S1: When some Christians hear the word Muslim, their knee jerk
S1: response is concerned fear, maybe even resentment. But when the
S1: Bible says God so loved the world, he includes Muslims
S1: and God is doing amazing, in some cases miraculous things
S1: throughout the Muslim world, especially in the Middle East. Coming up,
S1: an update on God's work in the Muslim world. Join
S1: us now for the land and the book. The one
S1: hour flyover of the Middle East with our host, Doctor
S1: Charlie Dyer, noted Old Testament scholar, frequent traveler to Israel. Charlie,
S1: good to connect with you.
S2: John, it's always good to be talking to you.
S1: And as I look at the calendar, I note that
S1: Passover will soon be upon us. One of the traditional
S1: Passover questions is what makes this night different from all others?
S1: Passover is just an important biblical holiday that has great
S1: meaning for Jewish people and believers in Jesus. And this
S1: is a really good question to ask. It seems to me.
S2: It is a good 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. Now
S2: to get this free offer, just go to life in Messiah.
S2: Org and click on the Moody Radio button there to
S2: find out more and to request your copy. That's life
S2: in messiah.org.
S1: Well, let's swing our focus toward current events in the
S1: Middle East. And of course, earlier this week, Israel launched
S1: a surprise series of airstrikes against Hamas. What was the
S1: purpose of this attack? And and what does this mean
S1: for the war with Hamas? Has it now resumed?
S2: Well, the immediate purpose for the surprise attack was to
S2: disrupt Hamas's leadership and to pressure the group into releasing
S2: the remaining hostages. The attack was successful in eliminating several
S2: key political and military leaders from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
S2: Hamas is claiming that by attacking Israel broke the cease
S2: fire that was in place, but since the first phase
S2: of that deal ended on March 1st, Hamas has refused
S2: to release additional Israelis being held. Instead, they've been using
S2: the time to rebuild their infrastructure. Israel now faces, though,
S2: a key decision will they resume ground operations in Gaza,
S2: or will they continue striking from the air to pressure Hamas?
S2: The air campaign isn't as effective, and it allows Hamas
S2: to play the role of victim by displaying the bodies
S2: of non-combatants killed in the strikes. The world is already
S2: starting to condemn Israel for the attacks, but many in
S2: Israel are weary of the war, and a ground incursion
S2: will result in additional Israeli casualties. There's currently a fierce
S2: debate going on in Israel between those who believe only
S2: force will get Hamas to release the hostages, and those
S2: who argue Hamas will respond by killing the remaining hostages.
S2: The one thing that's certain, though, is Hamas will try
S2: to use the situation to their advantage, unless Israel can
S2: present a united front.
S1: Well, Charlie, to the point that you've raised, do you
S1: think this does result in any slight more willingness on
S1: the part of Hamas to consider releasing additional hostages?
S2: Publicly, they would say no. Privately, if Hamas sees that
S2: it's losing its grip on power, then they'll be willing
S2: to negotiate. And I do think that those who are
S2: saying that Hamas only understands force are probably correct.
S1: Story number two Israel is facing a March 31st deadline
S1: on a number of crucial votes in the Knesset, including
S1: the budget, a military draft bill for the ultra-Orthodox and
S1: judicial reform. What might we expect to see happen over
S1: these days, Charlie?
S2: You know, sadly, if you watch our Congress, you'll see
S2: something similar. Just expect to see absolute chaos as the
S2: current coalition tries to push through all these key bills
S2: in the short time remaining. Here's one example. The judicial
S2: reform bill, which increases political control over the appointment of judges,
S2: has to first deal with over 71,000 specific objections that
S2: were filed by the opposition. Now, these procedural matters were
S2: mainly designed to delay the bill from coming to a vote.
S2: And then there's the budget. By law, the budget has
S2: to be approved by March 31st, or the Knesset is
S2: automatically dissolved and new elections have to be called. The
S2: ultra-Orthodox parties have said they won't vote to approve the
S2: budget unless the Knesset first approves a law exempting the
S2: majority of the ultra-Orthodox from being drafted. Their opposition to
S2: the budget could cause the current coalition to collapse if
S2: they follow through on that threat. Even with Ben-Gvir and
S2: his party now reentering the coalition, the vote could still
S2: be razor thin. The majority of Israelis believe all Israelis,
S2: including the ultra-Orthodox, need to do their part to share
S2: in the burden of military service. And as if these
S2: major issues aren't enough, well, there's also the discussion over
S2: the firing of the current attorney general and the head
S2: of Shin Bet, Israel's security services, who opposed Prime Minister Netanyahu.
S2: Each of these moves will also generate additional controversy and
S2: legal challenges. The current session of the Knesset extends to
S2: April 2nd, so there will likely be an attempt to
S2: prioritize getting the budget passed by the March 31st deadline,
S2: and then to finalize any other remaining items in whatever
S2: time is left. Opposition parties are already testing the water,
S2: looking toward new elections should the current coalition collapse.
S1: It's the land and the book from Moody Radio with
S1: our host, Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager, and as always
S1: in this opening segment, we take a look at current
S1: events and what's behind them. Syria's interim president signed into
S1: law a new constitution enshrining Islamic rule. What impact will
S1: this decision have on Syria.
S2: Well, the decision to adopt a new constitution so quickly,
S2: especially one enshrining Islamic rule, threatens to undo the new
S2: president's earlier attempts to promote unity. Less than a week
S2: after the Kurds and Druze agreed to join the government,
S2: both groups appeared dissatisfied with the new constitution. The Kurdish
S2: led group governing northeastern Syria rejected the new constitution outright
S2: and called for it to be rewritten. Their main concern
S2: is that it doesn't go far enough to protect the
S2: rights of Syria's diverse communities. It simply replaces one form
S2: of authoritarianism with another. The brutal murder of thousands of
S2: Alawites by jihadist fighters connected to the new regime should
S2: serve as an exclamation point on the danger posed by
S2: another Islamic extremist government in that area. In Geneva, the
S2: UN special envoy for Syria did urge Syria's new leaders
S2: to form an inclusive transitional government and to investigate the
S2: recent sectarian violence, but it's unclear if anything has actually
S2: been done. This new leader of Syria has switched from
S2: wearing military fatigues to wearing a suit, and has swapped
S2: his jihadist nom de guerre, Abu Mohammad Al-julani for his
S2: own real name, Ahmed Ashara. But only time will tell
S2: if these actions are part of a genuine change in focus,
S2: or just an attempt to repackage the jihadist brand to
S2: deceive the West while they continue to consolidate power.
S1: Story number four the confirmation hearing for Mike Huckabee to
S1: be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel has been delayed
S1: until this coming week. I've read just a bit about this, Charlie,
S1: but what is really causing the delay? And can anything
S1: be done to help move it forward?
S2: Well, apparently the delay is being caused by opposition to
S2: Governor Huckabee on the part of some Democratic lawmakers and
S2: the liberal Jewish community. Huckabee's strong pro-Israel stance, along with
S2: his willingness to use terms like Judea and Samaria rather
S2: than West Bank, upset those who are not as supportive
S2: of Israel. In addition, there are some who object to
S2: having an evangelical Christian rather than someone who's Jewish, serving
S2: as US ambassador to Israel. Now, I find this sad,
S2: because Governor Huckabee has shown himself to be a strong
S2: friend and supporter of the nation of Israel. Now, thankfully,
S2: there are some, like Democratic Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania,
S2: who seem willing to reach across the aisle and support
S2: Huckabee's nomination. Most Israelis appreciate his consistent support, including his
S2: willingness to take a stand for the Jewish people following
S2: Hamas's brutal attack on October 7th. So what can we do? Well, first,
S2: we need to be praying for his confirmation hearing, which
S2: is now scheduled to begin this coming week. And if
S2: you feel led to write to your senators expressing support
S2: for having Governor Huckabee appointed as our ambassador to Israel.
S1: Well, an Israeli startup has developed an artificial intelligence system
S1: to help airports dramatically reduce flight delays by 50%. Well,
S1: that sounds good to me, Charlie. How exactly does this
S1: new system work, though?
S2: Yeah, I'm with you, John. As a frustrated flyer, this
S2: story definitely got my attention. Anyone who's done a lot
S2: of flying, especially recently, knows that flight disruptions and delays
S2: have increased over the last few years. And that's where
S2: this Jerusalem based startup called Intel Act. Intel Capital Act
S2: might just be the right technology program at the right time,
S2: using artificial intelligence and a video classification algorithm that integrates
S2: with an airport's IT platform and their CCTV infrastructure, it
S2: detects service anomalies in real time to predict and resolve
S2: bottlenecks and service delays. It also tracks every step in
S2: the turnaround process, from cleaning a plane to unloading and
S2: loading cargo, refueling, restocking supplies, unloading and loading passengers, and
S2: then at each step, it provides actionable steps to improve
S2: that time. Now, while it can't resolve every problem like
S2: weather delays or equipment malfunctions, it can help smooth out
S2: the on time arrival and departure schedule. After testing the
S2: system in Tel Aviv with El Al, the company has
S2: signed a large contract to deploy the system at three
S2: major airports in Europe. They've also signed on to do
S2: a pilot program at Miami International Airport here in the States. Someday,
S2: and hopefully soon, you'll be able to head to the
S2: airport with greater assurance that your flight will depart and
S2: arrive on time. With help from the artificial intelligence software
S2: program developed by intellect out of Amazing Israel.
S1: So you're saying, Charlie, not only might we be able
S1: to fly the friendly skies, but they might be the
S1: timely skies as well.
S2: Oh, let's hope so, John.
S1: And that's a look at current events. Thank you Charlie. Well,
S1: you know, a lot of people have a knee jerk
S1: reaction to the rise of Islam in their neighborhoods. But
S1: God so loved the world, and we're about to get
S1: some updated stories on what God is doing in the
S1: Muslim world. In the Middle East, stories you'll be sharing
S1: around the dinner table tonight, right here on the land
S1: and the book. When some Christians hear the word Muslim,
S1: their knee jerk response is concerned fear, maybe even resentment.
S1: When the Bible says God so loved the world, he
S1: intended that to include Muslims. Every last one of them.
S1: And the headline that many of us seem to miss
S1: is that God is doing amazing, in some cases, miraculous
S1: things throughout the Muslim world and including the Middle East,
S1: where we're headed next for an on the ground update. Hey,
S1: I'm glad you've joined us today for the land of
S1: the book. Pretty sure that you'll feel the same way
S1: after you hear the encouraging stories coming your way. In
S1: this segment, I'm John Gager, and before we start with
S1: story number one, here's a quick thought about how you
S1: and I can lovingly share Jesus with the Muslim friends
S1: that are at work in our neighborhood, maybe down the street.
S1: So you'd like to reach out to a muslim coworker
S1: or friend or neighbor, but the hijab itself just scares you,
S1: intimidates you. What do you do? Lina Abujamra, born in Lebanon,
S1: is a pediatric ER doctor, author of resolved. What do
S1: we do?
S3: Ask the story behind the person. I mean, I think
S3: this is the number one breaker of walls.
S1: Wait, you can't say, why are you wearing that?
S3: No. That's the story of the life of the person,
S3: not about the hijab that comes after, you know, you
S3: can ask them, hey, you know what? Why do you
S3: wear this hijab? I think so many of us are
S3: afraid to ask the obvious. When we were intense ministering
S3: in Lebanon recently, we sat down and the Arab woman
S3: asked my American team, ask us questions and my guide,
S3: who was with us, kind of the middle person who's
S3: always there, had warned us, you know, just kind of
S3: go with the flow. But the women are begging us,
S3: ask us questions about our lives, ask us who we are.
S3: So try to ignore that hijab and get to know
S3: the person behind it. What do you need to ask?
S3: Ask about their kids. Ask about their husbands. Ask them
S3: where they're from. Ask them what they like to do
S3: for fun.
S1: Lina. That sounds remarkably like a normal conversation.
S3: It might be hard for some people. John I don't
S3: know how you do with that, but. Yeah. Yeah, that's
S3: exactly what I'm going for here.
S1: Well, you know, and that really strikes at the heart,
S1: I think, of some of our fears that need not
S1: be fears. A normal conversation is a great conversation to have.
S1: You're saying.
S3: Yeah. And be willing to admit if you don't know, like, hey,
S3: I'm not sure I'm going to offend you if I
S3: say this or, you know, apologize if you do. And
S3: I think most people you know who grow up into
S3: adulthood in the United States have some basic, you know,
S3: you know, not to say certain things when you're in
S3: the TSA line. You know what? You know what I mean?
S3: You just get those natural instincts to follow the lead
S3: of the spirit. And the more you do it, the
S3: easier it becomes.
S1: A normal conversation. Think about that when you think about
S1: your Muslim friend. Thanks, Lina. Stefano Ferrer is the president
S1: of call of Hope, U.S. for more than a century,
S1: call of Hope has been making the gospel accessible to
S1: Muslims through creative media, relational evangelism, humanitarian aid, and church
S1: planting initiatives in more than 20 years of ministry. Stefanos
S1: travels have taken him throughout the Middle East, Africa, India
S1: and Southeast Asia. He lives in Germany with his wife
S1: and their two children. It's great to have you back
S1: on the land in the book. It's been too long, Stefano.
S4: Thank you. John. I'm excited to be here. Yeah.
S1: I love your enthusiasm always. But back to that first question.
S1: Why do so many of us believers still feel a
S1: sense of fear when it comes to our Muslim neighbors?
S4: Well, I mean, I do understand that we watch the news,
S4: we hear all the bad things happening all around the world.
S4: We hear the reports about persecuted Christians, and we just
S4: feel that Muslims are violent, that Muslims are against us,
S4: that Muslims want to do this and that against us.
S4: I think this is what we hear, and we forget
S4: that Muslims are actually people who are just misled by Islam.
S4: You know what they do even when they do attacks
S4: or terrorism attacks, they think they do the right thing.
S4: They think they please Allah. And we have to understand
S4: that they are just misled and that we need to
S4: tell them the truth and we need to love them.
S4: I think love here is just the key.
S1: All right, let's jump to the chase for somebody listening
S1: right now who says, you know what? I'm one of
S1: those frightened ones, John, that you're talking about. Stefano, what's
S1: a good first step for them to take to pray?
S4: Really? I mean, this is what I really think. Pray
S4: how you can only reach out to Muslims or even
S4: communicate with Muslims in a in a good way if
S4: you are able to love them. But I am not
S4: able to love laugh now. I'm only able to laugh
S4: now when I pray to the Lord that he might
S4: pour out this love into my heart. That's really the
S4: first thing I need to do that I asked the Lord,
S4: help me to love and help me to get a
S4: different view. That's really the first thing we should do.
S4: And then I think the Lord gives us opportunities. You know,
S4: when we go with such a prayerful heart, then I
S4: see my friend, or I see my colleague, or I
S4: see my neighbor and and these people feel it. Believe me,
S4: they feel when you love them. In Lebanon, for example,
S4: one of our co-workers, he works with blind and disabled,
S4: and he goes into Hizbollah family's homes. You know, and
S4: I always ask myself how. I mean, they hate him.
S4: He's a Christian. How is that possible? And then I
S4: understand that they feel that he loves them, you know,
S4: and that he is really there because he wants to
S4: show them love. Well, he actually also tells them I
S4: come in the name of Jesus. He's not hiding that.
S4: But they feel the love. So I think when we
S4: are out on the road here and people feel we
S4: are not against them, we are open. Yes, we are
S4: interested in them. We might even invite them for a
S4: coffee or at least ask them how you are. What
S4: are you doing? How is your job that makes all
S4: the difference? And they feel if this is true or
S4: it's not.
S1: Yeah, yeah, you're so right. I mean, you can't crank
S1: that up. You can't fake it. You either love them
S1: or you don't. And as you say, the source of
S1: that love is Jesus himself. We're not going to whip
S1: that up ourselves. What God is doing today in the
S1: Muslim world. That's our conversation today on the land and
S1: the book with Stefano Ferrer. He serves with call of Hope, U.S.
S1: you are just back from Lebanon. Tell us a favorite
S1: story that comes to mind.
S4: I was in Lebanon and I was preaching in a
S4: service only with Muslim background believers. We have around 4000
S4: Muslim background believers during the last few years I was
S4: preaching there. I talked about the trust in Jesus and
S4: I just ended with an a man and an old
S4: woman stands up and she was telling me, well, she's
S4: the neighbor of our pastor there, and she's from Hezbollah.
S4: You know, um, her two brothers are Hezbollah fighters. And
S4: then she was telling me about the war happening in September,
S4: October in Lebanon. She told me that so many rockets came, well, very,
S4: very close to her home. One house got exploded and
S4: she was full of fear during the night. Her brothers
S4: were there. She was so fearful, anxious. And she thought, well,
S4: I'm just looking for the Christians. Maybe they are still there.
S4: And she went to the neighboring House visiting our pastor
S4: and his wife, and she told them, hey, why are
S4: you still here? As Christians, you can flee. You can
S4: go to secure areas. Why are you here? And Pastor
S4: Touma told her, well, number one, because we don't want
S4: to leave you all here alone. We are here to
S4: help you. But secondly, we are here because we trust
S4: in Jesus. And she said, trust in Jesus. What do
S4: you mean? And he explained it to her that Jesus
S4: is with them and that he leads their life. And moreover,
S4: that's the name of this woman. She looked at him
S4: and she said, wow, I wish I could also trust
S4: in this Jesus. Like this. And that was the beginning.
S4: And from that onwards she came to the service. And
S4: now when I met her, she had given her life
S4: already to Jesus. Wow. But the start was this. I
S4: want to trust this Jesus. is, how can this Christians
S4: do that, you know, and stay so calm. And I
S4: think the Lord really gave fruit out of this willingness
S4: of our pastor there to stay. And of course, that
S4: wasn't him. That was the Lord giving it to him.
S1: But that goes back to your very, very first point,
S1: this idea of loving the people. She sensed that love.
S1: That's not phony. You can't crank that up. They're staying
S1: in the middle of bombs. And that communicated a whole lot.
S4: Absolutely. And you know, it's the Lord helping there. Because
S4: I remember when all these bombs came past the tumor,
S4: our co-worker, he called me and he said, well, Stefano, listen,
S4: tomorrow I will be gone. I need to leave that place.
S4: And I said, hey, yes, you're free to move, please.
S4: Next morning I called him and I said, where are you?
S4: And he said, what do you mean? I said, where
S4: are you now? So he said, well, I'm at work.
S4: I said, well, but yesterday night you told me you
S4: were going to flee. He said, no, no, no, no,
S4: forget about it. I'm very sure the Lord is with me.
S4: We are needed here. We will stay, You know, that's
S4: the Lord just helping. Through.
S1: Stefano affair travels regularly throughout the Middle East, Africa, India,
S1: Southeast Asia. He joins us today on the land and
S1: the book to share what he's seeing in the Middle East.
S1: We've heard for some time now that God often speaks
S1: to Muslims in dreams and visions, maybe appearing as a
S1: white angel, that sort of thing. And some wonder why
S1: God chooses to speak to Muslims in this supernatural way.
S1: Your thoughts.
S4: But you know, I'm sure that is happening, especially in
S4: cases where people cannot be reached, where it is just
S4: not possible. But frankly speaking, what we see the most
S4: is that people are reached with the Word of God.
S4: This is just what I see, of course, and in
S4: many cases this is possible. And then the Lord is
S4: using you and me and the missionaries out there to
S4: share His Word. But the Lord can do everything you know,
S4: and he has every way. And and I also saw that.
S4: But we have to be careful just to think about
S4: these supernatural ways. In many cases, the Lord just wants
S4: to use us and wants to get us into it.
S1: All right. Take us to another favorite story of yours,
S1: whether it's Lebanon, whether it's somewhere else in the Middle East.
S1: A story that has God's signature written all over it.
S4: You know, when I was a few weeks ago in Lebanon,
S4: I met so many people who just received the Lord
S4: Pastor Toma. He visited all these refugees. You know, around
S4: 1.5 million Hezbollah people left their homes and were on
S4: the move. I mean, just think about it. 5.5 million
S4: in the country, 1.5 are on the move. And he
S4: met with so many of them and he told them
S4: his story. He is a Christian but nominal Christian background.
S4: And he always tells them, I hated you Muslims because
S4: you killed my grandmother, my brother. In the Civil War,
S4: many of my uncles, I hated you. I wanted to
S4: kill you. Wow. But then the law touched my heart.
S4: I understood that the Lord loves me. And I gave
S4: my life to Jesus. And then I understood that he
S4: also loves Muslims. This is what he usually tells them.
S4: And he said, my heart got changed. And there was
S4: a guy called Hussein. Hussein listened to that and then
S4: he said, I always hated you Christians. I hated you
S4: so much. But now I understand that you Christians have
S4: a different heart than I have. And can you help
S4: me to get this different heart? And that was the
S4: start that they discussed with each other. And this guy
S4: actually was an imam. I mean, he was a religious
S4: leader After a few weeks he comes to church and
S4: Brother Thoma, as always, asked the people, well, if somebody
S4: wants to give his life to Jesus today, then stand up.
S4: And this religious leader stands up and says, well, I
S4: want everybody here to hear that I gave my life
S4: to Jesus and that I trust him, and that I
S4: know that he will bring me into Paradise. You know,
S4: I mean, you cannot make up such stories. And this
S4: is happening right now with these refugees. You know, many
S4: of these Hezbollah people are they are down now. They
S4: understood that all of this Islam, they always were running
S4: behind their leaders. Their leaders are not there anymore. Many
S4: of them, you know that. And now they understand. Hey,
S4: something is wrong here and we need to find something else.
S4: And then they see the Christians and they see, how
S4: these Christians are different.
S1: Yeah. Well, how would you guide listeners to pray for
S1: the Muslim world with more intensity, more of a laser focus?
S1: How can we sharpen our prayers right where we are
S1: now in this time in history?
S4: Well, number one is get informed. I mean, there are
S4: so many ministries out there which work among Muslims, either
S4: call of Hope or any other ministry. Get informed because
S4: if you just pray like oh Lord, please touch them. No.
S4: Pray for specific people. Ask the Lord to touch your heart.
S4: You know, this is what I always see, that many
S4: of our prayer partners are very attached to a certain person.
S4: And they asked me and said, well, you reported about
S4: this and that person, how is he now? How did
S4: he develop? Right. Because I pray for him since two months,
S4: every day. I think that makes the difference that you
S4: can pray specifically for a person, for a situation. But
S4: of course you can only do that when you are
S4: well informed.
S1: Yeah, pray specifically for a specific person. Great advice from
S1: Stefano Fier, who's with call of Hope us. There's a
S1: link to his website at ours. The land and the book. Org. Man,
S1: I hate it when I see the clock going away
S1: like it is, because you're just a blessing and we
S1: sure appreciate your story.
S4: Stefano, thank you so much that it was possible for
S4: me to share today.
S1: And there's more to come on the land and the book.
S1: You know what's next? Questions and answers right here. Welcome
S1: back to the land and the book. If you're new
S1: to the program, we divide the hour up into four
S1: different segments. Number one, current events. Number two, Ministry in
S1: the Middle East. A conversation with somebody who's making a difference.
S1: Segment three where we're at right now, it's all about
S1: your questions as you study the scriptures. And segment four
S1: if you're curious, it's a devotional from our host, Doctor
S1: Charlie Dyer, but answering the questions that come our way
S1: is Doctor Gerald Peterman, longtime faculty member at Moody Bible Institute.
S1: A great friend of this broadcast, a friend of mine personally,
S1: and we're looking forward to what you got to share
S1: with us today.
S5: Well, thank you, sir. Me too.
S1: Quick thought here, though. What does Passover mean for us
S1: as believers in Jesus? Some remember the story from the
S1: book of Exodus, but there's so much more to it.
S1: Did you know that the Last Supper was actually a
S1: Passover meal? Not only did Jesus and his disciples celebrate Passover,
S1: it also foreshadowed his death on the cross for our redemption. Now,
S1: Jewish people, of course, have been observing the feast of
S1: Passover for thousands of years. Understanding the history. The importance
S1: of this holiday, though, will help you better connect with
S1: your Jewish friends and neighbors. And boy, what better way
S1: is there to learn about Passover than to experience a
S1: Passover Seder for yourself? If you have never celebrated Passover well,
S1: our friends at Life in Messiah would love to partner
S1: with you in hosting a Seder experience. Every year, their
S1: staff engage churches and small groups in an interactive Messiah
S1: in the Passover Seder, allowing participants to taste, to touch,
S1: to see the redemption story. And if you're interested and
S1: you'd like to have somebody lead a Seder in your area,
S1: visit Life in messiah.org and click on the Moody Radio
S1: button there to learn more. That's life in messiah.org. And
S1: as always, no shortage of questions. Doctor Gerald Peterman, whose
S1: Bible is open. There's a smile on his face. So
S1: I guess I'll just get right to it. Right? Good.
S5: Good.
S1: All right. Here's one from Joy. She says, I'm studying
S1: revelation and have a question about chapter 12, verses seven
S1: and eight. I always thought this was talking about the
S1: initial war in heaven, but in studying various commentaries, they
S1: talk about it being in the middle of the tribulation,
S1: where Satan is no longer given access to heaven. However,
S1: one commentary said that this occurred when Jesus ascended to
S1: heaven after his death. So what are your views on
S1: all this?
S5: Well, first, I'm really glad you're studying revelation. We ought
S5: to do it more often, I think. Daniel Green, in
S5: his commentary on revelation found in the Moody Bible Commentary,
S5: gets this right. So from revelation chapter six, verse one,
S5: all the way to the end of chapter 18, that
S5: large section talks about the tribulation period when God will
S5: carry out his wrath toward sinners and bring Israel to himself.
S5: The perspective changes back and forth during those chapters. Sometimes
S5: a perspective from earth, sometimes from heaven. And then after
S5: the verses you mentioned joy, we find this. Now a
S5: war arose in heaven. Michael and his angels fighting against
S5: the dragon, and the dragon and the angels fought back.
S5: But he was defeated, and there was no longer a
S5: place for him in heaven. And the great dragon was
S5: thrown down the ancient serpent, who is called the devil
S5: and Satan. So it looks like from revelation 12 that
S5: Satan will have access to heaven until he is defeated
S5: and thrown down in the tribulation period.
S1: You know, I think a lot of people are afraid
S1: of studying the book of Revelation, and part of the
S1: reason is because they're wondering, you know, why isn't there
S1: just more clarity in revelation and maybe in Daniel and
S1: other places? Why does it have to be so shrouded,
S1: so wrapped up in, in imagery and that kind of thing?
S5: Well, that's a great question. Sometimes we hear about something
S5: and it's hard for us to know how to describe it.
S5: John has a vision. He sees a vision of something.
S5: He is, by the Spirit's guidance, giving us his description.
S5: But sometimes his description kind of doesn't fit the way
S5: we understand things. This is typical for apocalyptic literature. That is,
S5: the writers use imagery which were not familiar with. Yes,
S5: that's why we come to revelation. It seems so foreign.
S5: If we were to read other examples of apocalyptic literature
S5: and all its imagery, then we would come back to
S5: revelation and say, oh, this is beginning to make more sense,
S5: I think.
S1: And don't you think, though, that God also intends that
S1: in the exercise of this study, trying to unravel some
S1: of these things that we do a little stretching, we
S1: do a little growing, we do.
S5: Oh, indeed. Pushing it challenges us, and it forces us
S5: to really concentrate and to stretch us. Indeed it does that.
S1: One last thought about revelation. I know this is just conjecture,
S1: but you know, you've got the 11 apostles who? Judas,
S1: of course, having hung himself. But here are the 11
S1: that walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, learned from Jesus.
S1: But only John had this revelation. So how is his
S1: life different? How is his Christian experience different from the
S1: other apostles, having had this revelation made known to him?
S1: What do you think?
S5: Well, I think John has a unique experience with Jesus.
S5: John has some unique insights into Christ, and I think
S5: as the beloved disciple, almost certainly John is the beloved
S5: disciple of John's Gospel. Jesus blesses Him with this revelation
S5: because of that intimacy that he has with our Lord.
S1: So I think he's forever in my mind, you know,
S1: forever fixed on these things that he's seen. Right. You
S1: can't let go of him.
S5: Right, right.
S1: Images like that. How could you just say, well, that
S1: was very nice. I think I'll write it down and
S1: we'll call it good.
S5: They had to be just stunning for his heart and mind.
S1: Exactly. Yeah. All right, back to this question from Joy.
S1: When I read in commentaries, I see that some say
S1: that Michael in the Bible is Jesus. What are your
S1: thoughts on this?
S5: Oh, I've heard this perspective before, and I have dear
S5: Christian friends who think the angel Michael is Jesus. And
S5: clearly Michael is righteous and powerful. But let's look and
S5: see what the Bible actually says. So first we find
S5: Michael in the book of Daniel. Three times Daniel sees
S5: a vision about a spiritual battle. Yes, the angel talking
S5: to Daniel says, Michael is the one of the chief
S5: princes of this spiritual battle. Michael is said to be
S5: in charge of Daniel's people, Israel. So I think we
S5: can say from Old Testament evidence that we could call
S5: Michael the guardian angel of Israel. Oh, but let's go
S5: to the New Testament. Then we find in Jude nine
S5: that Michael is an archangel who has a dispute with Satan. Now,
S5: there's no indication in Jude that Jesus is Michael. And
S5: then the only other time we encounter an archangel in
S5: Scripture is first Thessalonians 416. There Paul says, for the
S5: Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command,
S5: and the voice of the archangel, and with the sound
S5: of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ
S5: will rise first. So here a distinction is made between
S5: Christ and the archangel. So I think Christ works through
S5: Michael the Archangel's voice. We should keep in mind, too,
S5: that Jehovah's Witnesses, who deny the Trinity, say that Jesus
S5: is not God in the flesh, right? But they say
S5: he is the Archangel Michael. So I think we should
S5: be careful with that. The last thing I want to
S5: put in is I don't think the archangel is Jesus,
S5: because the writer of Hebrews spends a lot of time
S5: in chapters one and two, demonstrating that Jesus is far
S5: superior to all angels.
S1: Well said. Thank you. All right. Ramesh asks, what is
S1: the significance of Melchizedek? Before I let you answer that,
S1: I want to remind listeners that you can get your
S1: question to us any time. Doctor Gerald Peterman welcomes those
S1: questions at the land and the book at Moody Dot. Edu.
S1: That's a mouthful. Let me slow it down. It's the
S1: land and the book@moody.edu. All right, so Ramesh is asking
S1: what is the significance of Melchizedek? Hebrews seven says that
S1: without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days
S1: or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he
S1: remains a priest forever. Can you explain the first part
S1: of this verse? How did Abraham know of Melchizedek in
S1: the first place? And what compelled him to offer a
S1: 10th of everything?
S5: Oh, good questions. Good questions indeed. Melchizedek. Wow, a very
S5: interesting person. Now, he's mentioned three times in our Bible.
S5: First is Genesis 14, when Abraham encounters him, the next
S5: time is Psalm 110. And that is really amazing stuff.
S5: And then the last time is he's mentioned several times
S5: in the book of Hebrews. Now, as we're reading the
S5: Old Testament, here's what we regularly see a character, a
S5: person is mentioned and introduced into the history, and that
S5: person is given a genealogy. When you encounter Abraham, chapter
S5: 11 of Genesis, you get his genealogy. When you encounter Moses,
S5: you get his genealogy. Typically also when these characters die,
S5: you hear about it. Sure. So when Abraham dies in
S5: Genesis 25, it's talked about. But Melchizedek shows up in
S5: Genesis 14. There's no background, there's no mom, there's no dad.
S5: And then the writer of Hebrews says, no mother, no father,
S5: no genealogy. I take it no genealogy is the same
S5: as saying, no mother, no father. That is, he did
S5: have real parents. But in the story we're not told
S5: who they are.
S1: Right, right, right.
S5: Now, the next question is what compelled Abraham to give
S5: a 10th to Melchizedek? Well, that's another great question. Neither
S5: Genesis nor Hebrews answer the question directly, but here's what
S5: it looks like when you're in Genesis. We find that
S5: Melchizedek is a priest king, the first priest mentioned in
S5: the Old Testament, a priest king who is priest of
S5: God Most High. Somehow Abraham knows that this is a
S5: priest of the only God, and so he gives him
S5: a 10th of the spoils from war that he had
S5: in Genesis 14.
S1: Very interesting. Thank you for that question, Ramesh. Thank you
S1: for your answers, Doctor Peterman. And again, we would love
S1: to connect with you. If you've got a question, email
S1: yours to the land and the book@moody.edu. Have you been
S1: to our website lately? Here's the thing we want you
S1: to notice at the land and the book. Org. We've
S1: got a podcast of this program that you can download.
S1: You can share it with your friends. It's a great
S1: way to extend this ministry to people that you know,
S1: that care about God's chosen people, about the Middle East,
S1: and all that God is doing there. Look for our
S1: podcast when you visit the land and the book.org. More
S1: to come as Charlie Dyer returns with his devotional. It's
S1: next right here. From Moody Radio. This is the land
S1: and the book I'm John Gager. Glad to have you
S1: along for our fourth and final segment. It's a devotional
S1: from Charlie Dyer. Remind our listeners, Charlie, of the the
S1: name of this series and what your thought behind it.
S2: Yeah, it's 11 inscriptions to the Bible, and what I'm
S2: trying to do is focus on our 11 inscriptions, discovered
S2: by archaeologists that help us in our understanding of the
S2: Word of God.
S1: Well, you don't have to be an archaeologist to go
S1: to and appreciate the land of Israel. Take this comment,
S1: for example, from someone who's been there and shares this
S1: with you and me.
S6: Hi, my name is Johanna and I was 15 years
S6: old when we first went to Israel, and the thing
S6: that really struck me the most was seeing that the
S6: names in the Bible that we so often just cruise
S6: over are actual, real geographical locations. And seeing the mountainside
S6: where our Savior was born, and that it wasn't a
S6: nice green pasture with a beautifully built stable, but just
S6: a rock hollow in a wall. And it shows how
S6: humble Christ is and how beautiful God is, that he
S6: can give us the opportunity to see the places that
S6: meant the most to him as well.
S7: Hello, my name is Bill and a couple of years
S7: ago we had the great privilege of taking our kids
S7: on a two week trip through Israel and it was
S7: just brilliant. The kids had friends along on the trip
S7: as well, and what impressed me most was just being
S7: able to show them all these places and seeing the
S7: lights come on in their faces when they realize that
S7: the places that they'd heard and read about were real.
S7: And now, two years down the track, whenever we read
S7: the Bible together, we can't have that strange, disconnected feeling anymore.
S7: We're interested in where places were and, and and what
S7: it's about, and we can picture them now as we
S7: think about it. So yeah, we had a fantastic time.
S1: Well, I'm looking forward to today's installment in our devotional series,
S1: 11 inscriptions. The Shoulder of Hinnom Amulet sounds like a
S1: deep mystery. Charlie.
S2: Uh, it is John, but it's a place that you
S2: know well, because you and I have both been there.
S2: This is the sixth devotional in my 11 week series
S2: that I've called 11 Inscriptions to the Bible. So we're
S2: just past the halfway point in this series where we're
S2: looking at written inscriptions uncovered by archaeologists that give us
S2: new insight into our understanding of the Bible, and our
S2: search for today's inscription takes us to the edge of
S2: the Hinnom Valley in Jerusalem. The location is called Ketef Hinnom,
S2: the shoulder of Hinnom. It's the spot where the ridge
S2: opposite the city of Jerusalem forms a bit of a saddle,
S2: a low spot where it was easiest for travelers on
S2: the way of the patriarchs to drop into the Hinnom
S2: valley and to make their way across to the city
S2: of David. Over time, the city of Jerusalem expanded onto
S2: the western hill just across the Hinnom, but this low
S2: spot in the ridge remained the easiest crossing point. Today's
S2: stop is a bonus stop on our tours if we've
S2: made good time the last few days, and if the
S2: schedule allows, then one final spot we can add to
S2: our trip is a visit to the tombs at the
S2: shoulder of Hinnom. It's a fun way to spend an
S2: extra half hour explaining what a family tomb complex looked
S2: like during the time just before the Babylonian captivity We
S2: get volunteers to line up on the burial benches. This
S2: particular tomb could hold up to seven bodies at one time,
S2: and they can look into the repository carved underneath one
S2: of the benches. After allowing the body to decay for
S2: a year, the bones were collected and placed in this repository.
S2: The person was literally gathered to his fathers, but as
S2: quirky and educational as the site might be. We're here
S2: because of an amazing discovery that came from this very tomb.
S2: In 1979, Israeli archaeologist Gabriel Barkay led a team of
S2: student volunteers to excavate the site. Though it appeared as
S2: if the site had been thoroughly looted in the past,
S2: they discovered that a layer of limestone inside the repository
S2: had dislodged and fallen from the ceiling, completely hiding everything below.
S2: The slab was removed and the treasures from the tomb
S2: came to light. Now it wasn't like uncovering King Tut's tomb.
S2: There were no chariots or golden masks or alabaster jars.
S2: But in addition to the bones, they did discover about
S2: a thousand small objects. Most were clay lamps and jars,
S2: along with needles and pins, glass bottles, jewelry, and even
S2: some arrowheads. But the most remarkable objects discovered were two
S2: small silver pieces that looked like, well, they looked something
S2: like cigarette butts, but it was quickly determined that they
S2: were rolled up pieces of silver that had once been
S2: worn as necklaces or amulets. It took years of careful
S2: work for scientists to unroll the tiny scrolls and discover
S2: what was written inside. When the scrolls were opened, the
S2: archaeologists discovered ancient Hebrew letters carefully inscribed on each piece.
S2: These thin pieces of silver had been rolled up to
S2: make an amulet, likely worn as a favorite necklace, and
S2: when the owner died, he or she was buried with
S2: this prized possession. But what was written on these scrolls,
S2: the larger of the two, begins by talking about Yahweh
S2: the Great, who keeps the covenant, and who is gracious
S2: toward those who love him and who keep his commandments.
S2: Then it goes on to say, for redemption is in him,
S2: for Yahweh is our restorer and rock. May Yahweh bless you.
S2: May he keep you. May Yahweh make his face shine.
S2: And that's where the bottom of the scroll was broken away.
S2: The smaller amulet has a liner so that aren't clearly legible.
S2: At the very beginning, though it might have given the
S2: person's name and family identity. But then it goes on
S2: to say, May you be blessed by Yahweh the warrior
S2: and rebuker of evil. May Yahweh bless you and keep you.
S2: May Yahweh make his face shine upon you and grant
S2: you peace. Sound familiar? Both amulets end by quoting from
S2: number six the passage where Moses told Aaron how he
S2: and his sons were to bless Israel. Then the Lord
S2: spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his son, saying,
S2: thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall
S2: say to them, the Lord bless you and keep you.
S2: The Lord make his face shine on you, and be
S2: gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon
S2: you and give you peace. So shall they invoke my
S2: name on the sons of Israel, and I then will
S2: bless them here in this family tomb. Archaeologists discovered two
S2: references to this very blessing assigned to Aaron and his
S2: descendants by Moses. Even down to using the covenant keeping
S2: name of God Yahweh. Pretty amazing. And it's even more
S2: amazing when we realize that this is the earliest written
S2: quotation of Scripture ever uncovered by archaeologists. But there's one
S2: more amazing thing about these amulets. And to understand what
S2: it is, I need to explain how many critics interpret
S2: the first five books of the Bible, rather than accepting
S2: that the books were written by Moses. They divide them
S2: up into different independent sources that they say weren't patched
S2: together until after the Babylonian captivity. They see at least
S2: four such sources, often labeled j, E, D, and P.
S2: They would claim that the earliest of these, the j
S2: or Yahwistic source, dates no earlier than 950 BC, and
S2: the most recent of the sources, the p or priestly source,
S2: dates to the time of the Jewish exile in Babylon
S2: or later. This theory is sometimes called the documentary hypothesis.
S2: If you ever took a religion course in college, you
S2: probably came across it. Now here's what's amazing. This theory
S2: has said that the priestly benediction of Aaron was part
S2: of the P document, the one not written until the
S2: time of the Babylonian captivity. But these amulets were found
S2: in a tomb that stopped being used at the time
S2: of the Babylonian captivity. And they were quoting that benediction.
S2: It's hard to quote something that supposedly doesn't exist yet.
S2: The documentary hypothesis, or jedp theory has been disproved a
S2: number of ways, even though it's still being taught in
S2: many universities and seminaries. It was proposed by scholars who
S2: refused to accept the Bible at face value. And even
S2: when evidence like these amulets is discovered, the theory still
S2: refuses to die. So what lesson can we take away
S2: from our visit to this tomb on the edge of
S2: the Hinnom valley. How about this? You can trust the
S2: Bible in spite of attempts to discredit it or to
S2: try to explain it away. New evidence keeps being discovered
S2: to support its historical truth. And because you can trust
S2: the Bible, you can also trust the God who wrote
S2: the Bible. He's the one who has promised to bless
S2: you and keep you, to make his face shine upon you,
S2: and be gracious unto you and to give you peace.
S2: The people buried in this tomb more than 2600 years
S2: ago knew that to be true. And so can you today. Now,
S2: if you'd like to see photos of this tomb complex
S2: overlooking the Hinnom Valley, or the inscription from number six
S2: now on display in the Israel Museum, or head over
S2: to our land in the book Facebook page and look
S2: at the pictures that I've posted there.
S1: Thank you Charlie. And again, check out that Facebook page.
S1: I love the way Charlie puts so much energy into
S1: these photos and descriptions. Very, very interesting. And Charlie, you know,
S1: for somebody who has yet to take advantage of our
S1: of our podcast. I want you to encourage them to
S1: do that because a lot of people listening, sure, they
S1: hear us on a radio station, but many can't. And
S1: this podcast is a way of making the program available
S1: to everybody, right?
S2: Absolutely. You know, for some people, they can't hear the
S2: program when it's broadcast. This gives them an opportunity to
S2: not miss that week's program, to go and listen to
S2: it any time that it fits. And it gives them
S2: something they can share with friends that the friends can
S2: listen to at any given time.
S1: All right. That podcast is waiting for you now at
S1: our website, the land and the book.org. That's the land
S1: and the book. Org. Other great features there as well,
S1: including information about past programs, future programs and more at
S1: the land and the book. Org on behalf of our
S1: team producer Dan Anderson, our host, Charlie Dyer, I'm John Geiger,
S1: thanking you for listening to The Land and the book,
S1: a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.