1 00:00:07,970 --> 00:00:11,270 S1: With so many excavations over so many years in the 2 00:00:11,270 --> 00:00:14,330 S1: Holy Land, you'd think that most or all of the 3 00:00:14,330 --> 00:00:18,500 S1: significant discoveries have pretty much been uncovered, right? Not so. 4 00:00:18,530 --> 00:00:21,290 S1: In fact, if I can mix metaphors for a moment, 5 00:00:21,290 --> 00:00:24,410 S1: some would say all the digging up until now is 6 00:00:24,410 --> 00:00:27,229 S1: just the tip of the iceberg. Well, today we're going 7 00:00:27,260 --> 00:00:30,650 S1: to talk with a biblical archaeologist. What's it really like 8 00:00:30,650 --> 00:00:33,890 S1: to dig in ancient lands? Find out as you join 9 00:00:33,890 --> 00:00:37,040 S1: us now for the land and the book. Our host 10 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,860 S1: and guide is Doctor Charlie Dyer, who's hiking boots are 11 00:00:39,860 --> 00:00:43,370 S1: always on, who's been to a number of excavations himself. 12 00:00:43,370 --> 00:00:46,190 S1: He's traveled to Israel more than 100 times. I'm John 13 00:00:46,190 --> 00:00:49,070 S1: Gager and you know Charlie Israel, of course. So much 14 00:00:49,100 --> 00:00:51,890 S1: in the news this past year, the Bible jam packed 15 00:00:51,890 --> 00:00:56,270 S1: with end times prophecies about epic world events, the regathering 16 00:00:56,300 --> 00:00:58,730 S1: of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland, and of course, 17 00:00:58,730 --> 00:01:02,750 S1: Jesus coming return. It is crucial for us as believers, though, 18 00:01:02,780 --> 00:01:06,530 S1: to have a proper understanding of Bible prophecy so we 19 00:01:06,530 --> 00:01:09,229 S1: can have a view of the future that's shaped by Scripture, 20 00:01:09,260 --> 00:01:11,390 S1: not just today's headlines. Right? 21 00:01:11,630 --> 00:01:14,360 S2: You're absolutely right, John. And with this in mind, our 22 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,900 S2: friends at Life and Messiah have published a book titled God, 23 00:01:17,900 --> 00:01:21,380 S2: Israel and Bible Prophecy, and they're offering it to listeners 24 00:01:21,380 --> 00:01:23,630 S2: of the land in the book for a limited time. 25 00:01:23,630 --> 00:01:27,140 S2: This informative book is focused on providing readers with a 26 00:01:27,140 --> 00:01:31,070 S2: deeper understanding and greater appreciation of what God has in 27 00:01:31,069 --> 00:01:34,310 S2: store for Israel and the nations by digging into what 28 00:01:34,310 --> 00:01:37,430 S2: the scriptures say about these issues. Now, if you're interested 29 00:01:37,430 --> 00:01:40,490 S2: in learning more about what God has in store, visit 30 00:01:40,490 --> 00:01:43,820 S2: Life in Messiah. Org and click on the Moody Radio 31 00:01:43,819 --> 00:01:46,730 S2: button to find out how you can receive your copy 32 00:01:46,730 --> 00:01:52,760 S2: of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org. 33 00:01:52,940 --> 00:01:55,730 S1: And now a look at current events from the Middle East. 34 00:01:55,730 --> 00:02:00,230 S1: It's more than three weeks since Ismail Ismael Haniya's assassination. 35 00:02:00,230 --> 00:02:05,030 S1: And yet Iran's threatened response hasn't yet materialized. Nor has 36 00:02:05,030 --> 00:02:09,200 S1: Hezbollah's promised attack. Charlie, have the two countries been dissuaded 37 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,800 S1: from responding, or are they just sort of biding their time? 38 00:02:12,830 --> 00:02:15,560 S2: Well, yeah, they're just biding their time. We need to 39 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:19,280 S2: remember two concepts when trying to understand what motivates the 40 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,460 S2: leadership of Iran and Hezbollah are those two concepts are 41 00:02:22,460 --> 00:02:26,480 S2: shame and honor. They felt shamed when Israel attacked and 42 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,230 S2: killed leaders under their protection. They now feel compelled to 43 00:02:30,230 --> 00:02:33,980 S2: regain their honor by attacking Israel. Now, at the same time, 44 00:02:33,980 --> 00:02:37,429 S2: the leadership in both countries are concerned about Israel's ability 45 00:02:37,430 --> 00:02:41,780 S2: to launch devastating attacks against them, which could potentially cause 46 00:02:41,780 --> 00:02:45,679 S2: them more shame and even threaten their holds on power. Now, 47 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:48,800 S2: add to that the military buildup from the United States. 48 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,290 S2: They aren't sure if we're as willing to assist Israel 49 00:02:51,290 --> 00:02:55,940 S2: in launching retaliatory strikes, but they've brought in sufficient firepower 50 00:02:55,940 --> 00:02:58,550 S2: that if we choose to do so, we could cause 51 00:02:58,580 --> 00:03:02,120 S2: major damage. And that's probably the key reason they've held 52 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,930 S2: off responding so long. Now, they publicly tied the delay 53 00:03:05,930 --> 00:03:10,400 S2: to the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, a successful 54 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,000 S2: conclusion to those talks, which right now doesn't look that hopeful, 55 00:03:14,030 --> 00:03:17,000 S2: could be used as an excuse to keep from launching 56 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,690 S2: an attack that would help restore their honor, at least partially. 57 00:03:20,690 --> 00:03:24,290 S2: But that doesn't mean they won't attack Israel. They will 58 00:03:24,290 --> 00:03:28,310 S2: continue looking for ways to attack, directly or indirectly. They 59 00:03:28,310 --> 00:03:30,649 S2: know the US won't keep its forces in the region 60 00:03:30,650 --> 00:03:33,350 S2: long term, so they might simply wait for us to 61 00:03:33,380 --> 00:03:37,670 S2: withdraw before launching that direct attack. In the meantime, they're 62 00:03:37,670 --> 00:03:40,370 S2: looking for other ways to hit back at Israel, including 63 00:03:40,370 --> 00:03:45,170 S2: supporting Hamas's attempts to send suicide bombers into Israeli towns 64 00:03:45,170 --> 00:03:48,830 S2: like the one who accidentally blew himself up this past week. 65 00:03:48,860 --> 00:03:53,270 S2: Police in Argentina recently thwarted a planned terrorist attack on 66 00:03:53,270 --> 00:03:57,590 S2: the Jewish community there back in 1994, Iran and Hezbollah 67 00:03:57,620 --> 00:04:01,880 S2: bombed a Jewish community center in Argentina, killing 85. So 68 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:06,230 S2: they've done this before. And Hezbollah published a video showing 69 00:04:06,260 --> 00:04:09,680 S2: a vast underground network of tunnels from which it can 70 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,430 S2: launch missiles against Israel. Now, all this to say, Israel 71 00:04:13,430 --> 00:04:17,719 S2: remains on alert. They were surprised by Hamas on October 7th. 72 00:04:17,750 --> 00:04:21,680 S2: They won't be surprised by Iran or by Hezbollah this time. 73 00:04:21,710 --> 00:04:26,120 S1: Story number two the U.S., Egypt and Qatar continue working 74 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,720 S1: on ways to implement a ceasefire and hostage deal between 75 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,869 S1: Israel and Hamas, in spite of their optimism. Can the 76 00:04:32,870 --> 00:04:36,320 S1: two sides really come to any final agreement? 77 00:04:36,350 --> 00:04:39,169 S2: You know, John, for the sake of the hostages still alive, 78 00:04:39,170 --> 00:04:41,630 S2: I hope a deal can be reached. Even this week, 79 00:04:41,630 --> 00:04:44,540 S2: we saw information on a hostage that we had heard 80 00:04:44,540 --> 00:04:47,210 S2: about while we were in Israel before, whose body has 81 00:04:47,210 --> 00:04:51,050 S2: now been recovered. And that's sad. Israel accepted the bridging 82 00:04:51,050 --> 00:04:55,200 S2: proposals that the U.S. has made, and unfortunately, Hamas has 83 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,650 S2: rejected them, which isn't a hopeful sign. Now, even if 84 00:04:58,650 --> 00:05:01,200 S2: a deal were to be reached and that's a big if, 85 00:05:01,230 --> 00:05:04,680 S2: there's no guarantee it will result in peace or in 86 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,219 S2: the return of all the hostages. Hamas didn't follow through 87 00:05:08,220 --> 00:05:12,150 S2: completely on the last hostage deal, and the bridging proposal 88 00:05:12,150 --> 00:05:16,049 S2: requires multiple stages to bring about a permanent cease fire, 89 00:05:16,050 --> 00:05:19,080 S2: to get all the hostages home and to begin the 90 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,590 S2: process of rebuilding Gaza. And most of the pressure to 91 00:05:22,620 --> 00:05:26,549 S2: compromise keeps being placed on Israel, not Hamas. I think 92 00:05:26,550 --> 00:05:29,520 S2: we always need to remember that Hamas started this conflict, 93 00:05:29,550 --> 00:05:32,640 S2: not Israel, and they're the ones opposing the attempts to 94 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,240 S2: end it. In this most recent round of negotiations, it 95 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:40,080 S2: seems the US has been overly optimistic, while Israel has 96 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:44,070 S2: been far more realistic. And unfortunately, Hamas keeps saying that 97 00:05:44,070 --> 00:05:47,250 S2: any apparent progress is just an illusion and they're looking 98 00:05:47,250 --> 00:05:50,250 S2: for any excuse to say no. Now I go back 99 00:05:50,250 --> 00:05:53,520 S2: to the question asked by God in Amos three three. 100 00:05:53,550 --> 00:05:57,150 S2: Can two walk together except they be agreed? You know, 101 00:05:57,180 --> 00:06:01,110 S2: there's not much Israel and Hamas can agree on going forward. 102 00:06:01,110 --> 00:06:04,380 S2: From its very founding, Hamas has been committed to the 103 00:06:04,380 --> 00:06:08,550 S2: total destruction of Israel. That hasn't changed. Even if a 104 00:06:08,550 --> 00:06:12,690 S2: ceasefire and hostage deal comes about. There's another issue that 105 00:06:12,690 --> 00:06:15,659 S2: still has to be addressed. Who will run Gaza the 106 00:06:15,660 --> 00:06:20,039 S2: day after hostilities cease? Hamas wants to remain in power, 107 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:23,250 S2: while Israel says they can't. And my point here is 108 00:06:23,250 --> 00:06:26,190 S2: that even if Israel and Hamas could reach a deal, 109 00:06:26,190 --> 00:06:29,400 S2: that's just the first step in a long process that 110 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,669 S2: still lies ahead. And that's a realistic assessment of what's 111 00:06:32,670 --> 00:06:33,810 S2: happening right now. 112 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:35,609 S1: As you listen to this look at current events, I 113 00:06:35,610 --> 00:06:38,460 S1: hope you appreciate all of the nuances that Charlie brings 114 00:06:38,460 --> 00:06:41,550 S1: to our understanding of what's going on so complex, but 115 00:06:41,550 --> 00:06:44,100 S1: we appreciate your keeping it in plain English. Charlie, we'll 116 00:06:44,100 --> 00:06:48,390 S1: continue now with a recent report that says archaeologists found 117 00:06:48,390 --> 00:06:52,469 S1: evidence of a lost temple in Chorazin linked to Jesus 118 00:06:52,470 --> 00:06:57,270 S1: healing miracles. Charlie, for someone unfamiliar, where is Chorazin and 119 00:06:57,270 --> 00:06:59,310 S1: how significant is this discovery? 120 00:06:59,339 --> 00:07:01,230 S2: Yeah, and for those of us who've been there, we go. 121 00:07:01,260 --> 00:07:03,900 S2: I know where that is. Chorazin is located about two 122 00:07:03,900 --> 00:07:07,830 S2: miles north of Capernaum and just up the hillside. According 123 00:07:07,860 --> 00:07:10,380 S2: to Matthew 11, it's one of the three cities where 124 00:07:10,380 --> 00:07:14,310 S2: Jesus performed most of his miracles. However, none of the 125 00:07:14,310 --> 00:07:18,210 S2: miracles Jesus did there are actually recorded in the Bible. 126 00:07:18,330 --> 00:07:21,900 S2: That's not a problem, since John tells us Jesus performed 127 00:07:21,900 --> 00:07:25,260 S2: many more miracles than what are recorded. Chorazin is a 128 00:07:25,260 --> 00:07:28,470 S2: great spot to take people to talk about Jesus, and 129 00:07:28,470 --> 00:07:31,320 S2: it's usually not very crowded. Now here's the problem though 130 00:07:31,350 --> 00:07:34,230 S2: with this story, John. At least as it was reported, 131 00:07:34,230 --> 00:07:38,400 S2: it's really not very accurate. In fact, it's rather misleading. First, 132 00:07:38,430 --> 00:07:42,420 S2: there isn't a lost temple there. There are ruins of 133 00:07:42,420 --> 00:07:46,860 S2: a Byzantine era synagogue, and recent excavations at the synagogue 134 00:07:46,860 --> 00:07:49,980 S2: have uncovered what archeologists believe are the remains of the 135 00:07:49,980 --> 00:07:54,000 S2: first century synagogue on the same spot, and that shouldn't 136 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:57,660 S2: be a surprise. The synagogue tourists see at Capernaum is 137 00:07:57,660 --> 00:08:01,260 S2: also a Byzantine era structure built on the foundation of 138 00:08:01,260 --> 00:08:04,830 S2: the synagogue there in the first century. The second problem 139 00:08:04,830 --> 00:08:09,000 S2: with the story is that nothing significant has actually been discovered, 140 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:13,350 S2: certainly nothing directly connecting that synagogue to Jesus. Now the 141 00:08:13,350 --> 00:08:16,290 S2: Bible tells us he taught in the synagogues in the region, 142 00:08:16,290 --> 00:08:19,800 S2: and that he performed miracles in Chorazin. But nothing has 143 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:24,000 S2: been uncovered in this new excavation linking Jesus to the site. 144 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,670 S2: This is a case where someone, I think, is trying 145 00:08:26,670 --> 00:08:30,870 S2: to hype an archaeological dig that really hasn't uncovered anything 146 00:08:30,900 --> 00:08:34,109 S2: of significance, at least not yet. And to me, it's 147 00:08:34,110 --> 00:08:36,929 S2: a good reminder to read more than just the headlines 148 00:08:36,929 --> 00:08:40,740 S2: when you come across this type of story. I love Chorazin, 149 00:08:40,740 --> 00:08:44,040 S2: but the headline for this story was Way Over the Top. 150 00:08:44,070 --> 00:08:46,890 S1: Yeah, well, I love Chorazin too, and so don't let 151 00:08:46,890 --> 00:08:49,950 S1: that dissuade you from visiting if you go to Israel. Right, Charlie? 152 00:08:49,980 --> 00:08:52,770 S2: Oh, absolutely. It's a great spot to visit. Just don't 153 00:08:52,770 --> 00:08:55,380 S2: look for some kind of a secret temple with Jesus 154 00:08:55,380 --> 00:08:56,280 S2: name written on it. 155 00:08:56,309 --> 00:08:59,790 S1: All right, well, artificial intelligence is speeding up the work 156 00:08:59,790 --> 00:09:05,309 S1: of translating ancient inscriptions, including the Epic of Gilgamesh. What's 157 00:09:05,309 --> 00:09:08,490 S1: the significance of this ancient work? And how is AI 158 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:10,560 S1: helping with its translation? Yeah. 159 00:09:10,590 --> 00:09:12,929 S2: Now, this is the kind of story of advances in 160 00:09:12,929 --> 00:09:16,050 S2: archaeology that won't always necessarily make the news, but that 161 00:09:16,050 --> 00:09:20,430 S2: really is fascinating. First, the significance of the Epic of Gilgamesh. 162 00:09:20,730 --> 00:09:25,710 S2: Back in 1872, an Assyriologist was studying ancient cuneiform tablets, 163 00:09:25,710 --> 00:09:28,530 S2: and he came across a story that loosely parallels the 164 00:09:28,530 --> 00:09:32,040 S2: biblical account of Noah and the flood. And the story's 165 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:34,260 S2: hero was a man named Gilgamesh. And that's where the 166 00:09:34,260 --> 00:09:38,040 S2: title Epic of Gilgamesh comes from. The Bible preserves the 167 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:40,680 S2: true account of a worldwide flood, but it's no surprise 168 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:45,000 S2: that other civilizations preserved parallel accounts of the flood, though 169 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,210 S2: those other accounts, like the Epic of Gilgamesh, became corrupted 170 00:09:48,210 --> 00:09:51,480 S2: as they were passed down from generation to generation. But 171 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,870 S2: now to. This story. Those other accounts are on clay tablets, 172 00:09:54,870 --> 00:09:57,840 S2: some of which have never been translated. There are as 173 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:01,110 S2: many as half a million cuneiform tablets in museums around 174 00:10:01,110 --> 00:10:04,290 S2: the world, and even more tablet fragments. And with so 175 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:08,010 S2: few experts in cuneiform, many have not even been read 176 00:10:08,010 --> 00:10:12,420 S2: or published. And that's where the fragmentarium comes in. This 177 00:10:12,420 --> 00:10:15,449 S2: is an AI project from the University of Munich that 178 00:10:15,450 --> 00:10:19,800 S2: uses machine learning to piece together digitized tablet fragments at 179 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,650 S2: a much faster rate than what humans can do. The 180 00:10:22,650 --> 00:10:26,850 S2: project has helped researchers discover new, previously unknown segments of 181 00:10:26,850 --> 00:10:29,850 S2: the Gilgamesh epic and hundreds of words and lines from 182 00:10:29,850 --> 00:10:33,449 S2: other works by speeding up the process. This project could 183 00:10:33,450 --> 00:10:37,260 S2: help advance our understanding of ancient Mesopotamia. But if you 184 00:10:37,260 --> 00:10:39,510 S2: really want to know what happened during the flood, don't 185 00:10:39,510 --> 00:10:42,240 S2: go to the Epic of Gilgamesh. Stick with the Bible. 186 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:44,940 S1: I think I will. Thank you, Charlie. Hey, what's it 187 00:10:44,940 --> 00:10:48,569 S1: like to be a real Archaeologists digging in the Holy Land. 188 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:52,470 S1: A look at biblical archaeology up close. Next on the 189 00:10:52,470 --> 00:11:10,710 S1: land and the book. With so many excavations taking place 190 00:11:10,710 --> 00:11:13,440 S1: over so many years in the Holy Land, you'd think 191 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:17,250 S1: most everything significant has been discovered, right? Not so. In fact, 192 00:11:17,250 --> 00:11:19,650 S1: if I could mix metaphors for a minute here, some 193 00:11:19,650 --> 00:11:22,500 S1: would say all the digging up until now is just 194 00:11:22,500 --> 00:11:24,780 S1: kind of the tip of the iceberg. Hey, up next, 195 00:11:24,809 --> 00:11:28,260 S1: a conversation with with a great biblical archaeologist you need 196 00:11:28,260 --> 00:11:31,080 S1: to meet. Welcome to segment two of The Land and 197 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:33,660 S1: the book. And as you're putting on your sunscreen for 198 00:11:33,660 --> 00:11:36,929 S1: today's exploration, let's pause for this insight on how to 199 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:40,350 S1: share your faith with a Jewish friend or relative or coworker. 200 00:11:40,380 --> 00:11:43,260 S1: Maybe it's an next door neighbor. So you want to 201 00:11:43,260 --> 00:11:45,960 S1: reach out to your Jewish friends, and you're starting by 202 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:50,970 S1: asking what sort of not so effective, maybe what's marginally effective. 203 00:11:50,970 --> 00:11:54,060 S1: That's a question for Eva Rydell, who serves on staff 204 00:11:54,059 --> 00:11:57,959 S1: with Chosen People Ministries in Chicago. What's what's only so-so 205 00:11:57,990 --> 00:12:00,150 S1: with effectiveness, or maybe not working at all with Jewish 206 00:12:00,150 --> 00:12:01,020 S1: people these days? 207 00:12:01,050 --> 00:12:04,410 S3: I think one of the the roadblocks to communication is 208 00:12:04,410 --> 00:12:07,620 S3: to tell a Jewish person, you need to become a Christian. Now, 209 00:12:07,620 --> 00:12:11,130 S3: for us who understand the New Testament and what Jesus said, 210 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:13,380 S3: to become a Christian is a very positive thing for 211 00:12:13,380 --> 00:12:16,620 S3: a Jewish person to say, let's call him Bob. Bob, 212 00:12:16,620 --> 00:12:19,020 S3: I would really like for you to become a Christian. 213 00:12:19,050 --> 00:12:21,960 S3: And when Bob, your Jewish friend, hears that what he's 214 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:24,450 S3: hearing you say is, Bob, I want you to stop 215 00:12:24,450 --> 00:12:27,989 S3: being Jewish and start being a Gentile, because in the 216 00:12:27,990 --> 00:12:30,930 S3: Jewish mind, Christian and Gentile are parallel. And here's a 217 00:12:30,929 --> 00:12:34,770 S3: sad corollary to that. And the Jewish mind, so often 218 00:12:34,770 --> 00:12:39,540 S3: Christian and anti-Semite are corollary. So to invite a person 219 00:12:39,540 --> 00:12:43,530 S3: to leave their Jewish identity and all their heritage and 220 00:12:43,530 --> 00:12:47,790 S3: become a member of a group which has historically persecuted 221 00:12:47,790 --> 00:12:50,010 S3: Jewish people. This is not a step that a Jewish 222 00:12:50,010 --> 00:12:52,860 S3: person wants to take. So I think the opening gambit 223 00:12:52,890 --> 00:12:55,200 S3: of don't you want to be a Christian is the 224 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,270 S3: wrong move to make. In its. 225 00:12:57,270 --> 00:12:58,679 S1: Place, we ought to invite them. 226 00:12:58,679 --> 00:12:59,670 S4: To have. 227 00:12:59,670 --> 00:13:03,120 S3: Faith in Messiah Jesus, to understand that they can have 228 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,760 S3: a personal relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and 229 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,300 S3: Jacob through the personal Messiah he sent the Lord Jesus. 230 00:13:09,330 --> 00:13:12,089 S1: Eva Radulovic talks to us today and she serves on 231 00:13:12,090 --> 00:13:15,660 S1: staff with Chosen People Ministries. Thanks for the encouragement. All right. 232 00:13:16,890 --> 00:13:20,220 S1: Stephen Collins is a biblical archaeologist who has logged more 233 00:13:20,220 --> 00:13:24,720 S1: than 25 excavation seasons in Israel and Jordan. He's director 234 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,680 S1: of the School of Archaeology at Veritas International University, and 235 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:32,220 S1: serves as consulting research professor in the College of Archaeology 236 00:13:32,250 --> 00:13:36,720 S1: for Trinity Southwest University. Doctor Collins teaches Old and New 237 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:42,929 S1: Testament history, biblical languages, biblical interpretation, and Christian evidential apologetics. 238 00:13:42,990 --> 00:13:45,570 S1: A welcome to the land and the book. Steven. 239 00:13:45,870 --> 00:13:47,219 S5: Great to be with you, John. 240 00:13:47,580 --> 00:13:49,800 S1: Well, I have to say right off the bat, this 241 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:53,099 S1: book of yours, the Harvest Handbook of Bible Lands, is 242 00:13:53,130 --> 00:13:56,430 S1: absolutely gorgeous. Thank you for your work on it. 243 00:13:56,460 --> 00:14:00,449 S5: Well, I appreciate that. That was something we got into 244 00:14:00,450 --> 00:14:02,640 S5: that we had always wanted to do, kind of bring 245 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:07,080 S5: folks up to the latest archaeological discoveries and, and thoughts and, 246 00:14:07,110 --> 00:14:09,030 S5: you know, ways to connect the ancient Near East with 247 00:14:09,030 --> 00:14:11,520 S5: the Bible. And we hope people enjoy it. 248 00:14:11,550 --> 00:14:13,890 S1: Well, this is obviously not the first book attempting to 249 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,070 S1: showcase the findings of biblical archaeology. So what made you 250 00:14:17,100 --> 00:14:18,000 S1: guys want to do it? 251 00:14:18,420 --> 00:14:21,480 S5: It allowed us to take what we've been working on 252 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:25,530 S5: for 35, 40 years, and to incorporate it into a 253 00:14:25,530 --> 00:14:28,620 S5: single volume that could be helpful to people, and placing 254 00:14:28,620 --> 00:14:31,920 S5: the Bible within its ancient Near Eastern context and understanding 255 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:32,760 S5: it in that way. 256 00:14:32,790 --> 00:14:35,910 S1: Well, we're all familiar with Indiana Jones, of course, for 257 00:14:35,910 --> 00:14:38,310 S1: good or bad. But why don't you share what a 258 00:14:38,310 --> 00:14:42,280 S1: typical day is actually like for a real Archaeologist. 259 00:14:42,310 --> 00:14:44,620 S5: Well, I suppose if you compare it to the movie, 260 00:14:44,620 --> 00:14:48,910 S5: the real daily life of an archaeologist is pretty boring. 261 00:14:48,940 --> 00:14:52,000 S5: Although I usually tell people say, well, you know, what's 262 00:14:52,030 --> 00:14:56,140 S5: what's archaeology like? And sometimes I, I kind of jokingly 263 00:14:56,140 --> 00:14:58,480 S5: tell them, well, you know, Indiana Jones, our life is 264 00:14:58,510 --> 00:15:03,400 S5: way more exciting than that. But not, you know, archeology 265 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:10,150 S5: is a slow, meticulous, grinding process. It's expensive. It takes 266 00:15:10,150 --> 00:15:14,020 S5: a lot of planning and logistics and, you know, you're working. 267 00:15:14,050 --> 00:15:19,330 S5: You're working with trowels and dustpans and brushes and, you know, 268 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:23,260 S5: an occasional pick. But, you know, you're removing things very, 269 00:15:23,260 --> 00:15:27,370 S5: very slowly and it takes years. Our, our excavations at 270 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:31,420 S5: Tal Hamam just wrapped up after after almost 20 years. 271 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:35,560 S5: So it's a it's a slow, slow process. And then 272 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:37,570 S5: it takes you 8 or 10 years to publish all 273 00:15:37,570 --> 00:15:40,970 S5: your findings. So when you get involved in a big project, 274 00:15:40,970 --> 00:15:42,800 S5: sometimes it can eat your life up. 275 00:15:42,950 --> 00:15:45,710 S1: Sounds like you have to really have a vision for 276 00:15:45,710 --> 00:15:48,770 S1: what you hope is there, and a tenacity to go 277 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:50,630 S1: with that vision. Fair enough. 278 00:15:50,660 --> 00:15:54,650 S5: Oh, absolutely. And of course, in our particular case with talisman, 279 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:58,160 S5: it was working with the geography of the biblical text 280 00:15:58,190 --> 00:16:00,230 S5: that brought us to that site to start with. So 281 00:16:00,230 --> 00:16:04,220 S5: we had we had biblical expectations, you might say, going in. Yeah. 282 00:16:04,250 --> 00:16:08,450 S1: Biblical archaeology. That's our focus today on the land and 283 00:16:08,450 --> 00:16:11,420 S1: the book. I'm John Gager. Our guest, Stephen Collins, who 284 00:16:11,420 --> 00:16:14,870 S1: has logged more than 25 excavation seasons. How long is 285 00:16:14,870 --> 00:16:15,950 S1: a season? Stephen? 286 00:16:15,950 --> 00:16:19,370 S5: Well, typically in a lot of sites that we've worked on, 287 00:16:19,370 --> 00:16:21,800 S5: four weeks would be a season. So you have you 288 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:24,980 S5: have several days to ramp up, a few days to 289 00:16:25,010 --> 00:16:27,920 S5: shut down at the end. So usually 4 to 5 290 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:31,010 S5: weeks is about right. The seasons at our site in 291 00:16:31,010 --> 00:16:34,609 S5: Jordan tall el-hammam were a little bit longer. They were 292 00:16:34,610 --> 00:16:38,300 S5: typically 6 to 7 weeks long, and since we lost 293 00:16:38,300 --> 00:16:40,300 S5: two years to Covid. Last year. We did a ten 294 00:16:40,330 --> 00:16:42,940 S5: week season sort of double up and make up for 295 00:16:42,940 --> 00:16:46,570 S5: lost time. But, um, you can only work in the 296 00:16:46,570 --> 00:16:49,000 S5: field for so long. I mean, we have day jobs. We, 297 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,720 S5: you know, we teach, we write, and so you have 298 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:55,510 S5: to get back to what you're actually getting paid for. 299 00:16:55,750 --> 00:16:58,510 S5: So being in the field is where we like to be. 300 00:16:58,540 --> 00:17:01,000 S1: So this brings up another question. Who all pays for 301 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,220 S1: this then? You know you got a plane ticket, you 302 00:17:03,220 --> 00:17:05,800 S1: got housing, you got food while you're there. How does 303 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:06,370 S1: that work? 304 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,609 S5: All of those expenses of staff expenses and hotel rooms 305 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:11,740 S5: and all those things have to be covered. It would 306 00:17:11,740 --> 00:17:15,040 S5: typically cost us a quarter of $1 million per season. Wow. 307 00:17:15,070 --> 00:17:19,600 S5: And so it's expensive. And in our case, we didn't 308 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:24,580 S5: get institutional money. But we have donors that are just 309 00:17:24,580 --> 00:17:26,950 S5: part of what we do. And they've been with us 310 00:17:26,950 --> 00:17:29,560 S5: for a long time and they fund us. So we're 311 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:33,070 S5: funded by private donations, mostly from Christian people. All right. 312 00:17:33,070 --> 00:17:36,790 S1: What's the oldest archaeological item you've ever held in your 313 00:17:36,790 --> 00:17:38,800 S1: hands or touched while digging. 314 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:41,619 S5: Oh, we have a lot of things we hold in 315 00:17:41,619 --> 00:17:44,230 S5: our hands from our sight, because our sight is is 316 00:17:44,230 --> 00:17:46,930 S5: a massive Bronze Age site. It's the largest Bronze Age 317 00:17:46,930 --> 00:17:51,160 S5: site in the southern Levant. So we're typically holding items 318 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:54,460 S5: that are, you know, 5000, 6000 years old on a 319 00:17:54,460 --> 00:17:55,480 S5: daily basis. 320 00:17:55,630 --> 00:17:59,830 S1: How about the most amazing archaeological item that you've ever encountered? 321 00:17:59,830 --> 00:18:01,570 S1: What would that be for you? We've talked about the oldest, 322 00:18:01,570 --> 00:18:04,450 S1: but what about you went wow, wow, wow. 323 00:18:04,450 --> 00:18:06,490 S5: Well, there's always a lot of that because I'm a 324 00:18:06,490 --> 00:18:09,370 S5: pottery guy. I'm, you know, ceramics is one of my 325 00:18:09,369 --> 00:18:11,950 S5: areas of expertise. And I love the pottery. I love 326 00:18:11,950 --> 00:18:15,460 S5: the the painted pottery, all the finely made decorated stuff. 327 00:18:15,490 --> 00:18:19,300 S5: And that's all wonderful. But but also, I love the architecture. 328 00:18:19,300 --> 00:18:23,410 S5: I love big buildings, I love fortifications. And so when 329 00:18:23,410 --> 00:18:27,340 S5: we find fortification ramparts that are 50ft at the base 330 00:18:27,340 --> 00:18:31,570 S5: and and eight feet at the top and 100ft high, 331 00:18:31,570 --> 00:18:36,340 S5: and walls that are palace walls at 2 or 3m thick, 332 00:18:36,350 --> 00:18:39,530 S5: which is almost ten feet thick. So when you see 333 00:18:39,530 --> 00:18:44,600 S5: the massive buildings, it's just incredible. It really helps you 334 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:49,010 S5: understand that these ancient people were highly technical builders. They 335 00:18:49,010 --> 00:18:52,340 S5: understood what they wanted to do and how to do it, 336 00:18:52,340 --> 00:18:56,180 S5: and their lives were not small. Many of these Canaanite 337 00:18:56,180 --> 00:18:59,090 S5: kings lived lived life on a pretty big scale. 338 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:01,250 S1: Today, on the land and the book, we're talking with 339 00:19:01,250 --> 00:19:05,540 S1: archaeologist Steven Collins. How is your own faith been bolstered 340 00:19:05,540 --> 00:19:08,479 S1: not just by your own discoveries, but but those of 341 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:09,980 S1: other archaeologists? 342 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:14,149 S5: For me personally, I wouldn't say archaeology is a faith 343 00:19:14,180 --> 00:19:17,989 S5: bolstering thing because, you know, my faith and trust in 344 00:19:17,990 --> 00:19:20,510 S5: Jesus and belief that he he is God in the 345 00:19:20,510 --> 00:19:23,240 S5: flesh and who he claims to be, comes from his 346 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:28,609 S5: historical physical demonstration of his resurrection from the dead. I mean, 347 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:31,820 S5: for me, that all focuses on on who he is 348 00:19:31,850 --> 00:19:35,380 S5: and and what he accomplished through his resurrection, which is 349 00:19:35,410 --> 00:19:40,810 S5: a provable historical event. But I like the illuminating power 350 00:19:40,810 --> 00:19:44,919 S5: of archaeology to give us insight into how people lived. 351 00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:48,490 S5: So when you talk about, for example, Abraham lit a lamp, 352 00:19:48,490 --> 00:19:51,760 S5: or David lit a lamp, or Jesus talks about lamps, 353 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:55,090 S5: what are those lamps look like? What does that world 354 00:19:55,090 --> 00:19:57,699 S5: look like? If they ate a meal, what does that 355 00:19:57,700 --> 00:19:59,980 S5: plate or bowl look like? And so these are the 356 00:19:59,980 --> 00:20:04,240 S5: simple things that I like that just show how people lived. 357 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:06,909 S5: And of course, we dig up what they ate and 358 00:20:06,940 --> 00:20:10,030 S5: how they cooked it and what kind of ovens they had. 359 00:20:10,030 --> 00:20:13,869 S5: So it's really a comprehensive look at what kind of 360 00:20:13,869 --> 00:20:15,010 S5: world they lived in. 361 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:17,830 S1: Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned that. You know, before going 362 00:20:17,859 --> 00:20:21,100 S1: to Israel, my idea of an oil lamp, as in, 363 00:20:21,130 --> 00:20:23,920 S1: you know, you had the ten virgins or whatever, you know, these, 364 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:25,899 S1: these oil lamps in Scripture. I thought of it as 365 00:20:25,900 --> 00:20:29,470 S1: something like, uh, you know, an Aladdin's lamp, something maybe 366 00:20:29,470 --> 00:20:32,740 S1: the size of a football. But these oil lamps typically 367 00:20:32,740 --> 00:20:35,439 S1: are very small, just a few inches long. That kind 368 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:36,399 S1: of blew my mind. 369 00:20:36,430 --> 00:20:38,679 S5: Yeah, they are very small and in each period they 370 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:42,070 S5: look very different. So the the lamp when King David said, 371 00:20:42,070 --> 00:20:44,889 S5: thy word is a lamp unto my feet. That lamp 372 00:20:44,890 --> 00:20:48,010 S5: doesn't look anything about, like the lamp that Jesus was 373 00:20:48,010 --> 00:20:50,230 S5: talking about when he talked about, don't hide your lamp 374 00:20:50,260 --> 00:20:51,460 S5: under a basket. 375 00:20:51,490 --> 00:20:53,590 S1: Then what are the differences? How are they different? 376 00:20:53,619 --> 00:20:57,429 S5: Well, earlier lamps going all the way back to Abraham's time. 377 00:20:57,430 --> 00:21:00,700 S5: They're simply bowls. They're small bowls that they would hang 378 00:21:00,730 --> 00:21:03,250 S5: a flax wick over the side of and have olive 379 00:21:03,250 --> 00:21:06,190 S5: oil in it. And a tablespoon of olive oil gets 380 00:21:06,190 --> 00:21:09,370 S5: you about 7 or 8 hours of light. And so 381 00:21:09,369 --> 00:21:11,500 S5: they worked really well. And then they eventually kind of 382 00:21:11,530 --> 00:21:13,840 S5: began to squeeze that bowl a little bit on one 383 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:16,900 S5: side and make a spout out of it. And those 384 00:21:16,900 --> 00:21:20,170 S5: became the spouted bowl lamps that are common in King 385 00:21:20,170 --> 00:21:23,500 S5: David's time. And those kind of lamps go all the 386 00:21:23,500 --> 00:21:26,890 S5: way down until the conquering of the area by Alexander 387 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:30,190 S5: the Great. And then you get the Greek style lamp introduced, 388 00:21:30,190 --> 00:21:32,740 S5: which was very similar to what the Romans eventually did 389 00:21:32,740 --> 00:21:35,440 S5: in the time of Jesus. So the Herodian lamp, that 390 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,439 S5: New Testament period lamp that Jesus would have used, and 391 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:41,500 S5: all the Jewish communities would have used, is very small 392 00:21:41,500 --> 00:21:45,550 S5: and very simple and very unlike what King David, that 393 00:21:45,550 --> 00:21:49,060 S5: open bowl that King David used because Jesus's time, the 394 00:21:49,060 --> 00:21:52,900 S5: lamps are closed so they don't spill as easy, let's say. 395 00:21:52,900 --> 00:21:56,020 S1: When excavating in Israel, you're working in a region that 396 00:21:56,020 --> 00:21:59,740 S1: has plenty of enthusiasm for Old Testament discoveries, but maybe 397 00:21:59,740 --> 00:22:02,410 S1: not so much interest in the New Testament. How does 398 00:22:02,410 --> 00:22:07,119 S1: that manifest itself in getting access to these sites in 399 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:10,570 S1: paperwork and clearances, or is that a non-factor? 400 00:22:10,810 --> 00:22:13,780 S5: It's really kind of a non-factor. All of us in 401 00:22:13,780 --> 00:22:17,679 S5: archaeology more or less specialize, you know, either in the 402 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:21,700 S5: classical period, say, Roman times, you know, Greco-Roman times, or 403 00:22:21,700 --> 00:22:25,210 S5: in my case, the Bronze Age. I mean, I love 404 00:22:25,210 --> 00:22:27,399 S5: the Bronze Age. I like being back there in the 405 00:22:27,430 --> 00:22:31,060 S5: Torah times, times of Moses and Joshua, and even before that, 406 00:22:31,060 --> 00:22:35,380 S5: with the patriarchs. That's my my love. But everybody has 407 00:22:35,380 --> 00:22:39,310 S5: their favorite period. And I think for me, that's that's 408 00:22:39,310 --> 00:22:40,780 S5: got to be the Bronze Age. 409 00:22:40,810 --> 00:22:44,680 S1: Stephen Collins has co-authored the Harvest Handbook of Bible Lands, 410 00:22:44,710 --> 00:22:48,550 S1: a large format, beautiful, lots of full color pictures in it. 411 00:22:48,550 --> 00:22:51,040 S1: Encourage you to check it out. You know, in many places, 412 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:55,600 S1: politics plays a role, often hindering the work of biblical archaeologists. 413 00:22:55,630 --> 00:22:58,450 S1: You see, the playing field is fairly level these days. 414 00:22:58,450 --> 00:23:02,620 S1: Or will archaeologists have an increasingly difficult time accessing sites 415 00:23:02,619 --> 00:23:03,460 S1: in days ahead? 416 00:23:03,490 --> 00:23:07,840 S5: That's a great question. Um. It fluctuates. Even though we 417 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:12,940 S5: would think that the Israeli archaeologists are more respective of 418 00:23:12,940 --> 00:23:17,889 S5: the biblical historicity. Um, that's not always true. In fact, 419 00:23:17,890 --> 00:23:20,590 S5: so many of the Israeli archaeologists that we know and 420 00:23:20,590 --> 00:23:24,280 S5: work with don't really believe that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, 421 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:28,119 S5: Moses and Joshua were real people. And so it's very secular. 422 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:34,010 S5: It's a very secular liberal, often atheistic, discipline. And what 423 00:23:34,010 --> 00:23:37,190 S5: was interesting about that is working in Jordan as long 424 00:23:37,190 --> 00:23:40,669 S5: as I have, I always tell my Jordanian colleagues, you 425 00:23:40,700 --> 00:23:43,580 S5: guys are more biblically conservative than the Israelis on the 426 00:23:43,580 --> 00:23:47,270 S5: other side of the river. And that's generally true because, 427 00:23:47,300 --> 00:23:51,020 S5: you know, they have everybody from Abraham to Jesus as 428 00:23:51,020 --> 00:23:54,050 S5: one of their own prophets. So you just can't categorically 429 00:23:54,050 --> 00:23:58,160 S5: dismiss all of that history. And so believing the Bible 430 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:02,540 S5: and working with biblical texts and finding biblical sites is 431 00:24:02,540 --> 00:24:06,379 S5: pretty comfortable thing to do in Jordan, simply because there 432 00:24:06,380 --> 00:24:10,580 S5: is a lot of respect amongst the Jordanians about these 433 00:24:10,580 --> 00:24:14,300 S5: biblical characters that are also shared by the Islamic tradition. 434 00:24:14,330 --> 00:24:16,909 S1: What about the future? Do we have enough interest in 435 00:24:16,910 --> 00:24:18,860 S1: archaeology to the point that there are going to be 436 00:24:18,859 --> 00:24:20,630 S1: trained people to do the work? 437 00:24:21,050 --> 00:24:24,890 S5: Well, at Veritas International University School of Archaeology, we have 438 00:24:24,890 --> 00:24:30,500 S5: the largest stable of master's Masters and doctoral students in archaeology. 439 00:24:30,530 --> 00:24:32,600 S5: We have a stable of over 50. If you add 440 00:24:32,630 --> 00:24:34,790 S5: Tsu in that we work with a stable of over 441 00:24:34,820 --> 00:24:39,020 S5: 100 students. And so these are 100 people that are training. 442 00:24:39,020 --> 00:24:42,140 S5: These are the future of archaeology and the Bible. 443 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:44,690 S1: So in a sentence or two, how would you have 444 00:24:44,690 --> 00:24:50,510 S1: people utilize the Harvest Handbook of Bible Lands for maximum effectiveness? 445 00:24:51,170 --> 00:24:54,260 S5: Well, I would say read the chapter that has to 446 00:24:54,260 --> 00:24:57,890 S5: do with the period that the Bible book you're reading 447 00:24:57,890 --> 00:24:59,869 S5: belongs to. If I'm going to read the book of Genesis, 448 00:24:59,869 --> 00:25:01,970 S5: I would look at that chapter on the patriarchs. If 449 00:25:01,970 --> 00:25:04,580 S5: I was going to read something about the time of 450 00:25:04,580 --> 00:25:08,210 S5: of Moses and Joshua, I would go to the Harvest 451 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,280 S5: Handbook and read that chapter. That has to do with 452 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:13,040 S5: the Late Bronze Age. And through the book it's introduced 453 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:15,380 S5: like that. These are the this is the late Bronze Age, 454 00:25:15,380 --> 00:25:17,390 S5: but this is the time of Moses and Joshua. This 455 00:25:17,390 --> 00:25:19,310 S5: is the Iron Age two period. This is the time 456 00:25:19,310 --> 00:25:21,949 S5: of King David and Solomon. And go back and read 457 00:25:21,950 --> 00:25:24,109 S5: those chapters and review that. So you get a sense 458 00:25:24,109 --> 00:25:26,330 S5: of the culture. What did the weapons look like? What 459 00:25:26,330 --> 00:25:28,910 S5: did the houses look like? What is this world that 460 00:25:28,910 --> 00:25:32,510 S5: they live in? Because each period is different, the times 461 00:25:32,510 --> 00:25:35,419 S5: of Moses are very different from the later times of 462 00:25:35,420 --> 00:25:36,560 S5: the Israelite kings. 463 00:25:36,590 --> 00:25:39,440 S1: Well, we look forward to more great stories from your 464 00:25:39,470 --> 00:25:42,290 S1: archaeological work in the days ahead. Stephen, thank you for 465 00:25:42,290 --> 00:25:43,160 S1: joining us. 466 00:25:43,190 --> 00:25:44,930 S6: John, I appreciate you having me on. 467 00:25:44,930 --> 00:25:47,090 S1: And we'll have a link to the Harvest Handbook of 468 00:25:47,090 --> 00:25:51,500 S1: Bible Lands at our website. The land and the book. Org. 469 00:25:51,650 --> 00:25:55,640 S1: Charlie's back. Your questions next on the land and the book. 470 00:26:06,770 --> 00:26:09,440 S1: It's the land and the book from Moody Radio. Our host, 471 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,860 S1: doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Yeager. We love this segment 472 00:26:12,859 --> 00:26:16,640 S1: because it involves things that are puzzling you and everybody. 473 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,010 S1: Let's be honest. When you read through, Scripture comes to 474 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:20,929 S1: something that makes you kind of scratch your head. And 475 00:26:20,930 --> 00:26:22,610 S1: this is the place to not just scratch your head, 476 00:26:22,609 --> 00:26:25,909 S1: but fill it with some answers. So welcome. Well, you know, 477 00:26:25,970 --> 00:26:28,160 S1: Israel has been in the news quite a bit over 478 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:30,140 S1: the past year. And as we know, the Bible is 479 00:26:30,140 --> 00:26:34,340 S1: jam packed with end times prophecies about epic world events, 480 00:26:34,340 --> 00:26:37,310 S1: the regathering of the Jewish people to their homeland. And 481 00:26:37,340 --> 00:26:40,909 S1: of course, Jesus returned. It is crucial for us as believers, though, 482 00:26:40,910 --> 00:26:44,389 S1: to have a proper understanding of Bible prophecy. Otherwise, our 483 00:26:44,390 --> 00:26:48,379 S1: future is shaped by headlines in the news rather than Scripture. Right, Charlie? 484 00:26:48,410 --> 00:26:50,720 S2: That's right. John. And in fact, with this in mind, 485 00:26:50,750 --> 00:26:53,180 S2: our friends at Life and Messiah have published a book 486 00:26:53,210 --> 00:26:57,560 S2: titled God, Israel and Bible Prophecy, and they're offering it 487 00:26:57,560 --> 00:26:59,540 S2: free to listeners of the land in the book for 488 00:26:59,540 --> 00:27:02,990 S2: a limited time. This informative book is focused on providing 489 00:27:02,990 --> 00:27:06,920 S2: readers with a deeper understanding and greater appreciation of what 490 00:27:06,950 --> 00:27:10,070 S2: God has in store for Israel and the nations by 491 00:27:10,070 --> 00:27:13,100 S2: digging into what the scriptures say about these issues. Now, 492 00:27:13,100 --> 00:27:16,040 S2: if you're interested in learning more about what God has 493 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:20,330 S2: in store, visit Life in messiah.org and click on the 494 00:27:20,330 --> 00:27:22,880 S2: Moody Radio button there to find out how you can 495 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:27,350 S2: receive your copy of God, Israel and Bible prophecy. That's 496 00:27:27,350 --> 00:27:30,320 S2: life in messiah.org. All right. 497 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:32,960 S1: Our questions for the day, starting with Terry, who says 498 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:35,929 S1: a friend and I are finishing up the Gospel of Matthew. 499 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,720 S1: A great study, and we noted when starting a review 500 00:27:38,750 --> 00:27:41,210 S1: that the Christ child was likely one and a half 501 00:27:41,210 --> 00:27:43,129 S1: to two years old at the time of the wise 502 00:27:43,130 --> 00:27:46,130 S1: man's visit. Do you have any idea, though, how or 503 00:27:46,130 --> 00:27:49,399 S1: why this tradition evolved that they appeared on the scene 504 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:52,430 S1: at the stable at the time of his birth, along 505 00:27:52,430 --> 00:27:54,860 S1: with the shepherds, and we're also wondering why this has 506 00:27:54,859 --> 00:27:56,990 S1: been carried along by the church when it's quite clear 507 00:27:56,990 --> 00:27:59,870 S1: that this image is incorrect. Your thoughts? 508 00:27:59,900 --> 00:28:02,990 S2: Yeah, I've not come across any specific reason that the 509 00:28:02,990 --> 00:28:05,629 S2: church pictures the visit of the wise men taking place 510 00:28:05,630 --> 00:28:08,690 S2: right at the time of Jesus's birth. I suspect it's 511 00:28:08,690 --> 00:28:11,899 S2: because both Matthew two and Luke two describe the different 512 00:28:11,900 --> 00:28:15,830 S2: events connected to Jesus's birth in Bethlehem, and people just 513 00:28:15,830 --> 00:28:18,590 S2: assumed they took place at exactly the same time. But 514 00:28:18,590 --> 00:28:21,020 S2: I do have one other thought. I personally don't believe 515 00:28:21,020 --> 00:28:23,480 S2: the events in Matthew two had to take place a 516 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:26,270 S2: year and a half to two years later. We sometimes 517 00:28:26,270 --> 00:28:29,780 S2: assume this because in Matthew 216 it says Herod ordered 518 00:28:29,780 --> 00:28:33,080 S2: the soldiers to kill the babies two years old and under. 519 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:36,080 S2: But since there weren't any birth certificates issued at birth, 520 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:39,050 S2: how would the soldiers know the child's age? The wise 521 00:28:39,050 --> 00:28:42,290 S2: men might have been somewhat imprecise in their calculations, but 522 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:45,710 S2: Herod was nothing if not thorough. If the child were 523 00:28:45,710 --> 00:28:49,130 S2: several months or more old by his reckoning, how could 524 00:28:49,130 --> 00:28:51,230 S2: he be sure to kill the right baby? Well, two 525 00:28:51,230 --> 00:28:54,140 S2: years old is about when children start to speak. Any 526 00:28:54,140 --> 00:28:57,410 S2: child who couldn't yet talk was to be killed, and 527 00:28:57,410 --> 00:28:59,480 S2: the baby was said to be born in Bethlehem. But 528 00:28:59,510 --> 00:29:02,480 S2: Herod decided to kill all the male children, it says, 529 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:06,650 S2: in Bethlehem and its vicinity. So how old was Jesus 530 00:29:06,650 --> 00:29:09,230 S2: at the time of the wise men visiting? Well, depending 531 00:29:09,230 --> 00:29:11,090 S2: on the length of the journey of the wise men, 532 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:14,720 S2: I suspect it was likely several months, or perhaps even 533 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:17,780 S2: as much as a year. The event did take place 534 00:29:17,780 --> 00:29:21,230 S2: sometime after Jesus was born, since the families now living 535 00:29:21,230 --> 00:29:23,719 S2: in a house. but the decision to kill all the 536 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:26,540 S2: boys two and under is more a reflection, I think, 537 00:29:26,540 --> 00:29:30,110 S2: of Herod's paranoia than it is of Jesus's actual age 538 00:29:30,110 --> 00:29:30,860 S2: at the time. 539 00:29:30,860 --> 00:29:35,120 S1: René wonders, did or could God know what physical pain 540 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:39,560 S1: is like without experiencing it? God is spirit. He cannot bleed. 541 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:42,380 S1: And prior to the incarnation, he had no body. What 542 00:29:42,380 --> 00:29:43,160 S1: do you think? 543 00:29:43,190 --> 00:29:45,920 S2: Well, I'm not sure I can provide a fully satisfying 544 00:29:45,950 --> 00:29:48,830 S2: answer here, since I don't see it being directly addressed 545 00:29:48,830 --> 00:29:51,380 S2: in the Bible, but I do believe we can answer 546 00:29:51,380 --> 00:29:54,560 S2: it in another way in two parts. First, God in 547 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:58,340 S2: his very essence, is incorporeal. That is, prior to the incarnation, 548 00:29:58,340 --> 00:30:02,060 S2: God did not possess a physical body with nerve endings, etc. 549 00:30:02,060 --> 00:30:06,200 S2: that would allow him to experience physical pain. But second, 550 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:09,980 S2: God is also omniscient, which means he did fully know 551 00:30:09,980 --> 00:30:12,590 S2: and understand what pain would be like. Now, I don't 552 00:30:12,590 --> 00:30:16,880 S2: believe anything, including an understanding of pain, could exist outside 553 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:20,270 S2: God's knowledge. He fully understood the impact that it would 554 00:30:20,270 --> 00:30:24,470 S2: have on individual humans. In the incarnation, God became flesh 555 00:30:24,470 --> 00:30:27,620 S2: in the person of Jesus, and as God man, he 556 00:30:27,620 --> 00:30:31,460 S2: fully experienced pain. At revelation 13 eight says, Jesus was 557 00:30:31,460 --> 00:30:34,700 S2: the lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. 558 00:30:34,730 --> 00:30:36,469 S2: And I take that to mean even prior to the 559 00:30:36,470 --> 00:30:39,860 S2: beginning of the universe, God's plan included the suffering of 560 00:30:39,860 --> 00:30:42,380 S2: his own son. Putting all that together, I think God 561 00:30:42,380 --> 00:30:45,860 S2: fully knew what physical pain would be like in his creation, 562 00:30:45,860 --> 00:30:48,080 S2: and that his Son would experience it as part of 563 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:51,800 S2: the plan necessary to purchase our redemption. And and then, 564 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:54,470 S2: in the unfolding of time, what he knew because of 565 00:30:54,470 --> 00:30:59,180 S2: his omniscience became known experientially through Jesus. And I think 566 00:30:59,210 --> 00:31:03,620 S2: actually Isaiah 53 graphically describes that 700 years before it 567 00:31:03,620 --> 00:31:04,520 S2: ever came to be. 568 00:31:04,550 --> 00:31:08,060 S1: A.D. takes us to Matthew 12, verses 36 and 37, 569 00:31:08,060 --> 00:31:10,550 S1: which speak of us having to give an account of 570 00:31:10,550 --> 00:31:14,660 S1: all careless words spoken during our lifetime. Is there a 571 00:31:14,660 --> 00:31:18,290 S1: special judgment based on our words? Since Jesus blood covers 572 00:31:18,290 --> 00:31:21,230 S1: all of our sins, Why is there a separate judgment 573 00:31:21,230 --> 00:31:22,490 S1: for our words? 574 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:24,950 S2: Well, it's true that Christ's atoning death on the cross 575 00:31:24,950 --> 00:31:27,320 S2: is sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins. So 576 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:30,950 S2: a believer's eternal destiny is secure. However, the Bible does 577 00:31:30,950 --> 00:31:34,370 S2: speak about the Bema Seat judgment, where believers will appear 578 00:31:34,370 --> 00:31:37,489 S2: before Christ to have our works examined. And this would 579 00:31:37,490 --> 00:31:41,030 S2: include what we have said and done since becoming believers. 580 00:31:41,180 --> 00:31:44,780 S2: In first Corinthians 310 to 15, Paul talks about there 581 00:31:44,780 --> 00:31:46,640 S2: by the grace God has given me, I laid a 582 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:50,030 S2: foundation as an expert builder and someone else is building 583 00:31:50,030 --> 00:31:52,160 S2: on it. But then he says everyone should be careful 584 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:54,350 S2: how he builds. In fact, he talks there about if 585 00:31:54,350 --> 00:31:58,190 S2: any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, 586 00:31:58,220 --> 00:32:00,830 S2: hay or straw, his work will be shown for what 587 00:32:00,830 --> 00:32:02,960 S2: it is because the day will bring it to light. 588 00:32:02,990 --> 00:32:06,110 S2: If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 589 00:32:06,110 --> 00:32:08,420 S2: If it is burned up, he'll suffer loss. He himself 590 00:32:08,420 --> 00:32:11,870 S2: will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 591 00:32:11,900 --> 00:32:15,590 S2: Then later in two Corinthians five, Paul wrote, we must 592 00:32:15,590 --> 00:32:18,320 S2: all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each 593 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:20,630 S2: 1st May receive what is due him for the things 594 00:32:20,630 --> 00:32:23,270 S2: done in the body, whether good or bad. So I 595 00:32:23,270 --> 00:32:26,810 S2: think our eternal destiny is secure through the work of Christ. 596 00:32:26,810 --> 00:32:29,480 S2: But as children of God, we're responsible to continue to 597 00:32:29,510 --> 00:32:33,110 S2: grow and mature in Christ likeness. And one aspect comes 598 00:32:33,110 --> 00:32:35,060 S2: through not only what we do, but what we say. 599 00:32:35,090 --> 00:32:37,460 S2: And I'll close with a portion of what James said 600 00:32:37,460 --> 00:32:40,160 S2: in James three two. We all stumble in many ways. 601 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:43,340 S2: If anyone is never at fault in what he says, 602 00:32:43,340 --> 00:32:45,650 S2: he's a perfect man, able to keep his whole body 603 00:32:45,650 --> 00:32:47,810 S2: in check. And the word for perfect. There has the 604 00:32:47,810 --> 00:32:50,570 S2: idea of mature or complete. You know, our speech is 605 00:32:50,570 --> 00:32:53,630 S2: an x ray that helps reveal how spiritually mature we 606 00:32:53,630 --> 00:32:55,010 S2: really are inside. 607 00:32:55,010 --> 00:32:57,080 S1: And you're listening to The Land in the book from 608 00:32:57,110 --> 00:33:00,830 S1: Moody Radio doctor Charlie Dyer, our host, addressing questions that 609 00:33:00,830 --> 00:33:03,740 S1: have come to us via email. This one from Todd. 610 00:33:03,740 --> 00:33:07,790 S1: Can you contrast second Samuel 22 with the Book of Job? 611 00:33:07,790 --> 00:33:12,020 S1: For me, the formula obedience brings blessing seemed to kind 612 00:33:12,050 --> 00:33:14,690 S1: of work for David, but not for job. 613 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:17,610 S2: Yeah, I see that second Samuel 22 passage. And in fact, 614 00:33:17,610 --> 00:33:20,640 S2: it's also parallel in Psalm 18, in the light of 615 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:24,000 S2: the wisdom literature that is in general, God does reward 616 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:27,060 S2: and bless the righteous. David did sin in his life, 617 00:33:27,060 --> 00:33:29,850 S2: and we see consequences in the last half of second Samuel. 618 00:33:29,850 --> 00:33:32,520 S2: But as he looks over his life, he sees that 619 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:35,310 S2: when he was threatened, God came to his rescue because 620 00:33:35,310 --> 00:33:37,560 S2: of his righteousness. He says, God parted the heavens and 621 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:41,490 S2: came down, showed himself faithful to those who were faithful. 622 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:44,070 S2: Now that's how life generally works. But the Book of 623 00:33:44,070 --> 00:33:47,100 S2: Job reminds us that there are exceptions. In job's case, 624 00:33:47,100 --> 00:33:50,520 S2: it was due to a cosmic conflict, totally unknown to job. 625 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:53,190 S2: But even in the book of job, his earlier life 626 00:33:53,190 --> 00:33:57,090 S2: in the first chapter shows the same general pattern, that is, 627 00:33:57,090 --> 00:33:59,880 S2: that God was blessing him because of his faithfulness. And 628 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:01,860 S2: in the end of the book, the same thing is true. 629 00:34:01,860 --> 00:34:04,020 S2: So I see this as a reminder that this is 630 00:34:04,020 --> 00:34:07,020 S2: how life generally works. But I'm also reminded there are 631 00:34:07,020 --> 00:34:10,530 S2: times in life when we do see apparent exceptions, and 632 00:34:10,530 --> 00:34:12,630 S2: in those times we just need to walk by faith 633 00:34:12,630 --> 00:34:13,980 S2: and not by sight. 634 00:34:14,070 --> 00:34:18,450 S1: Aaron comments in Genesis 18. Abraham intercedes for the righteous 635 00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:21,270 S1: in Sodom, and it reminds me of the bartering that 636 00:34:21,270 --> 00:34:24,239 S1: takes place in the Old City of Jerusalem today. I 637 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:26,130 S1: wondered what you thought about that comparison. 638 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:28,110 S2: You know, I do see comparisons to actually what we 639 00:34:28,110 --> 00:34:30,900 S2: observe in bargaining in the Middle East. The difference is 640 00:34:30,900 --> 00:34:34,560 S2: that in typical bargaining situations, you have offers and counteroffers 641 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:37,800 S2: being made. Now, in Genesis 18, Abraham makes a request. 642 00:34:37,830 --> 00:34:40,860 S2: He hopes the Lord will find acceptable. And once God 643 00:34:40,860 --> 00:34:43,170 S2: says yes, he then tries to push the envelope, so 644 00:34:43,170 --> 00:34:45,810 S2: to speak, to have the Lord lower the threshold until 645 00:34:45,810 --> 00:34:49,080 S2: he reaches a number that Abraham hopes will reflect reality. 646 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:52,410 S2: But to answer the question, this does make perfect sense 647 00:34:52,410 --> 00:34:53,430 S2: in that culture. 648 00:34:53,460 --> 00:34:56,850 S1: All right. Todd wants to know why was Solomon David's 649 00:34:56,850 --> 00:34:59,970 S1: successor instead of an earlier born child? 650 00:35:00,090 --> 00:35:02,219 S2: That's a little bit complex, because we don't know the 651 00:35:02,219 --> 00:35:04,620 S2: order of birth for all David's children. But in first 652 00:35:04,620 --> 00:35:07,680 S2: Chronicles three, we're given the names of all David's sons. 653 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:11,190 S2: And four of them it says were by Bathsheba. In fact, 654 00:35:11,190 --> 00:35:13,680 S2: Solomon is listed fourth. So we know that the order 655 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:15,750 S2: there isn't the order in which all the children were 656 00:35:15,780 --> 00:35:18,390 S2: actually given birth. Having said that, here's my best guess 657 00:35:18,390 --> 00:35:21,660 S2: in the order. It does say Amnon was the firstborn there, 658 00:35:21,660 --> 00:35:24,509 S2: which presumably would put him first in line, but he 659 00:35:24,510 --> 00:35:27,960 S2: was killed by Absalom following his rape of Tamar. Now 660 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:30,630 S2: we're not told anything about the second son listed. His 661 00:35:30,630 --> 00:35:34,350 S2: name is Daniel, which suggests maybe he died before reaching adulthood. 662 00:35:34,380 --> 00:35:37,740 S2: The next child, listed as Absalom, who led a failed 663 00:35:37,739 --> 00:35:40,350 S2: coup against David and died in battle, and the next 664 00:35:40,350 --> 00:35:43,050 S2: son listed as Adonijah, who tried to usurp the throne 665 00:35:43,050 --> 00:35:45,930 S2: at the time of David's death, he failed. He was 666 00:35:45,930 --> 00:35:48,960 S2: later put to death for again trying to manipulate events 667 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:51,690 S2: to replace Solomon. Now, we don't know much about the 668 00:35:51,690 --> 00:35:54,569 S2: other male heirs, though I think it's probable that Solomon 669 00:35:54,570 --> 00:35:56,760 S2: could legitimately have been the next in line. So he 670 00:35:56,760 --> 00:35:59,760 S2: was the first legitimate heir to be able to take 671 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:00,390 S2: the throne. 672 00:36:00,420 --> 00:36:02,910 S1: Well, thank you for your questions today, Charlie. Thank you 673 00:36:02,910 --> 00:36:06,210 S1: for those great answers. Powerful insights, helpful stuff for sure. 674 00:36:06,210 --> 00:36:09,030 S1: And we welcome your question. Any time when you email 675 00:36:09,030 --> 00:36:13,800 S1: us at The Land and the book@moody.edu. We also welcome 676 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:16,049 S1: you to visit our website, where you'll find links to 677 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:19,650 S1: today's guest, information about past and future programs, and a 678 00:36:19,650 --> 00:36:23,880 S1: whole lot more. That's the land and the books.org. Don't 679 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:27,270 S1: go away. One more segment to come. Charlie's devotional next. 680 00:36:27,300 --> 00:36:42,390 S1: Right here. Have you ever come to a passage in 681 00:36:42,390 --> 00:36:44,939 S1: Scripture and you say, I should memorize that verse? And 682 00:36:44,940 --> 00:36:46,799 S1: maybe you memorize the verse and then you see the 683 00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:49,560 S1: one surrounding and you go, I should memorize those two 684 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:53,219 S1: and maybe the whole chapter for me. Colossians chapter three 685 00:36:53,219 --> 00:36:56,489 S1: is one of those chapters. I'm John Gager. This is 686 00:36:56,489 --> 00:36:59,190 S1: the land and the book. But, Charlie, you've singled out 687 00:36:59,190 --> 00:37:01,230 S1: a special verse today that we're going to look at 688 00:37:01,230 --> 00:37:02,700 S1: in your devotional. Tell us about it. 689 00:37:02,730 --> 00:37:05,759 S2: Yeah, it's going to be Colossians 316, and we're going 690 00:37:05,790 --> 00:37:07,680 S2: to look at a little bit around it as well, John. 691 00:37:07,710 --> 00:37:10,230 S1: All right. I'm looking forward to that after we pause 692 00:37:10,260 --> 00:37:12,580 S1: for this Holy Land experience. 693 00:37:16,420 --> 00:37:19,480 S7: I guess my trip could be summed up in tears. 694 00:37:19,719 --> 00:37:22,210 S7: Number one was tears. To be able to be in 695 00:37:22,210 --> 00:37:25,330 S7: the land, to walk in the places and touch the 696 00:37:25,330 --> 00:37:30,700 S7: sites where Jesus had been. Particularly Peter's house in Capernaum. 697 00:37:31,030 --> 00:37:33,490 S7: I guess my second set of tears were for the 698 00:37:33,489 --> 00:37:37,390 S7: people to know that Israel is such a small area, 699 00:37:37,390 --> 00:37:40,719 S7: but it has such a big God. To know that 700 00:37:40,750 --> 00:37:44,020 S7: enemies within and enemies without the father, God's hand is 701 00:37:44,020 --> 00:37:47,680 S7: on that land and that he is protecting, he is providing. 702 00:37:47,710 --> 00:37:50,469 S7: To see the ingenuity that he has given the people 703 00:37:50,469 --> 00:37:53,260 S7: to work the land and to make it produce for them. 704 00:37:53,530 --> 00:37:56,140 S7: And I guess my last set of tears were for 705 00:37:56,140 --> 00:37:59,469 S7: the fact that I could not give up my citizenship 706 00:37:59,469 --> 00:38:02,230 S7: here in America and just move and live there in 707 00:38:02,230 --> 00:38:05,320 S7: the land, and to be there when Jesus returned. 708 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:10,239 S1: Colossians chapter three. What a great, great chapter. I love 709 00:38:10,239 --> 00:38:13,200 S1: the book of Colossians. I'm looking forward to your devotional. 710 00:38:13,290 --> 00:38:15,780 S2: I think you'll like this, John. This is week four 711 00:38:15,810 --> 00:38:19,589 S2: of my five week series on famous 3/16 of the Bible, 712 00:38:19,590 --> 00:38:22,920 S2: and today finds us in the interior of Western Turkey. 713 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:26,310 S2: We're about 100 miles east of ancient Ephesus and just 714 00:38:26,310 --> 00:38:30,180 S2: nine miles southeast of Laodicea. The ruins of Ephesus and 715 00:38:30,180 --> 00:38:34,800 S2: Laodicea are impressive, but we're visiting a far less imposing location. 716 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:36,630 S2: The hill in front of us is the site of 717 00:38:36,630 --> 00:38:39,690 S2: the ancient city of Colossae. To the south of the city, 718 00:38:39,719 --> 00:38:44,040 S2: Mount Cadmus rises up, forming a majestic background. And next 719 00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:47,009 S2: to where we're standing, the Lycus River rushes down from 720 00:38:47,010 --> 00:38:50,700 S2: the hills and out onto the plain. About four centuries 721 00:38:50,700 --> 00:38:53,910 S2: before the time of Jesus, Colossae was a populous and 722 00:38:53,910 --> 00:38:57,420 S2: prosperous town known for its wool trade. It had also 723 00:38:57,420 --> 00:39:01,500 S2: gained something of a geographical and religious notoriety in volume 724 00:39:01,500 --> 00:39:05,640 S2: two of his history. Fifth century BC writer Herodotus described 725 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:08,910 S2: Colossae as a great city of Phrygia, where the river 726 00:39:08,910 --> 00:39:11,710 S2: Lycus falls into an opening in the earth and disappears 727 00:39:11,710 --> 00:39:15,339 S2: from view, and then, after an interval of about five furlongs, 728 00:39:15,340 --> 00:39:19,060 S2: that's about 3300ft. It comes up to view again before 729 00:39:19,090 --> 00:39:23,860 S2: eventually flowing into the Maeander River. This geographical anomaly became 730 00:39:23,860 --> 00:39:28,090 S2: connected to a mixture of pagan and Jewish mysticism, and 731 00:39:28,090 --> 00:39:33,850 S2: even as the town declined economically, religious speculation continued unabated 732 00:39:33,850 --> 00:39:37,509 S2: with its mixture of pagans, Jews and then Christians. The 733 00:39:37,510 --> 00:39:41,530 S2: inhabitants of Colossae were influenced by a syncretistic blend of 734 00:39:41,530 --> 00:39:44,589 S2: different beliefs. One aspect of this has been called a 735 00:39:44,590 --> 00:39:48,490 S2: Jewish cult of angels. F.F. Bruce described it this way 736 00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:52,030 S2: there were powerful forces at work. Chief among those were 737 00:39:52,030 --> 00:39:55,750 S2: those tendencies which in a few decades blossomed forth in 738 00:39:55,750 --> 00:39:59,350 S2: the elaborate system of the various schools of Gnosticism. One 739 00:39:59,350 --> 00:40:03,610 S2: form of incipient Gnosticism is the Syncretistic angel cult of 740 00:40:03,610 --> 00:40:08,400 S2: nonconformist Jewish foundation and pagan superstructure. So how did the 741 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:12,870 S2: disappearing and reappearing Lycus River connect to an angel cult? Well, 742 00:40:12,870 --> 00:40:16,830 S2: this unorthodox cult venerated the Archangel Michael, who is said 743 00:40:16,830 --> 00:40:19,529 S2: to have caused a curative spring to gush from a 744 00:40:19,530 --> 00:40:22,560 S2: fissure in the earth. The reappearance of the river, combined 745 00:40:22,590 --> 00:40:25,860 S2: with this mixture of Jewish and pagan beliefs, could be 746 00:40:25,890 --> 00:40:28,020 S2: what Paul had in mind when he wrote in his 747 00:40:28,020 --> 00:40:31,080 S2: letter to the church at Colossae to warn them against 748 00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:35,730 S2: anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels. Now, 749 00:40:35,730 --> 00:40:38,129 S2: as far as we know, Paul never visited the city 750 00:40:38,130 --> 00:40:41,730 S2: of Colossae, and yet he cared deeply for the believers there. 751 00:40:41,730 --> 00:40:44,460 S2: As he penned his letter to this church, he wrote 752 00:40:44,460 --> 00:40:46,920 S2: in chapter two. I want you to know how much 753 00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:49,860 S2: I am struggling for you, and for those at Laodicea, 754 00:40:49,860 --> 00:40:52,950 S2: and for all who have not met me personally. The 755 00:40:52,950 --> 00:40:56,460 S2: phrase out of sight, out of mind didn't describe Paul 756 00:40:56,460 --> 00:40:59,910 S2: or his genuine care for the believers in this town, 757 00:40:59,940 --> 00:41:03,089 S2: but right about now you might be asking yourself, so 758 00:41:03,090 --> 00:41:05,489 S2: why are we standing here at the site of ancient Colossae? 759 00:41:05,730 --> 00:41:08,580 S2: After all, the town has vanished. The mound in front 760 00:41:08,580 --> 00:41:11,970 S2: of us has never been excavated. The site's relatively small, 761 00:41:11,969 --> 00:41:14,940 S2: and the city likely only had a few thousand inhabitants. 762 00:41:14,940 --> 00:41:17,460 S2: By the time Paul wrote to them, it had been 763 00:41:17,460 --> 00:41:21,930 S2: eclipsed by the nearby cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis. From 764 00:41:21,930 --> 00:41:24,720 S2: the tiny letter of Philemon, we do know Paul hoped 765 00:41:24,719 --> 00:41:27,780 S2: to visit here after his release from prison, but were 766 00:41:27,780 --> 00:41:30,360 S2: never told whether he made it or not. So what 767 00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:34,320 S2: makes this place so important? And what's the famous 316 768 00:41:34,350 --> 00:41:38,670 S2: in Paul's letter here that can transform our lives? I'm 769 00:41:38,670 --> 00:41:42,719 S2: glad you asked Paul's answer to a church struggling theologically, 770 00:41:42,750 --> 00:41:46,020 S2: to a church that he'd never visited personally, was to 771 00:41:46,050 --> 00:41:49,859 S2: point them to Jesus. The best way to spot a counterfeit, 772 00:41:49,860 --> 00:41:54,120 S2: any counterfeit is to become intimately acquainted with the original. 773 00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:57,930 S2: From counterfeit money to forged paintings. The more you know 774 00:41:57,930 --> 00:42:01,470 S2: all the subtle details and characteristics of the original, the 775 00:42:01,500 --> 00:42:05,370 S2: better prepared you are to spot any fakes. So what's 776 00:42:05,370 --> 00:42:09,089 S2: the original Paul holds up for them to study? Simply put, 777 00:42:09,090 --> 00:42:13,740 S2: it's Jesus. In chapter one, verses 15 and 16, Jesus 778 00:42:13,770 --> 00:42:16,080 S2: is the image of the invisible God and the one 779 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:19,950 S2: who created all things in 117. He's the one who 780 00:42:19,950 --> 00:42:23,670 S2: holds all things together in one. 18 to 19 Jesus 781 00:42:23,700 --> 00:42:25,680 S2: is the head of the church. He's the one who 782 00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:28,410 S2: rose from the dead and who's supreme over all. He's 783 00:42:28,410 --> 00:42:30,330 S2: the one who died on the cross and shed his 784 00:42:30,330 --> 00:42:33,990 S2: own blood to reconcile us to God. In chapter two, 785 00:42:34,020 --> 00:42:36,690 S2: verse three, Jesus is the one in whom are hidden 786 00:42:36,690 --> 00:42:39,930 S2: all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In chapter two, 787 00:42:39,960 --> 00:42:43,469 S2: verse eight, Paul says that any so-called truth, apart from 788 00:42:43,469 --> 00:42:48,030 S2: the truth found in Jesus, is just hollow and deceptive philosophy. 789 00:42:48,239 --> 00:42:51,060 S2: In two nine, Jesus is the one in whom all 790 00:42:51,060 --> 00:42:54,600 S2: the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form. Jesus 791 00:42:54,630 --> 00:42:57,450 S2: is the head over every power and authority. The Old 792 00:42:57,480 --> 00:43:01,469 S2: Testament dietary laws and religious festivals were a foreshadowing of 793 00:43:01,469 --> 00:43:04,480 S2: the reality that was to come. But Paul says in 794 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:08,050 S2: verse 17, the reality is found in Christ. You get 795 00:43:08,050 --> 00:43:11,920 S2: the picture. To avoid getting sucked into false teaching, whatever 796 00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:15,250 S2: its source, the solution is to come to know everything 797 00:43:15,250 --> 00:43:18,580 S2: you can about Jesus in his fullness as God's Son 798 00:43:18,580 --> 00:43:22,360 S2: and our Savior. And then Paul comes to chapter three, 799 00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:26,200 S2: where he explores the practical outworking of our focus on Jesus. 800 00:43:26,230 --> 00:43:28,509 S2: He begins in verses one and two by telling us 801 00:43:28,510 --> 00:43:31,450 S2: to set your hearts on things above, where Christ is 802 00:43:31,450 --> 00:43:34,330 S2: seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind 803 00:43:34,330 --> 00:43:37,960 S2: on things above, not on earthly things. Move your mental 804 00:43:37,960 --> 00:43:41,080 S2: zip code from earth to heaven, and concentrate on the 805 00:43:41,080 --> 00:43:44,859 S2: one with whom you will be spending eternity. People sometimes say, 806 00:43:44,860 --> 00:43:47,920 S2: you can be so heavenly minded that you're no earthly good, 807 00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:51,730 S2: but Paul would disagree. In fact, he gets very practical 808 00:43:51,730 --> 00:43:54,910 S2: as he moves through the chapter. Since Christ is all 809 00:43:54,910 --> 00:43:57,700 S2: and is in all, our connection with him should show 810 00:43:57,700 --> 00:44:00,459 S2: up in all we do in life. Listen to his 811 00:44:00,460 --> 00:44:05,649 S2: list of practical commands. Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, 812 00:44:05,680 --> 00:44:09,640 S2: gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever 813 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:13,180 S2: grievance you may have against one another. Forgive as the 814 00:44:13,180 --> 00:44:16,569 S2: Lord forgave you, and over all these virtues put on love, 815 00:44:16,570 --> 00:44:20,080 S2: which binds them all together in perfect unity. Setting your 816 00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:22,630 S2: heart on things above with Jesus will show up in 817 00:44:22,630 --> 00:44:24,969 S2: your day to day walk as you look forward to 818 00:44:25,000 --> 00:44:28,690 S2: being with him in eternity. And then we come to 819 00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:33,580 S2: Paul's 316 moment. Well, actually, his 316 is set like 820 00:44:33,580 --> 00:44:37,000 S2: a jewel in a three jewel crown. Where to? Where? 821 00:44:37,030 --> 00:44:41,080 S2: Verse 15. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. 822 00:44:41,110 --> 00:44:44,560 S2: Verse 16, let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. 823 00:44:44,590 --> 00:44:47,890 S2: Verse 17. Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, 824 00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:50,440 S2: do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving 825 00:44:50,440 --> 00:44:55,060 S2: thanks to God the Father through him. Experience Jesus's peace. 826 00:44:55,090 --> 00:45:01,299 S2: Take in Jesus's Word and represent Jesus well in your actions. Cults. 827 00:45:01,300 --> 00:45:05,710 S2: false religions and syncretistic forms of worship. Focus on your duties, 828 00:45:05,710 --> 00:45:08,770 S2: what you must do to win favor with God. They 829 00:45:08,770 --> 00:45:10,750 S2: can sound good, but in the end, it's all about 830 00:45:10,750 --> 00:45:13,420 S2: your effort, and there's a sense of pride that comes 831 00:45:13,420 --> 00:45:15,850 S2: with the feeling that you're on the inside track, that 832 00:45:15,850 --> 00:45:18,730 S2: you mastered the secret recipe that you're working your way 833 00:45:18,730 --> 00:45:21,580 S2: into God's favor through your own efforts, and the way 834 00:45:21,580 --> 00:45:24,250 S2: to avoid getting sucked into such a trap is to 835 00:45:24,280 --> 00:45:30,580 S2: focus on the genuine article. Jesus. Get to know him deeply, personally, intimately. 836 00:45:30,580 --> 00:45:34,810 S2: And Colossians 316 provides the key. Let the Word of 837 00:45:34,810 --> 00:45:38,320 S2: Christ dwell in you richly. If you want to know Jesus, 838 00:45:38,350 --> 00:45:42,220 S2: get to know His word. Paul then explains how later 839 00:45:42,219 --> 00:45:46,300 S2: in the verse, teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. 840 00:45:46,330 --> 00:45:49,570 S2: Go to church, attend Bible studies, listen online or read 841 00:45:49,570 --> 00:45:52,900 S2: for yourself, but connect to God's Word. Take it in. 842 00:45:52,900 --> 00:45:54,969 S2: Let it become part of the very fabric of your 843 00:45:54,969 --> 00:45:58,630 S2: being so you can begin to think God's thoughts. And 844 00:45:58,630 --> 00:46:02,770 S2: when you do, you'll find yourself experiencing God's supernatural peace 845 00:46:02,770 --> 00:46:05,680 S2: with a thankful heart. Now, as we say goodbye to 846 00:46:05,710 --> 00:46:08,649 S2: Colossae and head home, what practical lessons can you take 847 00:46:08,680 --> 00:46:11,859 S2: along with you? Let me suggest this. This next week 848 00:46:11,890 --> 00:46:14,530 S2: take time to read through the book of Colossians. It's 849 00:46:14,530 --> 00:46:18,640 S2: only four chapters and highlight or underline everything Paul says 850 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:21,550 S2: about Jesus, what he's done for you and what he 851 00:46:21,550 --> 00:46:23,860 S2: now calls on you to do as you wait to 852 00:46:23,890 --> 00:46:26,259 S2: meet him, and then see if you don't find yourself 853 00:46:26,260 --> 00:46:29,770 S2: thinking more clearly and living more. Thankfully, as you allow 854 00:46:29,770 --> 00:46:32,650 S2: His Word to dwell richly in you. 855 00:46:32,710 --> 00:46:35,650 S1: Thank you Charlie. I'm still parked at that phrase of yours. 856 00:46:35,650 --> 00:46:39,819 S1: Move your mental zipcode from earth to heaven. Beloved, you 857 00:46:39,820 --> 00:46:42,550 S1: can hear today's devotional or the entire program again, as 858 00:46:42,550 --> 00:46:47,410 S1: always at the land and the books.org. Thanks for listening today. 859 00:46:47,440 --> 00:46:50,410 S1: I'm John Gager for our host, Charlie Dyer. The land 860 00:46:50,410 --> 00:46:52,960 S1: and the book is a production of Moody Radio, a 861 00:46:52,960 --> 00:46:55,120 S1: ministry of Moody Bible Institute.