struggle, but we got through it. But of course,
S1: you can't help but memorize something and not wonder about it.
S1: In particular, Romans eight says the mind set on the
S1: flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit
S1: is life and peace, because the mind set on the
S1: flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not subject
S1: itself to the law of God, for it is not
S1: even able to do so. And those who are in
S1: the flesh cannot please God. All right, so here's my question.
S1: Since I do continue to sin in this life, just
S1: ask my wife or our producer, Dan Anderson, what is
S1: an objective measuring standard that I can use to know
S1: if I am more about the flesh than the spirit?
S6: Okay. Um, I don't think there is an objective measure,
S6: but I'll not leave you there. Okay. Okay. That is.
S6: I think there is a reliable subjective measure. We are
S6: talking about a relationship. We're talking about a relationship we
S6: have with God. And relationships always have their ups and downs.
S6: So what are we looking for? We're looking for this.
S6: Am I more obedient this year than last? Am I
S6: more loving this year than last year? Am I more
S6: anxious for worship and enjoying it more this year than
S6: last year? And you can discern these things in your
S6: own heart and mind before God. So I would use
S6: these questions. These are questions based on passing time. Am
S6: I being transformed? If you're being transformed, that is the
S6: work of the spirit. And then I'd get other people
S6: involved in here too. You mentioned your wife like asking her, honey,
S6: how have I been growing? And where do I still
S6: need to grow?
S5: Yeah.
S6: And she will give you an honest answer. Thanks be
S6: to God. Right. And because she knows you.
S5: That's right.
S6: And so she can see. Here's where you are changing.
S6: And again, that is the work of God's Spirit. And
S6: here's where you need to change. And that's the work
S6: of God's Spirit in her to direct you. So I
S6: would use these valuable subjective tools of relationship to answer
S6: the question.
S1: Okay, here's a question about the messianic Psalms. Why do
S1: they sometimes seem to have bits and pieces of messianic references,
S1: but then they transition to other content? Why not make
S1: these references more apparent? I don't understand the weaving in
S1: and out of a different scenario or different context.
S6: There is a total weaving in and out and it
S6: can surprise us or maybe even frustrate us. The revelation
S6: about Messiah we see in Psalms, and indeed the revelation
S6: of the whole Old Testament unfolds slowly. Let me illustrate
S6: it this way. Imagine you meet a new friend at church,
S6: and you talk and your relationship grows and you continue
S6: to talk and you go out for coffee and you
S6: have them over for dinner and you talk some more,
S6: and then years go on in your relationship. And that
S6: is about early on your relationship. Your conversations more shallow.
S6: And as it goes on, it's deeper and deeper and deeper.
S6: So God is revealing himself, but he doesn't download all
S6: the terabytes of his data. In Genesis one. He unfolds
S6: it slowly. And then that shows up in the Messianic Psalms,
S6: because the Psalm is relevant to the people of God
S6: when it's written. So David writes a song, a psalm,
S6: it gets sung in worship. It's relevant to its time period.
S6: But then there'll also be hints, as you mentioned, also
S6: be hints in it about the Messiah, and those things
S6: get all pieced together. Psalm after psalm after psalm after
S6: psalm after psalm. And by the time we get to
S6: the end of the Psalm, then look back on them,
S6: we say, oh, these 150 are telling us many, many,
S6: many things about the Messiah, but not all at once.
S6: It's over the course of generations that it gets told.
S1: Yeah, I'm intrigued with the the revelation of Jesus in
S1: the Old Testament in general. That's why I'm so intrigued
S1: with the the scene with Jesus on the road to
S1: Emmaus with those two. They're upset because Jesus has been crucified. And,
S1: you know, don't you even know about this? They don't
S1: know who he is. And if I if I'm quoting
S1: the phrase right, it says. And then Jesus began to
S1: show them from Moses and the prophets everything that had
S1: to do with him. So just the thought that Moses,
S1: we're talking Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, numbers, Deuteronomy, the prophets are
S1: all pointing to Jesus. That's mind blowing.
S6: That's right. The whole Old Testament looks forward to Christ.
S6: The whole Old Testament. Not every single verse, but the
S6: Old Testament as a whole looks forward to him. This
S6: is what Jesus is talking about in Matthew five. Do
S6: not think I've come to abolish the law and the prophets.
S6: I I've not come to abolish them, but to fulfill
S6: them because they look forward to me, right? I added
S6: that portion in. They look forward. They look forward to him.
S6: So his arrival fulfills them.
S1: And then what does that say about, I think, a
S1: little bit of a tendency and maybe you'll disagree, but
S1: it seems to me that a lot of churches today
S1: are just not real big on the Old Testament. We're missing.
S5: Out.
S6: Sadly. Sadly, we're not big on the Old Testament, folks.
S6: Please forgive me. The Old Testament is two thirds of
S6: your Bible. That is the Word of God. It is rich. Rich.
S6: So we ought to spend more time there.
S1: That's Doctor Gerald Peterman answering Bible questions today on the
S1: land and the book. You should know that we would
S1: love to entertain your question, whatever it might be about
S1: Scripture prophecy, the land of Israel. Here's how you connect
S1: with an email. You write us at the land and
S1: the book at Moody. That's the land and the book
S1: at Moody. All right. I have another question from Matthew,
S1: chapter 26. In verse 28, Jesus says to his disciples
S1: as they eat the Last Supper, This is my blood
S1: of the covenant which is being poured out for many
S1: for forgiveness of sins. At first glance, the verse appears
S1: to be saying, Jesus blood is not for the forgiveness
S1: of all, just many. Can you please explain this unsettling
S1: feeling I have?
S6: Oh, I can totally understand that unsettling feeling. There are
S6: two things to keep in mind that I think are
S6: going to help us. First, we should think about the
S6: word many as in contrast to few rather than many
S6: as in contrast to all. This is an Old Testament
S6: way of thinking. I'm thinking especially about Daniel 12 verse two,
S6: a very important verse, and it says, and many of
S6: those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
S6: some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
S6: That's resurrection. Yeah, right. But we know from John chapter
S6: five that every human being will be resurrected, but two
S6: different destinies. Right? Right. So whereas John says everyone will
S6: be resurrected, Daniel says many, many in contrast to few
S6: rather than many, in contrast to all or none. So
S6: that's the first thing to keep in mind. The second
S6: thing to keep in mind is when our Lord talks
S6: about the covenant and the pouring out of his blood
S6: in Matthew 26, I take it he's drawing on Isaiah
S6: 53 and using its language. What do we find there?
S6: We find the suffering servant will justify the many, as
S6: he will bear their iniquities. And he poured out his
S6: soul and was numbered among the transgressors. Yet he himself
S6: bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.
S6: What does many mean here? I take it many is
S6: a great number. So our Lord Jesus is drawing on
S6: this language from Isaiah 53.
S5: Okay.
S1: Well, a great question and thank you for your patience. Boy,
S1: many questions come to mind right when we open the
S1: Word of God. And if you've got one that you'd
S1: like to send our way, please know it's welcome again
S1: to connect with us via email at The Land and
S1: the Book at Moody's. That's the land, and the book
S1: at Moody's takes just a couple of days, or maybe
S1: a week at the very most, and you'll get an answer.
S1: And then we might just use your question in a
S1: future edition of our broadcast. Have you downloaded the podcast
S1: option yet? Have you shared it with a friend? It's
S1: a great way to extend this ministry. We don't have
S1: an advertising budget, but we do have you. And if
S1: you like what you're hearing, why not pass along the
S1: word about our podcast? You'll find it at the Land
S1: and the book org. Looking forward to connecting with your
S1: friend in mind. Charlie Dyer. He's next. It's a vanishing species.
S1: The handwritten letter. Hi, I'm John Geiger. This is the
S1: land and the book. Think about.
S5: It.
S1: When was the last time you received a letter that
S1: was written by hand? You know, there are legal letters.
S1: Of course there are love letters. But are. Our host,
S1: Charlie Dyer, is leading us in a devotional series that
S1: takes us to the Lachish letters. Charlie, is that right?
S2: That's exactly right, John.
S1: All right. Where are we headed to, biblically speaking?
S2: Well, we're heading to the city of Lachish, just about
S2: 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem.
S1: All right. Looking forward to that devotional right after this
S1: perspective from an Israel traveler who's back with this thought
S1: for you and me.
S7: This is Grady Hauser. I think when we got back
S7: from Israel, we've often said, I've studied the Bible and
S7: the scriptures for 50 years. And yet, after coming back
S7: from Israel, we have we've often said that it was
S7: like reading in black and white before, and now you're
S7: reading in color. I'm sure that's not original with us,
S7: but it was certainly true for us, our experience. I
S7: would think of a couple of things very briefly, to
S7: go to the Sea of Galilee and to be on
S7: the northwest shore, and to realize that possibly within a
S7: few hundred yards, give or take, up and down that shore,
S7: you're looking at the very spot where Jesus would have
S7: talked to and Peter and John, and to have called
S7: them from their fishing to follow him. Or perhaps also,
S7: I would think of how meaningful it was to go
S7: to Caesarea Philippi and to realize why it was that
S7: Jesus walked all that way up there with his disciples,
S7: to tell them that I will build my church, and
S7: the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And
S7: what that would have meant for them sitting there at
S7: Caesarea Philippi, at that pagan shrine.
S1: Our Bibles are open now to Jeremiah chapter 34. Charlie,
S1: I think that's where you want to take us in
S1: your devotional today.
S2: That's right. And we're at the seventh in my series
S2: of 11 devotionals that I'm calling 11 inscriptions to the Bible.
S2: These are written inscriptions uncovered by archaeologists that give us
S2: new insight into our understanding of the Bible. And today's
S2: journey takes us to the Shfela, the low foothills to
S2: the southwest of Jerusalem, to visit the site of ancient Lachish.
S2: If you ask me to pick the most amazing site
S2: in Israel not visited by most tourists, I would choose
S2: this spot. It's possible you don't even recall reading about
S2: Lachish in the Bible. And even if you've been to Israel,
S2: unless you were on a study tour, it's likely you
S2: never visited the site. So why does it rank so
S2: high on my list of amazing places? And what's the
S2: inscription that was discovered here? Well, first let me tell
S2: you about the site. Lachish was the second largest city
S2: in the Kingdom of Judah at the time of the
S2: First Temple. The only city that was larger was Jerusalem,
S2: and it played a significant role in Bible history. It
S2: was one of the five cities in the coalition that
S2: attacked Gibeon at the time of Joshua. Later, following Solomon's death,
S2: Lachish was one of the 15 cities fortified by King
S2: Rehoboam to guard against attack. Another of Judah's kings was
S2: assassinated there, and the city was eventually attacked and destroyed
S2: by both King Sennacherib of Assyria and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
S2: Both knew the strategic importance of this city for the
S2: defense of the Kingdom of Judah. It was so important
S2: that Sennacherib decorated a room in his palace with a
S2: series of reliefs showing its capture. I also like Lachish
S2: because of its archaeological potential. The city had to have
S2: a way to get water inside the walls, but it
S2: hasn't yet been discovered. One thing that has been uncovered, though,
S2: is the massive gate complex to the city. Standing at
S2: the foot of the hill and looking up at the
S2: foundations of the gate. I can see why Sennacherib boasted
S2: about capturing the city, but the inscription we want to
S2: look at today dates to just over a century after
S2: the time of Sennacherib. The enemy camped outside Lachish isn't Assyria,
S2: it's Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar has just sent his army to
S2: Judah for the third time, and this time he'll accept
S2: nothing less than the total destruction of this nation that
S2: has dared to rebel against him. The campaign against Judah
S2: was long and ferocious. Nebuchadnezzar began by systematically moving his
S2: army through the land, methodically eliminating one city after another.
S2: Toward the end, only three major cities remained. Jeremiah described
S2: it this way. Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these
S2: words to Zedekiah, king of Judah and Jerusalem. When the
S2: army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem
S2: and against all the remaining cities of Judah, that is,
S2: Lachish and Azekah. For they alone remained as fortified cities
S2: among the cities of Judah. Lachish, Azekah, and Jerusalem. Every
S2: other major town was gone, captured, destroyed. And now Nebuchadnezzar
S2: could concentrate his forces on these three remaining fortress cities.
S2: But in what order did they fall? To find the answer,
S2: we need to go inside the gate here in Lachish.
S2: So follow me up the ramp. When archaeologists excavated the
S2: plaza between the outer and inner gates of Lachish, they
S2: came across 20 pieces of broken pottery with words written
S2: on them. In this era, before papyrus or parchment was
S2: widely available, the quickest way to pen a note was
S2: to write it out on a piece of broken pottery.
S2: These pieces were found right where we're standing. A large
S2: replica of one is on display right here. The originals
S2: are in the British Museum, so today this replica will
S2: have to suffice. These notes were written to the commanding
S2: officer at Lachish by one of the army units out
S2: in the field. They were military reports intended to keep
S2: the commander informed. I want to take you back in
S2: time to the moment when this particular letter arrived. Imagine
S2: you're sitting here with the commander of the forces at Lachish.
S2: It's the middle of the night, and the soldiers on
S2: duty have just used a rope to pull an exhausted
S2: soldier over the wall. He's out of breath, partly from
S2: running for several miles and partly out of fear and exhaustion.
S2: He just snaked his way through the Babylonian lines with
S2: a message from the commander in the field. You listen
S2: intently as the city scribe reads the faint writing on
S2: the broken piece of pottery, squinting as he tries to
S2: make out the letters in the light of a flickering
S2: oil lamp. May God cause my Lord to hear this
S2: very day tidings of good. And now, according to everything
S2: which my Lord has sent, this has your servant done.
S2: I wrote on the sheet according to everything which you
S2: sent me. And inasmuch as my Lord has sent me
S2: concerning the matter of there's no one there. And as
S2: for Samuccaya, Shemaiah took him and sent him up to
S2: the city. And may my lord be appraised that we're
S2: watching for the signal fires of Lachish, according to all
S2: the signs which my lord has given, because we cannot
S2: see Azekah. The evening signal fires were a means of communication.
S2: The cities could signal to each other, and they could
S2: also use beacons to communicate with the army in the field.
S2: The distance between Lachish and Azekah was 11 miles. 11
S2: miles of strategic territory that guarded the roadways from the
S2: coast into the hill country of Judah. But now the
S2: lights of Azekah, one of the two remaining cities anchoring
S2: the region, had gone out. The message was clear. Azekah
S2: had fallen. After the fall of Azekah, Nebuchadnezzar's forces continued
S2: their assault on Lachish and Jerusalem. We don't know how
S2: much longer it took, but Lachish was the next to fall.
S2: And that left only Jerusalem. Finally, on July 18th, 586 BC,
S2: the Babylonians broke through the walls of Jerusalem after a
S2: 30 month siege. The city had been starved into submission.
S2: All the food was gone. Some of the people had
S2: even resorted to cannibalism. The final assault met with little resistance,
S2: and the Babylonians pushed their way through the city in
S2: a murderous rampage of looting and revenge. Azekah, Lachish and Jerusalem.
S2: Like dominoes, each fell in order. The last of the
S2: cities standing against Babylon. And the letters discovered in the
S2: gate here at Lachish help us reconstruct the order of
S2: their fall. As we head back to the bus and
S2: get ready to board. Is there a lesson we can
S2: carry away from these broken pieces of pottery found in
S2: the city gate at Lachish? I think there is, and
S2: it's a sobering reminder to our own generation. In Jeremiah
S2: 34 to 39, the prophet records the final collapse of
S2: the Kingdom of Judah, including the city of Lachish, but
S2: much earlier in his ministry, at a time when such
S2: a thing couldn't even be imagined. Jeremiah had issued a
S2: warning to those who thought they could disregard God with impunity.
S2: An appalling and horrible thing has happened to the land.
S2: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule in their
S2: own authority, and my people love it so. But what
S2: will you do at the end of it? These broken
S2: pieces of pottery remind us that there is a price
S2: to pay for ignoring, disregarding, and disobeying God. We can
S2: choose our actions, but we can't choose the consequences. Just
S2: ask the people who once lived in Azekah, Lachish, and Jerusalem. Now,
S2: if you'd like to see a photo of the Lachish
S2: Letter four on display in the city gate, or one
S2: of the other inscriptions that's on display in the British Museum,
S2: just head over to our land in the book Facebook
S2: page where I've posted them.
S1: Thank you, Charlie, for the devotional and as well for
S1: posting those photos. I love going to the Facebook page
S1: and doing exactly what you're suggesting. There are lots of
S1: great things to see. Appreciate that. Well, it's always a
S1: great visit with Charlie Dyer, our host, and with you,
S1: we want to say thank you to this station for
S1: carving out air time for the land and the book.
S1: I'm John Gager The Land and the book is a
S1: production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.