WEBVTT - Bible Seminary in Jordan! 0:00:08.039 --> 0:00:10.620 If someone told you that the Middle East country of 0:00:10.619 --> 0:00:15.120 Jordan has a theological seminary, would you believe them? Actually 0:00:15.120 --> 0:00:17.669 it's true, and the stories coming out of this school 0:00:17.670 --> 0:00:20.700 are amazing. Best of all, you'll hear them when you 0:00:20.700 --> 0:00:23.880 join us. Now this is the land and the book. 0:00:23.880 --> 0:00:26.099 A one hour look at everything happening in the Middle 0:00:26.100 --> 0:00:30.000 East will also answer a fascinating set of listener Bible questions. 0:00:30.000 --> 0:00:32.580 And our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, invites you to join 0:00:32.580 --> 0:00:35.760 him for a climb with a view and a lesson 0:00:35.760 --> 0:00:39.150 that's all ahead on the land and the book. I'm 0:00:39.150 --> 0:00:42.390 John Yeager and Charlie Passover will soon be upon us. 0:00:42.390 --> 0:00:45.779 One of the traditional Passover questions is what makes this 0:00:45.780 --> 0:00:49.770 night different from all others? Well, Passover is an important 0:00:49.770 --> 0:00:53.190 biblical holiday that has great meaning for both Jewish people 0:00:53.190 --> 0:00:56.160 and believers in Jesus. So I think it's an important 0:00:56.160 --> 0:00:57.270 question to ask, right? 0:00:57.450 --> 0:01:00.300 Absolutely, John. In fact, if people want to learn more 0:01:00.300 --> 0:01:02.970 about what makes Passover so special, well, our friends at 0:01:02.970 --> 0:01:05.340 Life in Messiah are offering to make you a free 0:01:05.340 --> 0:01:09.899 copy of their messianic Passover Haggadah. The booklet will lead 0:01:09.900 --> 0:01:12.690 you through the celebration of Passover to see the rich 0:01:12.690 --> 0:01:16.470 connections to Jesus, our Messiah, and the Last Supper. You'll 0:01:16.470 --> 0:01:19.860 also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder video 0:01:19.860 --> 0:01:23.310 with the Haggadah and video. You can celebrate Passover this 0:01:23.310 --> 0:01:26.880 year with your family and friends. To get this free offer, 0:01:26.880 --> 0:01:30.360 just go to Life in Messiah org and click on 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:33.240 the Moody Radio button to find out more and request 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:36.030 your copy. That's life in Messiah. 0:01:36.420 --> 0:01:39.059 Org and if you're new to the land in the book, 0:01:39.060 --> 0:01:41.610 this opening segment brings you a look at current events 0:01:41.610 --> 0:01:45.030 from the entire Middle East region. Our first story, Israel's 0:01:45.030 --> 0:01:48.990 Supreme Court, has now ruled that the country's mandatory military 0:01:48.990 --> 0:01:53.370 draft must be extended to all ultra-Orthodox Jews. That's kind 0:01:53.370 --> 0:01:56.340 of a blockbuster move, it seems, Charlie, to me. What's 0:01:56.340 --> 0:01:59.040 the history behind this ruling, and what impact could it 0:01:59.040 --> 0:02:02.160 have on Israel's society at large and on the current 0:02:02.160 --> 0:02:03.450 coalition government? 0:02:03.480 --> 0:02:06.990 Yeah, John, this decision has been called a bombshell since 0:02:06.990 --> 0:02:10.740 the founding of Israel in 1948. The state has exempted 0:02:10.740 --> 0:02:14.130 the ultra-Orthodox from serving in the armed forces, and has 0:02:14.130 --> 0:02:18.030 instead subsidized their study of the Torah and rabbinic literature 0:02:18.030 --> 0:02:22.770 at more than 1200 religious schools, collectively called yeshivas. In 0:02:22.770 --> 0:02:25.200 the early days, this wasn't a major problem, with about 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:29.790 400 being exempt back in the 1950s, but the ultra-Orthodox 0:02:29.790 --> 0:02:34.650 population has grown dramatically. They're now 10% of the total population, 0:02:34.650 --> 0:02:38.639 and are expected to increase to 16% in several years 0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:42.120 because of their large families. The number now exempt from 0:02:42.120 --> 0:02:46.230 the draft is over 60,000 and growing. And this has 0:02:46.230 --> 0:02:50.609 created resentment, especially among secular Israelis, who feel they're carrying 0:02:50.610 --> 0:02:54.240 an increasingly heavier burden. The current war with Hamas has 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:57.570 now given the debate a greater sense of urgency. The 0:02:57.570 --> 0:03:00.240 Supreme Court ruled that all religious Jews are subject to 0:03:00.240 --> 0:03:03.389 the draft, and that the government is to freeze financial 0:03:03.389 --> 0:03:07.470 support for yeshiva students who are of enlistment age. What's 0:03:07.470 --> 0:03:11.160 uncertain is what will happen next. Past efforts to draft 0:03:11.160 --> 0:03:15.510 religious students has resulted in mass protests. The two religious 0:03:15.510 --> 0:03:18.150 parties in the current coalition have threatened to resign from 0:03:18.150 --> 0:03:21.030 the coalition and bring down the government if their voters 0:03:21.030 --> 0:03:24.600 are forced to enlist, and the chief Sephardic rabbi said 0:03:24.600 --> 0:03:27.150 will all move abroad if they force us to go 0:03:27.150 --> 0:03:30.510 into the army. However, it's unclear exactly how serious that 0:03:30.510 --> 0:03:33.030 threat might be since they don't know where they could 0:03:33.030 --> 0:03:36.030 move or how they would support themselves once they got there. 0:03:36.030 --> 0:03:38.850 But their threat to bring down the current government is 0:03:38.850 --> 0:03:42.390 very real. Prime Minister Netanyahu is working hard to try 0:03:42.390 --> 0:03:45.720 to keep that from happening, but his available options are 0:03:45.720 --> 0:03:49.140 limited now. One suggestion that's been offered is to establish 0:03:49.140 --> 0:03:52.680 a settlement defense authority, and to use the ultra-Orthodox to 0:03:52.680 --> 0:03:55.410 guard the more than 200 settlements in the West Bank 0:03:55.410 --> 0:03:58.500 and along the border with Gaza. However, it's unclear if 0:03:58.500 --> 0:04:01.920 that would be acceptable to the courts, the ultra-Orthodox community 0:04:01.920 --> 0:04:05.010 or the settlements. What is clear is that this is 0:04:05.010 --> 0:04:07.320 a major threat to the current coalition. 0:04:07.410 --> 0:04:11.040 Story number two President Biden is trying to thread the needle, 0:04:11.040 --> 0:04:14.250 so to speak, in supporting Israel while also trying to 0:04:14.250 --> 0:04:18.479 placate those in his support base who are anti-Israel. What 0:04:18.480 --> 0:04:21.330 impact does this having on the war against Hamas? 0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:24.930 Yeah, after some very negative comments, almost threats against Israel 0:04:24.930 --> 0:04:27.929 by some of his supporters of the president's trying to 0:04:27.930 --> 0:04:31.260 walk a very narrow path to try to mollify those 0:04:31.260 --> 0:04:34.800 who are against supporting Israel because of the devastation in Gaza. 0:04:34.800 --> 0:04:37.049 The president went out of his way to acknowledge what 0:04:37.050 --> 0:04:40.290 he called the pain being felt by many Arab Americans 0:04:40.290 --> 0:04:42.810 over the war in Gaza, and he admitted that part 0:04:42.810 --> 0:04:45.270 of the pain came from the US support for Israel 0:04:45.270 --> 0:04:48.510 and its military. He announced he was working to increase 0:04:48.510 --> 0:04:52.380 humanitarian aid into Gaza, establish a ceasefire to last at 0:04:52.380 --> 0:04:55.980 least six weeks and free the hostages. He also publicly 0:04:55.980 --> 0:05:00.360 expressed outrage at Israel's accidental killing of international aid workers 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:03.750 in Gaza, saying Israel hasn't done enough to protect aid 0:05:03.750 --> 0:05:07.330 workers there. But at the same time, the administration. Quietly 0:05:07.330 --> 0:05:10.780 approved the sale of additional bombs and F-35 fighter jets 0:05:10.779 --> 0:05:14.350 to Israel, and they signal to Israel they understand Israel's 0:05:14.350 --> 0:05:18.370 position regarding its opposition to demands being made by Hamas 0:05:18.370 --> 0:05:22.599 in the hostage negotiations. The major sticking point between the 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:25.870 US and Israel right now remains Rafah, both in the 0:05:25.870 --> 0:05:29.680 large number of refugees located there and the Hamas force 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:32.800 still in control there. Israel is insisting it needs to 0:05:32.800 --> 0:05:36.669 go into Rafah to eliminate Hamas. Both Israel and the 0:05:36.670 --> 0:05:40.060 US agree that Hamas needs to be eliminated, the hostages 0:05:40.060 --> 0:05:42.550 need to be freed, and the people of Gaza need 0:05:42.550 --> 0:05:45.099 to be allowed to return home and rebuild. But the 0:05:45.100 --> 0:05:49.150 sticking point remains how to accomplish those goals. Right now, 0:05:49.150 --> 0:05:52.330 the two are not in agreement with the US telling 0:05:52.330 --> 0:05:55.990 Israel its Rafah plan is not viable. So we'll have 0:05:55.990 --> 0:05:57.790 to wait and see what happens. But it looks like 0:05:57.790 --> 0:06:01.060 right now that any invasion of Rafah might be put 0:06:01.060 --> 0:06:03.760 off till late April, more likely in May if it 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:04.900 ever happens at all. 0:06:05.020 --> 0:06:07.900 Well, Charlie, the war in Gaza will eventually come to 0:06:07.900 --> 0:06:10.390 an end. But could it be followed by an even 0:06:10.390 --> 0:06:14.380 greater conflict with Hezbollah? What's the latest on the tensions 0:06:14.380 --> 0:06:16.450 along Israel's border with Lebanon? 0:06:16.570 --> 0:06:19.150 Well, the official US position right now is that we 0:06:19.150 --> 0:06:22.990 don't support a war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. Instead, 0:06:22.990 --> 0:06:26.410 we hope to restore calm along the border by establishing 0:06:26.410 --> 0:06:29.530 the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, since that's the main 0:06:29.529 --> 0:06:33.310 reason Hezbollah has said it's firing at Israel. However, while 0:06:33.310 --> 0:06:35.830 diplomatic efforts on the part of the US and France 0:06:35.830 --> 0:06:38.800 go on, Israel is bracing for what they see as 0:06:38.800 --> 0:06:42.130 a short but intense war with Hamas. There are two 0:06:42.130 --> 0:06:46.570 reasons Israel's perspective diverges so much from the US. First, 0:06:46.570 --> 0:06:49.900 80,000 Israelis have been forced from their homes along the 0:06:49.900 --> 0:06:53.680 border with Lebanon. Businesses up there have been devastated. Their 0:06:53.680 --> 0:06:56.710 lives have come to a halt for the past six months, 0:06:56.710 --> 0:06:59.680 and they won't go back until it's safe to do so. 0:06:59.710 --> 0:07:03.310 And second, Israel believes Hezbollah when they say their goal 0:07:03.310 --> 0:07:06.520 is the elimination of the state of Israel. Hezbollah has 0:07:06.520 --> 0:07:09.940 attacked tunnels just like Hamas did. Their cache of rockets 0:07:09.940 --> 0:07:13.540 and missiles dwarfs that of Hamas. What Hamas did in 0:07:13.540 --> 0:07:16.120 the South is what Hezbollah has said it will do 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:19.240 in the north, and Israel won't allow that to happen. 0:07:19.270 --> 0:07:23.380 Israel is saying that the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 0:07:23.380 --> 0:07:27.190 must be implemented, and that Hezbollah's forces must be moved 0:07:27.190 --> 0:07:30.460 north of the Litani River to be replaced with regular 0:07:30.460 --> 0:07:34.570 Lebanese Army forces. So far, each side has stopped short 0:07:34.570 --> 0:07:37.240 of launching an all out attack, but the level of 0:07:37.240 --> 0:07:41.440 violence is increasing, including an Israeli strike in Damascus that 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:46.000 killed an Iranian commander responsible for Iranian support in Lebanon 0:07:46.000 --> 0:07:49.390 and Syria. Now, unless the US and France can get 0:07:49.390 --> 0:07:52.180 Hezbollah to move north, it's only a matter of time 0:07:52.180 --> 0:07:56.800 until Israel does attack. They can't have 80,000 citizens, remain 0:07:56.800 --> 0:08:00.100 permanent refugees from their own homes, and they can't allow 0:08:00.100 --> 0:08:03.130 Hezbollah to keep its forces along the border. 0:08:03.310 --> 0:08:06.100 Well, conflict in the Middle East might continue, but so 0:08:06.100 --> 0:08:09.970 does the medical research taking place in amazing Israel. Tell 0:08:09.970 --> 0:08:14.590 us about a novel treatment for age related macular degeneration, AMD, 0:08:14.770 --> 0:08:18.610 that researchers there believe could be just over the horizon? 0:08:18.640 --> 0:08:22.720 Yeah, 200 million people worldwide suffer from age related macular 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:26.680 degeneration over the next 15 years. That number is expected 0:08:26.680 --> 0:08:30.070 to grow to nearly 300 million. One out of every 0:08:30.070 --> 0:08:32.740 eight people in the West over the age of 60 0:08:32.770 --> 0:08:36.640 can expect to develop AMD. Now, AMD has two stages 0:08:36.640 --> 0:08:40.329 dry AMD comes first. You can't lose your sight from it, 0:08:40.330 --> 0:08:42.760 but at the same time there's no treatment for it. 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:46.329 It's then followed by wet AMD. Now there are treatments 0:08:46.330 --> 0:08:50.020 available for wet AMD, but not everyone responds to those treatments, 0:08:50.020 --> 0:08:53.170 and that lack of response can eventually lead to blindness. 0:08:53.170 --> 0:08:57.400 And that's where Professor Ofra Beni, co-founder of Foresight Pharma, 0:08:57.400 --> 0:09:00.699 comes in. She's identified a molecule that can target and 0:09:00.700 --> 0:09:04.600 potentially stop the formation of excess blood vessels in the eye, 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:08.380 preventing the worst effects of wet AMD. So far, the 0:09:08.380 --> 0:09:11.530 molecule has only been tested on animals, though with very 0:09:11.530 --> 0:09:15.219 promising results. Human trials are still a few years away. 0:09:15.340 --> 0:09:18.309 The company plans to target the US market first, and 0:09:18.309 --> 0:09:21.520 the name or site was chosen deliberately. In addition to 0:09:21.520 --> 0:09:23.830 the word sight in the name, the first part of 0:09:23.830 --> 0:09:27.010 the brand, or in Hebrew, means light. Their goal is 0:09:27.010 --> 0:09:29.170 to bring light to people's eyes to keep them from 0:09:29.170 --> 0:09:32.080 going blind. Now the treatment is still down the road, 0:09:32.080 --> 0:09:35.800 but for those diagnosed with dry AMD who are concerned 0:09:35.800 --> 0:09:39.670 about progressing to wet AMD, this solution from amazing Israel 0:09:39.670 --> 0:09:43.210 can't come soon enough. And if listeners want more information, 0:09:43.210 --> 0:09:48.760 Google or Sight Pharma, that's o r c t Pharma 0:09:48.760 --> 0:09:50.890 and keep tabs on what they're doing. 0:09:50.890 --> 0:09:53.319 Well, here's something you should know about Charlie the Moody 0:09:53.320 --> 0:09:55.510 radio team. That would be you and me and our 0:09:55.510 --> 0:09:58.450 wives are just back from Israel. We have just finished 0:09:58.450 --> 0:10:03.310 a one hour special Inside Israel the War. And what's next, Charlie? 0:10:03.309 --> 0:10:06.010 We were there traveling five and a half days in Israel. 0:10:06.210 --> 0:10:09.870 Traveling 1100 miles up and down the country. We interviewed 0:10:09.870 --> 0:10:12.900 more than 30 people, brought back more than 12 hours 0:10:12.900 --> 0:10:16.500 of conversations, now condensed into an hour long special. What 0:10:16.500 --> 0:10:18.719 can people expect as they listen? 0:10:18.720 --> 0:10:22.230 I think they can expect a powerful presentation. We saw 0:10:22.230 --> 0:10:25.140 what's happening within the country. We saw what God has 0:10:25.140 --> 0:10:29.070 been doing, even more importantly, and the interviews were just amazing. 0:10:29.070 --> 0:10:30.750 We were blown away and I think people will be 0:10:30.750 --> 0:10:31.319 as well. 0:10:31.320 --> 0:10:36.809 You'll find that special. At Moody Radio Morgan Specials, we 0:10:36.809 --> 0:10:40.500 talk with soldiers back from Gaza, survivors of the attack 0:10:40.500 --> 0:10:44.160 on these kibbutz. Plus what pastors are doing. You'll find 0:10:44.160 --> 0:10:49.620 that Moody radio special at Moody Radio. Org forward slash specials. 0:11:03.450 --> 0:11:05.730 If you listen regularly to the land in the book, 0:11:05.730 --> 0:11:08.969 you have a sense of basic Bible geography. Most of 0:11:08.970 --> 0:11:12.959 the Bible's events unfolded in Israel, but not all. In fact, 0:11:12.960 --> 0:11:16.410 many key moments took place on the other side of 0:11:16.410 --> 0:11:19.470 the Jordan River. But would you believe that believers today 0:11:19.470 --> 0:11:23.760 in modern Jordan have access to quality Bible training? We'll 0:11:23.760 --> 0:11:27.630 talk about it next. Welcome again to the land and 0:11:27.630 --> 0:11:31.170 the book. I'm John Jaeger, and before we cross over 0:11:31.170 --> 0:11:34.890 the iconic Jordan River, let's think about creative ways we 0:11:34.890 --> 0:11:38.490 can reach out to our Muslim friends right where we live. 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:41.490 When you're talking with a muslim friend, are there areas 0:11:41.490 --> 0:11:46.890 of conversation you should avoid, like movies and music and 0:11:46.890 --> 0:11:50.579 pop culture here in America? I'm guessing these are taboo 0:11:50.580 --> 0:11:54.179 or should be very carefully discussed, if at all. Stefano 0:11:54.270 --> 0:11:56.099 here is with call of Hope. What do you say. 0:11:56.700 --> 0:12:00.360 Are these movies and this music? Is this part of 0:12:00.360 --> 0:12:01.200 your life? 0:12:01.230 --> 0:12:02.610 It is part of my life. 0:12:02.610 --> 0:12:06.900 Okay. So you share your life. I think we should 0:12:06.900 --> 0:12:11.970 not be too complicated. If we start thinking of what 0:12:11.970 --> 0:12:15.870 do we talk about? What do we open up then? 0:12:15.870 --> 0:12:20.370 We are in a difficult situation. No, that's my Muslim friend. 0:12:20.520 --> 0:12:24.060 And if this jazz music is part of my life, 0:12:24.059 --> 0:12:27.120 and if I really like it, and if I really 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:30.270 like this guy who is playing this chess music, well, 0:12:30.270 --> 0:12:32.460 then I tell him about it, you know, why not? 0:12:32.730 --> 0:12:36.300 And if I like the movie back to the future, 0:12:36.300 --> 0:12:40.170 and I think that's the best movie I have ever seen. Well, 0:12:40.170 --> 0:12:43.230 I tell that to my American friend. Why shouldn't I 0:12:43.230 --> 0:12:46.410 tell it also to my Muslim friend? Very normal. I 0:12:46.410 --> 0:12:47.940 share my life as it is. 0:12:47.940 --> 0:12:50.610 All right. Have a normal conversation about normal things with 0:12:50.610 --> 0:12:52.830 your Muslim friend and just get on with it. 0:12:52.920 --> 0:12:55.260 Absolutely. That's my advice. 0:12:55.260 --> 0:12:58.710 Stefano Faris with call of Hope. Us joining us today 0:12:58.710 --> 0:13:03.360 on the land and the book. Doctor Stephen Bramer is 0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:06.390 a teacher and preacher. You'd be hard pressed to take 0:13:06.390 --> 0:13:09.330 either one out of the man. He serves as department 0:13:09.330 --> 0:13:13.380 chair and professor of Bible exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary, 0:13:13.380 --> 0:13:16.020 but he also taught for 16 years at Briar Crest 0:13:16.020 --> 0:13:20.700 Bible College and at Briar Crest Biblical Seminary in Saskatchewan, Canada, 0:13:20.700 --> 0:13:24.180 before joining the faculty of Dallas. He's a teaching pastor 0:13:24.179 --> 0:13:28.260 at Walter Brook Bible Fellowship, travels yearly to Israel and Jordan. 0:13:28.410 --> 0:13:30.960 He serves as an adjunct professor for Word of Life 0:13:30.960 --> 0:13:35.280 Bible Institute, Hungary and New York, Briar Crest Seminary, Canada, 0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:39.240 as well as at a ministry known as Jets. It's 0:13:39.240 --> 0:13:41.939 that last part we want to talk about today, Jets. 0:13:41.940 --> 0:13:45.570 And we're not talking about planes in the sky. Our 0:13:45.570 --> 0:13:49.170 focus has a higher calling. Hey, welcome back to the 0:13:49.170 --> 0:13:50.700 land of the book, Doctor Bramer. 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:52.770 It's great to be here with you, John. 0:13:53.100 --> 0:13:56.010 So if Jets isn't an airplane, what are we talking 0:13:56.010 --> 0:13:56.790 about here? 0:13:56.940 --> 0:14:02.220 Uh, jet stands for the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary. It's 0:14:02.220 --> 0:14:06.030 amazing that there's an evangelical theological seminary in the country 0:14:06.030 --> 0:14:06.780 of Jordan. 0:14:06.960 --> 0:14:10.740 Now, some listeners might automatically be thinking, hold the phone. 0:14:10.740 --> 0:14:12.990 I wasn't aware that the country of Jordan would even 0:14:12.990 --> 0:14:17.640 allow something like an evangelical theological seminary. What are we misunderstanding? 0:14:17.910 --> 0:14:21.750 Well, there is a freedom of religion within Jordan. Now, 0:14:21.750 --> 0:14:26.460 having said that, the population of the Christians, including all 0:14:26.460 --> 0:14:31.770 the different Christian denominations, is just a very few percent. Nevertheless, 0:14:31.770 --> 0:14:35.010 there is a measure of freedom, and one of the 0:14:35.010 --> 0:14:38.880 freedoms that was given to them was for a school 0:14:38.880 --> 0:14:43.530 to be approved by the Jordanian government to teach the 0:14:43.530 --> 0:14:48.000 Word of God to Christian believers, not to Muslims. 0:14:48.330 --> 0:14:51.600 So where exactly in Jordan is the seminary located and 0:14:51.600 --> 0:14:53.729 how many students there are enrolled? 0:14:53.970 --> 0:14:58.050 It's at the edge of the big city of Jordan, actually, 0:14:58.050 --> 0:15:01.890 in the hill country overlooking the Jordan River valley and 0:15:01.890 --> 0:15:07.050 Israel in the distance. And so it's just outside of Amman, Jordan. 0:15:07.080 --> 0:15:09.660 Of course, Amman is is famous in Scripture. 0:15:10.230 --> 0:15:12.810 I want to go back to my little introduction and 0:15:12.810 --> 0:15:16.620 invite you to list 2 or 3 biblical events that 0:15:16.620 --> 0:15:19.800 took place in what we know today as Jordan. 0:15:20.130 --> 0:15:23.220 Well, you know, when David committed his sin with Bathsheba, 0:15:23.220 --> 0:15:26.340 the place he should have been was over with his 0:15:26.340 --> 0:15:29.940 army in Amman, Jordan. And so they were attacking the 0:15:29.940 --> 0:15:34.920 king of Amman, their king of the ammonites. And so 0:15:34.950 --> 0:15:39.990 David stayed home, and it was Uriah the Hittite who 0:15:39.990 --> 0:15:44.220 ended up, of course, suffering death because David was trying 0:15:44.220 --> 0:15:47.340 to cover sin. So that's that's an important battle that 0:15:47.340 --> 0:15:51.330 took place there in the New Testament. It's one of 0:15:51.330 --> 0:15:56.790 the Decapolis cities. And so although Amman, Jordan, called Philadelphia 0:15:56.790 --> 0:16:00.720 by the Romans, is not mentioned specifically for an event, 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:05.670 it is part of the Decapolis, the the Gentile region 0:16:05.670 --> 0:16:07.560 over there in the country of Jordan. 0:16:08.340 --> 0:16:11.100 Our focus today on the land in the book is Jordan. 0:16:11.100 --> 0:16:14.790 Our guest, Doctor Stephen Bremer, who has taught extensively for 0:16:14.790 --> 0:16:19.290 the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary. I'm John Jaeger, wondering, isn't 0:16:19.290 --> 0:16:22.860 it awkward, at the very least, to be in Jordan 0:16:22.860 --> 0:16:26.280 and have to teach about a Jewish messiah living in 0:16:26.280 --> 0:16:27.780 a Jewish land? 0:16:27.810 --> 0:16:31.260 Yeah, it is awkward, and perhaps even more awkward than 0:16:31.260 --> 0:16:35.280 that is because there is a state called the State 0:16:35.280 --> 0:16:39.900 of Israel over there. And so you're talking about Israel 0:16:39.900 --> 0:16:44.790 and an Israelite and an Israeli, you know, an Israelite 0:16:44.790 --> 0:16:49.140 was a descendant of Abraham, and Israeli is a citizen 0:16:49.140 --> 0:16:52.410 of the modern state of Israel. I often say to 0:16:52.410 --> 0:16:55.230 my Jewish guides, what's the difference between an Israeli and 0:16:55.230 --> 0:16:57.990 an Israelite? And he looks at me and I said, 0:16:57.990 --> 0:17:02.580 The Israelite has 100 fewer calories. And so Coke Light 0:17:02.580 --> 0:17:06.570 and Pepsi. But they're different. And so when you're there teaching, 0:17:06.570 --> 0:17:11.400 I often rather than using the term Israel or anything 0:17:11.400 --> 0:17:16.950 or Israeli Israelite, I will say descendants of Abraham and 0:17:16.950 --> 0:17:19.770 perhaps the land of the Bible, because Jordan is part 0:17:19.770 --> 0:17:21.270 of the land of the Bible, we call it the 0:17:21.270 --> 0:17:24.420 the other Holy Land. And and things happened over there. 0:17:24.420 --> 0:17:26.760 Two and a half tribes of Israel were over there. 0:17:26.760 --> 0:17:32.310 And so you need to separate anything political and modern. 0:17:32.310 --> 0:17:36.810 And most Christians there in Jordan can understand that and 0:17:36.810 --> 0:17:40.140 are able to focus on the biblical text and leave 0:17:40.140 --> 0:17:42.720 behind some of the political discussion. 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:45.510 Well, many of our listeners have traveled to Israel. What 0:17:45.510 --> 0:17:49.170 might catch us by surprise if we were to visit Jordan, though? 0:17:49.170 --> 0:17:54.389 How is it different from Israel culturally, geographically, and spiritually? 0:17:54.690 --> 0:17:58.950 In many senses, the Jordanian people still have a culture 0:17:58.950 --> 0:18:02.300 that would be closer to the the. Culture. You know, 0:18:02.300 --> 0:18:05.119 you can travel and you can stop at a Bedouin 0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:07.940 tent and you can see the meals that they create. 0:18:07.940 --> 0:18:10.970 So the country is a modern country, but much of 0:18:10.970 --> 0:18:14.570 the country is still living in a more rural, a 0:18:14.570 --> 0:18:18.410 more Bedouin wandering types in the desert. So you get 0:18:18.410 --> 0:18:21.710 to see a little bit more of that. And because 0:18:21.710 --> 0:18:26.030 it hasn't been developed in a modern way, except for 0:18:26.030 --> 0:18:29.960 the city of Amman, you get to see that openness, 0:18:29.960 --> 0:18:33.740 the the hills, something that you might have seen 2000 0:18:33.740 --> 0:18:36.440 years ago, that when you're in Israel and they're hotels 0:18:36.440 --> 0:18:39.140 all over and and condominiums all over, it's a little 0:18:39.140 --> 0:18:42.740 bit harder to see. So Jordan is more wide open 0:18:42.740 --> 0:18:45.320 and a little bit more, I think, like what would 0:18:45.320 --> 0:18:47.419 have been like in the time of the scriptures. 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:49.399 Thanks for being with us today on the land in 0:18:49.400 --> 0:18:53.750 the book, I'm John Jaeger talking today with Doctor Stephen Bremer. 0:18:53.750 --> 0:18:57.590 What are some other unique theological hurdles that you might 0:18:57.590 --> 0:19:01.220 be facing as you teach at a seminary in Jordan? 0:19:01.220 --> 0:19:01.580 You know. 0:19:01.580 --> 0:19:06.890 You're teaching in a country that the majority here are Muslim, 0:19:06.890 --> 0:19:10.310 and so you need to be sensitive to that. Although 0:19:10.310 --> 0:19:15.050 we're able to teach Christian people from a Christian background, 0:19:15.050 --> 0:19:19.460 a person perhaps was Muslim and converted to Christianity would 0:19:19.460 --> 0:19:23.629 not be allowed to come to the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary, 0:19:23.630 --> 0:19:26.870 not because the seminary doesn't want them there, but the 0:19:26.869 --> 0:19:31.250 government will not allow a person to change from Muslim 0:19:31.250 --> 0:19:36.710 to Christian. It's part of keeping the population from getting upset. 0:19:36.710 --> 0:19:39.230 And therefore, when you're there, you need to speak very 0:19:39.230 --> 0:19:44.389 carefully about the majority religion. You want to be careful 0:19:44.390 --> 0:19:47.540 that you don't offend. Many of these students are seeking 0:19:47.540 --> 0:19:50.780 to reach out to their friends and neighbors who are 0:19:50.780 --> 0:19:53.540 not from a Christian background. And and so you just 0:19:53.540 --> 0:19:55.580 need to be careful. I remember in class one time 0:19:55.580 --> 0:19:58.550 I told a joke about George Bush, you know, and 0:19:58.550 --> 0:20:01.820 my translator just shook his head, being translated of course, 0:20:01.820 --> 0:20:04.520 into Arabic. And I said to break, you know, why 0:20:04.520 --> 0:20:08.180 didn't you translate that joke? And he said, you know, 0:20:08.180 --> 0:20:10.040 it was about George Bush. And I said, well, he's 0:20:10.040 --> 0:20:12.619 from Texas. You know, we're okay with him. And he said, no, no, 0:20:12.619 --> 0:20:16.340 he's the president of the United States. And we don't 0:20:16.340 --> 0:20:19.760 make fun of any government official. He said we would 0:20:19.760 --> 0:20:22.460 never say anything about our king, and we want to 0:20:22.460 --> 0:20:25.399 respect the president of the United States. So it's a 0:20:25.400 --> 0:20:29.600 different culture in terms of authority, a different culture in 0:20:29.600 --> 0:20:33.020 terms of family members saying to a pastor, you know 0:20:33.020 --> 0:20:35.630 what shouldn't I preach on when I come to your church? 0:20:35.630 --> 0:20:38.270 And he said, well, don't preach on marriage. And I said, 0:20:38.270 --> 0:20:40.610 what do you mean? The Scripture has so much to 0:20:40.609 --> 0:20:42.889 say and it's so important. He said, yes, but but 0:20:42.890 --> 0:20:46.100 you as an American, just think of marriage so much 0:20:46.100 --> 0:20:49.010 differently than we would think in the Middle East. So 0:20:49.010 --> 0:20:54.139 much of your application probably wouldn't be appropriate for this culture. 0:20:54.140 --> 0:20:57.200 When you tell a husband to take his wife out 0:20:57.200 --> 0:20:59.420 for a date once a week, he said, you know, 0:20:59.420 --> 0:21:02.389 we weren't dating when we were in courtship often, you know? 0:21:02.390 --> 0:21:05.449 So here you are. It's a biblical subject, but it 0:21:05.450 --> 0:21:09.740 needs to be applied in a culturally relevant way. So 0:21:09.740 --> 0:21:13.129 even in class, I need to be careful about what 0:21:13.130 --> 0:21:16.070 I say in terms of application. It's more that I'm 0:21:16.070 --> 0:21:20.390 asking the students to respond to the biblical message. 0:21:20.540 --> 0:21:23.990 Describe the typical student who studies at the Jordan Evangelical 0:21:23.990 --> 0:21:28.520 Theological Seminary. Are they are they young, middle aged, single, married? 0:21:28.520 --> 0:21:28.880 You know. 0:21:28.880 --> 0:21:30.590 They're all of that. But I would say, you know, 0:21:30.590 --> 0:21:35.060 they're they've already, of course, completed a university course, uh, 0:21:35.060 --> 0:21:39.560 mostly male, but a number of females involved as well. So, 0:21:39.560 --> 0:21:42.710 like our seminary stay the the majority of them would 0:21:42.710 --> 0:21:46.760 be younger, you know, in their 20s, early 30s. But 0:21:46.760 --> 0:21:49.820 the difference is that maybe half of them would be 0:21:49.820 --> 0:21:54.650 from the country of Jordan. But this Arabic speaking seminary 0:21:54.650 --> 0:21:58.370 reaches out to the Arabic speaking world. And so there 0:21:58.369 --> 0:22:03.230 are students there from Lebanon and Syria and Iraq and 0:22:03.230 --> 0:22:06.650 Egypt in the occupied territory on the other side of 0:22:06.650 --> 0:22:10.190 the Jordan River and from Sudan. And so students from 0:22:10.190 --> 0:22:14.570 these other countries apply because they want to get solid 0:22:14.570 --> 0:22:19.730 evangelical biblical training in their native language, Arabic. 0:22:19.760 --> 0:22:23.000 Now, do most graduates hope to enter full time ministry, 0:22:23.000 --> 0:22:24.950 or is it understood that everybody's going to be a 0:22:24.950 --> 0:22:27.470 tent maker? What kind of a dynamic is there? 0:22:28.100 --> 0:22:30.680 I would say the majority who were coming there are 0:22:30.680 --> 0:22:35.570 planning to go into full time ministry. Uh. They're here. 0:22:35.600 --> 0:22:40.910 The churches of Jordan desperately need pastors. At one time, 0:22:40.910 --> 0:22:44.240 I think half the pastors had evangelical churches in Jordan 0:22:44.240 --> 0:22:47.120 had been trained by jets. Of course, some of them 0:22:47.119 --> 0:22:49.250 come over here to America and to other places to 0:22:49.250 --> 0:22:52.160 be trained. But I would say the majority of them 0:22:52.160 --> 0:22:55.580 are planning to go into full time Christian work, which 0:22:55.580 --> 0:22:58.520 is difficult because the churches don't have an awful lot 0:22:58.520 --> 0:23:01.389 of money and it's hard to support. So some of 0:23:01.390 --> 0:23:03.730 them will be tent makers, but they want to serve 0:23:03.730 --> 0:23:04.300 the Lord. 0:23:05.050 --> 0:23:09.159 Hey, what insights biblically might you have otherwise missed had 0:23:09.160 --> 0:23:12.159 you not spent time teaching and living in Jordan? 0:23:12.670 --> 0:23:15.639 I think the biggest one would be that here in 0:23:15.640 --> 0:23:21.370 North America, we don't think about persecution. We don't think about, uh, 0:23:21.369 --> 0:23:24.640 having our neighbor who would do something, you know, uh, 0:23:24.640 --> 0:23:28.450 towards us that might be even dangerous or something like that. 0:23:28.450 --> 0:23:33.220 The Jordanian people are wonderful, wonderful, warm people. But there 0:23:33.220 --> 0:23:38.470 is a measure of ostracization, a measure of pressure that 0:23:38.470 --> 0:23:42.580 comes upon believers in that country. And so I remember 0:23:42.580 --> 0:23:46.090 speaking about persecution one time and saying to the students, 0:23:46.090 --> 0:23:48.790 you know, I remember when I was persecuted back there 0:23:48.790 --> 0:23:51.460 in high school, and I said something and the students 0:23:51.460 --> 0:23:54.129 laughed at me, and I stopped and they looked at 0:23:54.130 --> 0:23:56.320 me and said, listen, that's the best story I have 0:23:56.320 --> 0:24:00.340 of persecution in America, you know? And then I turned 0:24:00.340 --> 0:24:02.710 to them and asked them, and someone had just come 0:24:02.710 --> 0:24:05.080 back from Iraq and had a gun pointed at his 0:24:05.080 --> 0:24:07.750 head and said, okay, you win the story contest. You know, 0:24:07.750 --> 0:24:11.290 it's just different. We're so free here. And we can 0:24:11.290 --> 0:24:13.450 say we can ask people what church they go to. 0:24:13.450 --> 0:24:16.450 We in a sense, we don't have to protect ourselves. 0:24:16.450 --> 0:24:19.600 But in a country like that, where there are people 0:24:19.600 --> 0:24:24.580 observing and reporting, you do need to be careful in 0:24:24.580 --> 0:24:27.550 how you speak and how you act towards, uh, the 0:24:27.550 --> 0:24:28.869 majority population. 0:24:29.109 --> 0:24:32.890 How can our listeners pray for the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary? 0:24:33.460 --> 0:24:36.550 You just pray that the Lord would provide for them. 0:24:36.550 --> 0:24:40.240 Most of the money that comes to keep this seminary 0:24:40.240 --> 0:24:44.140 going comes from North America. It's difficult for people in 0:24:44.140 --> 0:24:47.649 the country of Jordan. Jordan is a poor country, and 0:24:47.650 --> 0:24:51.490 they've had refugees come from Iraq and from Palestine and 0:24:51.490 --> 0:24:54.490 from Syria. And so they're poor. So pray that the 0:24:54.490 --> 0:24:58.180 Lord would provide for them. Pray that students from other 0:24:58.180 --> 0:25:03.070 countries would be able to get visas. Uh, Jordan Evangelical 0:25:03.070 --> 0:25:07.330 Theological Seminary may have 50 to 75 full time students. 0:25:07.330 --> 0:25:10.300 They used to have more than that. But certain people 0:25:10.300 --> 0:25:13.750 in the government don't allow the visas to come through 0:25:13.750 --> 0:25:17.950 for Arabic speaking students from other countries in many cases. 0:25:17.950 --> 0:25:21.460 So pray that the government would open up that gate 0:25:21.460 --> 0:25:24.190 and allow many more to come in and then pray 0:25:24.190 --> 0:25:27.820 for them spiritually. Uh, I'm sure that the devil does 0:25:27.820 --> 0:25:31.330 not want this school to exist there, to have the 0:25:31.330 --> 0:25:35.740 impact it's having to be training these Arab young men 0:25:35.740 --> 0:25:38.889 and women for ministry. And so pray that the Lord 0:25:38.890 --> 0:25:41.740 would protect them in all that they do. 0:25:42.010 --> 0:25:44.530 Well, thank you for taking us to Jordan. That's Stephen 0:25:44.530 --> 0:25:48.459 Bremer right now. Coming up, it's a conversation with Charlie Dyer, 0:25:48.490 --> 0:25:50.980 our host. What are we doing? We're looking at Bible 0:25:50.980 --> 0:25:54.010 questions that have come from you. That's all ahead. Next 0:25:54.010 --> 0:26:08.040 on the land and the book. Question do you keep 0:26:08.040 --> 0:26:11.310 a spiritual journal as in your reading the Bible, and 0:26:11.310 --> 0:26:14.129 something comes across that sticks in your brain and you 0:26:14.130 --> 0:26:16.920 want to remember it? Or maybe, maybe if you're like me, 0:26:16.920 --> 0:26:19.919 you puzzle over that something and you've got questions. Hi, 0:26:19.920 --> 0:26:22.080 I'm John Yeager, this is the land of the book, 0:26:22.080 --> 0:26:24.300 and I have to confess, my own journal has lots 0:26:24.300 --> 0:26:26.640 of questions in it. Well, the beauty of what you're 0:26:26.640 --> 0:26:29.010 listening to right now, here on the land in the book, 0:26:29.010 --> 0:26:32.910 is a segment that is devoted entirely to your questions 0:26:32.910 --> 0:26:36.479 about the Bible, about prophecy, about the Middle East. It's 0:26:36.480 --> 0:26:38.550 the land and the book. Charlie, are you ready for 0:26:38.550 --> 0:26:39.600 today's questions? 0:26:39.600 --> 0:26:40.200 I'm ready. 0:26:40.200 --> 0:26:43.320 John, uh, a quick thought before we begin, though, Passover 0:26:43.320 --> 0:26:46.080 will soon be upon us. And one of the traditional 0:26:46.080 --> 0:26:51.030 Passover questions is what makes this night different from all others? Passover, 0:26:51.030 --> 0:26:53.460 of course, is an important biblical holiday that has great 0:26:53.460 --> 0:26:56.610 meaning for both Jewish people and believers in Jesus. So 0:26:56.609 --> 0:26:58.800 I think that's a pretty good question to ask. 0:26:58.800 --> 0:27:01.320 It's a great question to ask. And if people listening 0:27:01.320 --> 0:27:03.900 want to know what makes Passover so special, our friends 0:27:03.900 --> 0:27:06.570 at Life and Messiah are offering to mail a free 0:27:06.570 --> 0:27:10.320 copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. The booklet will lead 0:27:10.320 --> 0:27:12.810 you through the celebration of Passover to see the rich 0:27:12.810 --> 0:27:16.530 connections to Jesus, our Messiah, and to the Last Supper. 0:27:16.530 --> 0:27:19.560 You'll also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder 0:27:19.560 --> 0:27:22.860 video with the Haggadah and the video. You can celebrate 0:27:22.859 --> 0:27:25.679 Passover this year with your family and friends. Now to 0:27:25.680 --> 0:27:29.670 get this free offer, just go to Life in messiah.org 0:27:29.670 --> 0:27:32.070 and click on the Moody Radio button there to find 0:27:32.070 --> 0:27:37.200 out more and to request your copy. That's life in messiah.org. 0:27:37.500 --> 0:27:39.810 Our email address where you can get your question to 0:27:39.810 --> 0:27:43.200 Charlie is the land and the book at Moody Edu. 0:27:43.200 --> 0:27:46.409 So let's dig into our first question from Todd. He 0:27:46.410 --> 0:27:49.500 takes us to Genesis 20, commenting that Sarah at this 0:27:49.500 --> 0:27:53.159 time was 80 years old. So why was Abimelech eager 0:27:53.160 --> 0:27:55.290 to marry an 80 year old woman? 0:27:55.710 --> 0:27:57.810 I think the answer might be that in typical Near 0:27:57.810 --> 0:28:00.840 Eastern fashion, Sarah could have been fully veiled so that 0:28:00.840 --> 0:28:03.389 only her eyes were showing. You know, even today, the 0:28:03.390 --> 0:28:05.280 eyes are seen as the point of beauty in those 0:28:05.280 --> 0:28:10.380 cultures from pharaohs perspective, Abraham was a wealthy Near Eastern sheik, 0:28:10.380 --> 0:28:14.310 and both he and Sarah would have appeared exotic to him. Finally, 0:28:14.310 --> 0:28:16.889 it's also possible even at 80, she was simply a 0:28:16.890 --> 0:28:18.570 stunningly beautiful woman. 0:28:18.810 --> 0:28:22.050 Mary asks, maybe this is complicated, but is there a 0:28:22.050 --> 0:28:25.950 time frame in a given Pauline letter to a specific church? 0:28:25.950 --> 0:28:29.550 For example, Paul begins in Galatians saying that he's amazed 0:28:29.550 --> 0:28:32.250 how they could so soon be removed from grace. But 0:28:32.250 --> 0:28:34.800 later he noted that the Galatians love was such that 0:28:34.800 --> 0:28:37.740 they would have plucked out their eyes and given them 0:28:37.740 --> 0:28:41.310 to him if possible. Does chapter four of Galatians represent 0:28:41.310 --> 0:28:44.580 a maturing on their part, and do later chapters in 0:28:44.580 --> 0:28:46.740 his epistles indicate growth on the part of the people 0:28:46.740 --> 0:28:48.240 that Paul addressed? You know. 0:28:48.240 --> 0:28:51.180 It is fascinating to put Paul's letters with the book 0:28:51.180 --> 0:28:53.430 of acts and see how they fit together. But you 0:28:53.430 --> 0:28:56.160 ask about Galatians, and Galatians is one of the problem ones. 0:28:56.160 --> 0:28:59.010 It actually depends on who the Galatians were and when 0:28:59.010 --> 0:29:01.710 the book was written. And there are two main theories. 0:29:01.830 --> 0:29:04.170 There's a North Galatian theory that holds the book was 0:29:04.170 --> 0:29:07.530 written to the churches up in the northern Asia minor region, 0:29:07.530 --> 0:29:09.930 just below the Black Sea, and would have been written 0:29:09.930 --> 0:29:12.750 during Paul's second missionary journey. And that would put the 0:29:12.750 --> 0:29:16.410 book around A.D. 53 to 57, somewhere about 8 or 0:29:16.410 --> 0:29:19.620 9 years after Paul's first missionary journey. The other theory 0:29:19.620 --> 0:29:21.870 is called the South Galatian theory, and it holds that 0:29:21.870 --> 0:29:24.030 the book was written to the churches in the region 0:29:24.030 --> 0:29:27.750 of South Galatia, which includes Iconium, Lystra, and Derby. Those 0:29:27.750 --> 0:29:31.320 were churches visited by Paul on his first missionary journey 0:29:31.320 --> 0:29:34.560 about A.D. 46 to 48, and that places the book. 0:29:34.560 --> 0:29:37.530 Then right after that journey, or either slightly before or 0:29:37.530 --> 0:29:41.100 after the early church council meeting in Jerusalem, that's described 0:29:41.100 --> 0:29:45.060 in acts 15. Now, I personally take the South Galatian theory. 0:29:45.060 --> 0:29:47.160 I believe Paul wrote the book about the time of 0:29:47.160 --> 0:29:49.620 the Council in Jerusalem, which means he wrote to the 0:29:49.620 --> 0:29:52.860 Galatians about 2 or 3 years after visiting those churches. 0:29:52.860 --> 0:29:55.140 And I think that helps explain what Paul means when 0:29:55.140 --> 0:29:58.380 he says in chapter one, verse six, I'm astonished that 0:29:58.380 --> 0:30:01.290 you're so quickly deserting the one who called you by 0:30:01.290 --> 0:30:04.080 the grace of Christ, and are turning to a different gospel. 0:30:04.080 --> 0:30:06.990 It's only been a few years since their conversion, and 0:30:06.990 --> 0:30:09.540 even in chapter four, the chapter you mentioned, I sense 0:30:09.540 --> 0:30:13.590 Paul's astonishment at how quickly they've turned toward legalism. How 0:30:13.590 --> 0:30:15.570 is it that you have turning back to those weak 0:30:15.570 --> 0:30:18.870 and miserable principles? He asks, having started so well, Paul, 0:30:18.870 --> 0:30:21.810 shocked that such a short span of time was all 0:30:21.810 --> 0:30:23.280 it took for them to turn from the truth of 0:30:23.280 --> 0:30:25.920 the gospel. Now, I'm not sure if this completely answers 0:30:25.920 --> 0:30:28.740 your question, but I think it helps provide something of 0:30:28.740 --> 0:30:30.630 a timeline in terms of his dealing with the church 0:30:30.630 --> 0:30:32.730 in Galatia. And I think if you match up his 0:30:32.730 --> 0:30:35.850 letters with the other churches he visited, it really does 0:30:35.850 --> 0:30:38.910 provide some interesting and fascinating background information. 0:30:38.910 --> 0:30:42.390 I hope that's helpful. Mary. From Natalie, this question, she says. 0:30:42.390 --> 0:30:44.610 Do you have any thoughts regarding the Tree of Life 0:30:44.610 --> 0:30:47.430 translation of the Bible? From what I gather, it seems 0:30:47.430 --> 0:30:50.610 to be written with a messianic Jewish audience in mind. 0:30:50.700 --> 0:30:53.430 My heart longs to read and understand the Bible through 0:30:53.430 --> 0:30:56.520 a middle eastern lens. Is there a Bible translation or 0:30:56.520 --> 0:30:58.920 a different resource that you would recommend? 0:30:59.070 --> 0:31:01.140 Well, I've not had a great deal of connection to 0:31:01.140 --> 0:31:03.450 that translation. I'm a little familiar with it and it 0:31:03.450 --> 0:31:06.000 is a decent translation, though I think it could be. 0:31:06.100 --> 0:31:08.830 Be confusing for someone without a lot of knowledge of 0:31:08.830 --> 0:31:12.400 Jewish background. Changing the names of biblical characters to make 0:31:12.400 --> 0:31:15.370 them more Jewish can create a bit of disconnect for 0:31:15.370 --> 0:31:19.240 some readers. Now, obviously, changing Jesus to Yeshua is one 0:31:19.240 --> 0:31:21.459 that a fair number of people would know, but it 0:31:21.460 --> 0:31:24.880 could get more confusing to describe lesser known individuals. I 0:31:24.880 --> 0:31:26.890 also think changing the order of the books in the 0:31:26.890 --> 0:31:30.250 Old Testament to match the Hebrew scriptures could be confusing, 0:31:30.250 --> 0:31:33.580 especially if someone is using this translation in a church 0:31:33.580 --> 0:31:36.850 or a Bible study where they're using the normal order 0:31:36.850 --> 0:31:38.740 of the books. Now, I don't want to sound too 0:31:38.740 --> 0:31:42.040 picky because there is no perfect translation. Each has its 0:31:42.040 --> 0:31:44.440 own unique purpose, and this could be very helpful for 0:31:44.440 --> 0:31:47.680 someone wanting to do personal Bible study and understand some 0:31:47.680 --> 0:31:50.560 of that Jewish or Middle-Eastern background. I'm just not sure 0:31:50.560 --> 0:31:52.990 if it would work as well for regular use in 0:31:52.990 --> 0:31:54.340 a typical church setting. 0:31:54.370 --> 0:31:57.670 This listener wants to know your thoughts about Kristy McClelland. 0:31:57.670 --> 0:32:00.340 She says, I know her ministry focus is shedding light 0:32:00.340 --> 0:32:03.220 on the historical context of Scripture for the Western reader, 0:32:03.220 --> 0:32:05.920 but I don't know much about her theology and doctrine. 0:32:05.920 --> 0:32:09.910 She wrote a book called Rediscovering Israel. Sounds intriguing, but 0:32:09.910 --> 0:32:11.950 I don't want to invest in something without a trusted 0:32:11.950 --> 0:32:13.720 stamp of approval. What do you think? 0:32:13.750 --> 0:32:16.870 Well, I don't personally know Kristy McClellan, though I do 0:32:16.870 --> 0:32:19.690 know she graduated from Dallas Seminary with an Ma and 0:32:19.690 --> 0:32:22.090 Christian education and all that to say, I know the 0:32:22.090 --> 0:32:25.720 theological background and the biblical emphasis she received there. That 0:32:25.720 --> 0:32:27.970 at least leads me to assume she'd do a solid 0:32:27.970 --> 0:32:31.270 job in presenting God's Word. I suspect she also might 0:32:31.270 --> 0:32:34.750 have attended either Jerusalem University College and back in my day, 0:32:34.780 --> 0:32:37.330 that was called the American Institute of Holyland Studies when 0:32:37.330 --> 0:32:40.720 I went there, or Dallas Seminary short term program at 0:32:40.720 --> 0:32:43.840 Master's College Ibex Program. But either way, both of those 0:32:43.840 --> 0:32:47.440 provide good historical and geographical background. Now, I'm sorry I 0:32:47.440 --> 0:32:50.050 can't be more specific, but I can say where she 0:32:50.050 --> 0:32:53.050 went to school and what she's passionate about give me 0:32:53.050 --> 0:32:54.730 a very positive first impression. 0:32:54.730 --> 0:32:57.310 It's the land in the book from Moody Radio, our host, 0:32:57.310 --> 0:33:00.250 Doctor Charlie Dyer, I'm John Yeager. Thank you to this 0:33:00.250 --> 0:33:03.850 station for carving out airtime. Gary says I was discussing 0:33:03.850 --> 0:33:06.400 teenagers with our pastor and stated that the Bible does 0:33:06.400 --> 0:33:09.820 not talk about teenagers. I said that in the Old Testament. 0:33:09.850 --> 0:33:12.460 A boy becomes a man at age 13. Well, he 0:33:12.460 --> 0:33:14.950 challenged me on where the Bible says that some would 0:33:14.950 --> 0:33:17.140 say it's the age of 20, since it was only 0:33:17.140 --> 0:33:19.660 those that were over 20 years of age at the 0:33:19.660 --> 0:33:22.090 time of the exodus that died in the desert, at 0:33:22.090 --> 0:33:24.520 what age does a boy become a man? 0:33:24.880 --> 0:33:27.310 Well, you know, the Bible really doesn't speak directly to 0:33:27.310 --> 0:33:29.350 that matter. I just and I think about it, I 0:33:29.350 --> 0:33:32.380 know two possible passages. The first is the one your 0:33:32.380 --> 0:33:34.750 pastor cited. You know, the phrase 20 years old and 0:33:34.750 --> 0:33:37.780 upward was used two ways in the book of Numbers. 0:33:38.050 --> 0:33:40.630 In numbers, chapter one, it's the age given for those 0:33:40.630 --> 0:33:43.480 eligible to serve in Israel's army. Now, that could be 0:33:43.480 --> 0:33:45.970 an arbitrary age. Just when individuals were felt, you know, 0:33:45.970 --> 0:33:49.030 to be physically developed enough to fight like our service, 0:33:49.030 --> 0:33:52.030 requiring someone to be 18 to enlist. It wasn't an 0:33:52.030 --> 0:33:54.250 age of adulthood as much as the requirement for being 0:33:54.250 --> 0:33:57.520 able to serve militarily. However, when the age is used 0:33:57.520 --> 0:34:00.460 again in numbers 32, it does seem to refer not 0:34:00.460 --> 0:34:03.910 to military eligibility as much as it does to personal 0:34:03.910 --> 0:34:06.970 accountability for one's actions. That's where all the men, 20 0:34:06.970 --> 0:34:09.910 years old and upward, were held responsible for rejecting the 0:34:09.910 --> 0:34:13.029 offer to enter the land. But the second passage is 0:34:13.030 --> 0:34:15.940 also indirect in Luke chapter two. Uh, Luke records the 0:34:15.940 --> 0:34:18.460 account of Jesus at the temple when he was 12. Now, 0:34:18.460 --> 0:34:20.710 it might be a stretch to describe this as a 0:34:20.710 --> 0:34:23.650 model of a modern bar mitzvah, but Jesus was asking 0:34:23.650 --> 0:34:26.319 and answering questions with the teachers in the temple, and 0:34:26.320 --> 0:34:28.300 he told his parents he was there to be about 0:34:28.300 --> 0:34:31.480 his father's business. Now, the account doesn't say it was 0:34:31.480 --> 0:34:34.270 when Jesus became responsible for his actions. In fact, at 0:34:34.270 --> 0:34:36.160 the end of the chapter, it seems to say the opposite. 0:34:36.160 --> 0:34:38.740 It says he went to Nazareth and was obedient to 0:34:38.739 --> 0:34:41.980 his parents. But some do suggest that that was the 0:34:41.980 --> 0:34:44.800 age when Jewish males were thought to be responsible, and 0:34:44.800 --> 0:34:49.390 Jesus was reflecting that Jewish tradition. So what's the answer? Well, today, 0:34:49.390 --> 0:34:51.219 at the age of 12 or 13, a Jewish boy 0:34:51.219 --> 0:34:53.980 goes through the process of his bar mitzvah and and 0:34:53.980 --> 0:34:57.340 assumes religious obligation of becoming an adult in the sense 0:34:57.340 --> 0:35:00.700 of being responsible for obeying God's commands. But there's no 0:35:00.700 --> 0:35:03.069 specific passage in the Old or New Testament I know 0:35:03.070 --> 0:35:05.710 of that says that was true at that time. 0:35:05.950 --> 0:35:08.500 This morning, a Lutheran friend gave me a few copies 0:35:08.500 --> 0:35:11.590 of the Reader's Digest Bible, and I'm wondering, what do 0:35:11.590 --> 0:35:13.810 you think about this version, especially as a Bible, to 0:35:13.810 --> 0:35:17.830 be sent overseas to people who have no other Bibles? Yeah. 0:35:17.830 --> 0:35:21.550 Personally, I'm not really excited about a condensed Bible. While 0:35:21.550 --> 0:35:24.069 it might present the basic historical summary of what's in 0:35:24.070 --> 0:35:27.340 the Bible, there's really a reason God included everything in 0:35:27.340 --> 0:35:30.550 His word. For example, you know, God included four gospels 0:35:30.550 --> 0:35:33.610 to present the life of Christ. I also included two 0:35:33.610 --> 0:35:36.310 sets of historical books, you know, the Samuel and Kings, 0:35:36.310 --> 0:35:39.340 and then first and second Chronicles to trace the history 0:35:39.340 --> 0:35:42.220 of the Kingdom of Israel and Judah. Now by summarizing 0:35:42.219 --> 0:35:45.640 or combining content and then leaving out the rest, the 0:35:45.640 --> 0:35:48.910 material that remains is is simply a human summary of 0:35:48.910 --> 0:35:50.890 all God intent. It's kind of like the cliff notes 0:35:50.890 --> 0:35:53.440 of the Bible. I think it's better to present the 0:35:53.440 --> 0:35:56.770 whole counsel of God. It, rather than just a summary, 0:35:56.770 --> 0:35:59.980 is the message God wants people to read, memorize, and follow. 0:35:59.980 --> 0:36:02.980 Now you can share a modern translation with someone. You 0:36:02.980 --> 0:36:05.590 certainly don't want to send them a Bible. That's difficult. 0:36:05.690 --> 0:36:09.230 To read and understand, but with that modern translation, it's 0:36:09.230 --> 0:36:11.000 far better for them to read the whole word of 0:36:11.000 --> 0:36:13.880 God rather than just a summary of the Word of God. 0:36:13.910 --> 0:36:16.009 Thank you Charlie, and thank you to every listener who 0:36:16.010 --> 0:36:18.410 took the time to email their question. You can do 0:36:18.410 --> 0:36:21.260 the same when you connect with us at the Land 0:36:21.260 --> 0:36:26.209 and the book@moody.edu. Are you taking advantage of our podcast? 0:36:26.210 --> 0:36:28.580 It's there at the website. A great way to listen 0:36:28.580 --> 0:36:31.790 to this program, any program again or share us with 0:36:31.790 --> 0:36:33.830 a friend. A lot of folks don't live in an 0:36:33.830 --> 0:36:36.739 area where we broadcast this program, so why not share 0:36:36.739 --> 0:36:39.740 with them the podcast? It's at our website. The land 0:36:39.739 --> 0:36:44.510 and the book, dawg. Coming up, Charlie's devotional right here 0:36:44.510 --> 0:37:00.089 on Moody Radio's The Land and the book. Welcome to 0:37:00.090 --> 0:37:03.029 segment four of The Land. In the book, I'm John Jaeger, asking, 0:37:03.030 --> 0:37:05.610 how much of a climber are you? For some people, 0:37:05.610 --> 0:37:09.750 climbing into the bed is the most challenging thing they 0:37:09.750 --> 0:37:12.120 face physically, but some people are really into climbing. I 0:37:12.120 --> 0:37:15.630 got a doctor friend, Charlie, who's climbed Kilimanjaro, who's climbed 0:37:15.630 --> 0:37:19.950 Mount McKinley and has more mountains in sight. But that's 0:37:19.950 --> 0:37:21.930 not the kind of climb that you're talking about. And 0:37:21.930 --> 0:37:23.310 your devotional coming up, is it? 0:37:23.310 --> 0:37:26.460 No it's not. Our mountains are a little less steep, 0:37:26.460 --> 0:37:29.160 but I think biblically they're far more significant. 0:37:29.160 --> 0:37:32.009 We're headed to a climb up a Zaka, and that's 0:37:32.010 --> 0:37:34.650 in Joshua chapter ten. If you've got a Bible handy, 0:37:34.650 --> 0:37:36.780 you might want to open it there. As we first 0:37:36.780 --> 0:37:39.390 listen to this Holy Land experience testimony. 0:37:43.350 --> 0:37:46.230 Hi, my name is Elizabeth Hartley and my Holy Land 0:37:46.230 --> 0:37:51.750 experience consisted of first a tour with the Wheaton College 0:37:51.750 --> 0:37:55.440 Holy Land program in 1979, and then the privilege of 0:37:55.440 --> 0:37:59.340 going back between 1984 and 1989 to study at the 0:37:59.340 --> 0:38:03.390 American Institute of Holy Land Studies under a number of 0:38:03.390 --> 0:38:07.560 wonderful professors, one of them being Jim Munson, who showed 0:38:07.560 --> 0:38:12.570 us the land to take visual pictures so that when 0:38:12.570 --> 0:38:17.340 you're reading your scriptures, you see that in your mind. 0:38:17.730 --> 0:38:21.509 And as you read your scriptures, one of the Psalms 0:38:21.510 --> 0:38:25.410 comes to mind as the mountains surround Jerusalem. So the 0:38:25.410 --> 0:38:29.009 Lord surrounds his people. And anywhere you look at from 0:38:29.010 --> 0:38:31.020 when you're in the city of David, there are mountains 0:38:31.020 --> 0:38:34.620 to the north. To the east is the Mount of Olives. 0:38:34.620 --> 0:38:37.440 To the south are mountains. To the west. What is 0:38:37.440 --> 0:38:40.680 sometimes called Mount Zion is actually the western hill you 0:38:40.680 --> 0:38:45.670 have to look up. And God has surrounded each of 0:38:45.670 --> 0:38:48.460 us the way he has surrounded his holy city. 0:38:50.620 --> 0:38:53.110 All right, Joshua. A book of action. All kinds of 0:38:53.110 --> 0:38:57.250 great stuff going on. But we're talking about a climb today, Charlie. 0:38:57.250 --> 0:38:59.080 Lead on. Okay. 0:38:59.980 --> 0:39:03.009 Okay. Hello, hello, hello. Okay, I think everybody's there. Can 0:39:03.010 --> 0:39:06.009 you hear me? The microphone, I think, is now on. Okay. 0:39:06.010 --> 0:39:07.750 Can everybody in the back of the bus hear me? 0:39:07.750 --> 0:39:11.350 Wave your hand if you do. Excellent. Now, sorry about 0:39:11.350 --> 0:39:13.660 the bumpy ride, but as you can tell, we're not 0:39:13.660 --> 0:39:16.570 on a road normally traveled by tour buses. And in 0:39:16.570 --> 0:39:18.160 a very short time, we're going to reach the end 0:39:18.160 --> 0:39:21.399 of the road. Quite literally. The bus will park and 0:39:21.400 --> 0:39:23.080 will still have a bit of a hike up to 0:39:23.080 --> 0:39:25.750 the top of this hill, but trust me, it's worth 0:39:25.750 --> 0:39:28.239 the walk. When we stop, be sure to bring along 0:39:28.239 --> 0:39:32.800 your map, your camera or smartphone and your hat. Here 0:39:32.800 --> 0:39:35.680 we are. So follow me up to the top. That really? 0:39:35.680 --> 0:39:38.470 That wasn't too bad, was it? The bus did most 0:39:38.469 --> 0:39:40.629 of the work in getting as close to the top 0:39:40.630 --> 0:39:42.819 40 years ago. It was a bit more of an 0:39:42.820 --> 0:39:46.150 adventure to reach where we're now standing. And where is that, 0:39:46.150 --> 0:39:48.790 you might ask? Well, we're now on the ancient site 0:39:48.790 --> 0:39:51.070 of Isaca and I can see for some of you 0:39:51.070 --> 0:39:53.380 that doesn't mean much, but I hope it will by 0:39:53.380 --> 0:39:56.049 the time we're through. First, though, let me help you 0:39:56.050 --> 0:39:59.440 understand where you are geographically. We're in the area of 0:39:59.440 --> 0:40:02.560 the low foothills between the hill country of Judah to 0:40:02.560 --> 0:40:06.190 our east and the Philistine plain to our west. In Hebrew, 0:40:06.190 --> 0:40:08.770 this area is known as the fella. Now the hill 0:40:08.770 --> 0:40:10.660 we're on is about the highest one around, so it 0:40:10.660 --> 0:40:12.820 gives us a pretty good view of the area. See 0:40:12.820 --> 0:40:15.850 all those low hills spread out down below? That's what 0:40:15.850 --> 0:40:19.450 the fella these low foothills generally look like. These low 0:40:19.450 --> 0:40:22.990 hills have a limestone crust on top called nori. Think 0:40:22.989 --> 0:40:25.779 of it as being something like poor quality cement. The 0:40:25.780 --> 0:40:28.330 hills aren't much good for agriculture, and as you can see, 0:40:28.330 --> 0:40:31.989 they're generally covered with some hardier scrub brush and bushes 0:40:31.989 --> 0:40:35.350 that don't need much soil. About 4 or 5ft. Underneath 0:40:35.350 --> 0:40:38.680 that limestone crust is a layer of white chalk. Now, 0:40:38.680 --> 0:40:41.920 these details might sound boring, but they're important for understanding 0:40:41.920 --> 0:40:45.520 the entire area. The hills weren't good for agriculture, so 0:40:45.520 --> 0:40:48.460 that's where the towns and villages were built. The major 0:40:48.460 --> 0:40:50.770 east west valleys in between the hills are filled with 0:40:50.770 --> 0:40:53.710 rich alluvial soil that washed down from the hill country 0:40:53.710 --> 0:40:55.900 to our east. You can see quite a bit of 0:40:55.900 --> 0:40:58.989 agriculture in those valleys today. That was also true in 0:40:58.989 --> 0:41:02.620 Bible times. The farms and roads ran through the valleys, 0:41:02.620 --> 0:41:05.920 and just below us is a trough running northward. It's 0:41:05.920 --> 0:41:09.430 actually a chalk moat of sorts, a natural valley formed 0:41:09.430 --> 0:41:13.300 where that soft layer of chalk was exposed and weathered away. 0:41:13.300 --> 0:41:17.050 It made for a natural North-South roadway. So, so much 0:41:17.050 --> 0:41:20.410 for geography. Now let's open our Bibles and see why 0:41:20.410 --> 0:41:23.320 the city on this high hill was so strategic. I 0:41:23.320 --> 0:41:25.150 want us to be right here on this hill, so 0:41:25.150 --> 0:41:28.450 we can watch the first of three historical events that 0:41:28.450 --> 0:41:31.990 unfolded in this very region to have front row seats 0:41:31.989 --> 0:41:34.299 for this first conflict. Let's walk over to the northern 0:41:34.300 --> 0:41:36.250 edge of the hill and look down at the chalk 0:41:36.250 --> 0:41:39.940 valley below. To our north, the sky looks rather ominous. 0:41:39.940 --> 0:41:42.969 Dark clouds are rolling in from off the Mediterranean, and 0:41:42.969 --> 0:41:46.060 the green tint along the bottom of the clouds is 0:41:46.060 --> 0:41:49.390 a telltale sign of hail. As we watch the clouds 0:41:49.390 --> 0:41:52.690 move closer, we can also start to see flashes of lightning, 0:41:52.690 --> 0:41:56.529 followed by rumbles of thunder and then through the darkening sky. 0:41:56.530 --> 0:41:59.620 We also catch a glimpse of people running south through 0:41:59.620 --> 0:42:02.680 this natural chalk valley. From up here, they almost look 0:42:02.680 --> 0:42:07.180 like ants scurrying to get away. As the fleeing horde approaches, 0:42:07.180 --> 0:42:11.020 many are stumbling and falling. They're being pelted by chunks 0:42:11.020 --> 0:42:14.770 of falling ice. No, wait. They're being bombed by extremely 0:42:14.770 --> 0:42:19.089 large hailstones and out in the open they're defenseless. And then, 0:42:19.090 --> 0:42:22.390 just as soon as it began, the storm skirts by 0:42:22.390 --> 0:42:25.120 and the hail stops falling. But most of those on 0:42:25.120 --> 0:42:28.930 the ground aren't getting up. Their comrades keep running, not 0:42:28.930 --> 0:42:32.469 even stopping to help. We wonder why until we see 0:42:32.469 --> 0:42:35.920 another group in the distance gaining on them. This original 0:42:35.920 --> 0:42:40.210 group was fleeing from these pursuers. That's why they're not stopping. 0:42:40.390 --> 0:42:44.620 So what just took place? Open your Bibles to Joshua ten. 0:42:44.650 --> 0:42:47.589 You probably know this story is the account of Joshua 0:42:47.590 --> 0:42:50.980 leading his forces from Gilgal on an all night hike 0:42:50.980 --> 0:42:54.189 to rescue the people of Gibeon in verse five explains 0:42:54.190 --> 0:42:57.940 the problem facing Gibeon five kings of the Amorites, the 0:42:57.940 --> 0:43:02.860 kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Yarmuth, Lachish and Eglon joined forces. 0:43:02.860 --> 0:43:04.960 They moved up with all their troops and took up 0:43:04.960 --> 0:43:08.440 positions against Gibeon and attacked it. The kings in the 0:43:08.440 --> 0:43:11.770 hill country were alarmed with the surrender of Gibeon. Israel 0:43:11.770 --> 0:43:15.010 now controlled a main east west crossing point in the land. 0:43:15.040 --> 0:43:17.890 The region had been cut in two by this move. 0:43:17.890 --> 0:43:21.339 Their goal was to recapture Gibeon and bottle up Israel. 0:43:21.340 --> 0:43:25.030 Back in the Jordan Valley, Joshua and his forces caught 0:43:25.030 --> 0:43:28.149 the armies of the Five Kings off guard. Again, Joshua 0:43:28.150 --> 0:43:31.900 ten summarizes what happened after an all night march from Gilgal. 0:43:31.900 --> 0:43:34.990 Joshua took them by surprise. The Lord threw them into 0:43:34.989 --> 0:43:38.290 confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory 0:43:38.290 --> 0:43:41.650 at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road, going up 0:43:41.650 --> 0:43:44.050 to Beth Horan, and cut them down all the way 0:43:44.050 --> 0:43:47.020 to a Zarqa and Makeda. Now we tend to focus 0:43:47.020 --> 0:43:49.930 on the long day of Joshua ten, when God kept. 0:43:50.020 --> 0:43:52.299 The sun and moon from moving to give Israel time 0:43:52.300 --> 0:43:55.899 for this extended battle. And that was indeed a miracle. 0:43:55.900 --> 0:43:59.800 But there was another miracle that day, one most skip over, 0:43:59.800 --> 0:44:02.770 but which we can spot from our vantage point up here. 0:44:02.860 --> 0:44:04.840 But to do so, you need to look carefully at 0:44:04.840 --> 0:44:08.470 the details. Joshua chased the Canaanites down the main road 0:44:08.469 --> 0:44:12.100 that went west from Gibeon toward the Mediterranean. The enemy 0:44:12.100 --> 0:44:15.160 first ran away from Joshua, but now they needed to 0:44:15.160 --> 0:44:17.620 get home. To do so, they had to stop at 0:44:17.620 --> 0:44:19.960 the bottom of the Beth Horn Ridge Road and then 0:44:19.960 --> 0:44:24.220 turn south, traveling through the chalk moat or roadway below us. 0:44:24.219 --> 0:44:27.009 Once they got far enough south, they could then take 0:44:27.010 --> 0:44:30.490 a different roadway back east into the hill country, but 0:44:30.489 --> 0:44:34.360 they faced two obstacles. The first was the Israelites pursuing them. 0:44:34.360 --> 0:44:37.239 The Israelites were tired after an all night 20 mile 0:44:37.239 --> 0:44:40.450 uphill hike. So many of the Canaanites were confident they 0:44:40.450 --> 0:44:43.750 could outrun the Israelites and escape. But that's when the 0:44:43.750 --> 0:44:47.980 second difficulty, God himself entered the fight and they couldn't 0:44:47.980 --> 0:44:52.960 outrun him. Here's how Joshua describes this often overlooked detail 0:44:53.170 --> 0:44:56.080 as they fled before Israel. On the road down from 0:44:56.080 --> 0:44:59.710 Beth Horn to Waseca, the Lord hurled large hailstones down 0:44:59.710 --> 0:45:02.050 on them from the sky, and more of them died 0:45:02.050 --> 0:45:04.690 from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of 0:45:04.690 --> 0:45:08.350 the Israelites. The natural chalk valley from below Beth Horn 0:45:08.350 --> 0:45:12.310 to Isaca became a highway of death for the Canaanite army. 0:45:12.310 --> 0:45:14.830 It wasn't the rain or even the lightning that was 0:45:14.830 --> 0:45:19.120 the problem. God literally hurled large hail stones from heaven 0:45:19.120 --> 0:45:22.270 on the soldiers as they fled, and more died from 0:45:22.270 --> 0:45:26.049 the hailstones than were killed by the Israelites. About two 0:45:26.050 --> 0:45:28.930 months ago, I talked about hailstorms in Texas and Indiana 0:45:28.930 --> 0:45:32.170 that forced me to replace two roofs on houses, and 0:45:32.170 --> 0:45:35.200 they were just golf ball sized hail. I remember times 0:45:35.200 --> 0:45:38.110 in Texas when they had hail the size of baseballs 0:45:38.110 --> 0:45:41.649 and larger. I'm glad the account says the storm only 0:45:41.650 --> 0:45:44.680 lasted to a Zaka. Imagine being on this hill and 0:45:44.680 --> 0:45:47.920 watching a storm like that pass by just to our north. 0:45:48.040 --> 0:45:51.160 God had the sun and moon stand still, which helped 0:45:51.160 --> 0:45:53.860 Israel on a very long day of battle. But the 0:45:53.860 --> 0:45:57.520 crucial element of victory was a violent thunderstorm, accompanied by 0:45:57.520 --> 0:46:01.990 large hail used as divine missiles to target the invaders. 0:46:02.020 --> 0:46:04.930 God is the one who gets credit for this victory. 0:46:04.930 --> 0:46:08.140 So what can we carry back with us from this 0:46:08.140 --> 0:46:11.980 first visit to Isaca? How about this? God calls on 0:46:11.980 --> 0:46:14.260 us to do our part to stand up for him. 0:46:14.260 --> 0:46:16.900 But as we do, let's remember that ultimately he's the 0:46:16.900 --> 0:46:19.359 one who will bring victory, and he'll often do so 0:46:19.360 --> 0:46:23.110 in ways we might never have imagined. So stay faithful 0:46:23.110 --> 0:46:24.910 and keep looking up. 0:46:25.719 --> 0:46:28.359 Boy, great lesson there from the top of Isaca. Thank 0:46:28.360 --> 0:46:31.239 you Charlie. If you'd like to hear today's program again, 0:46:31.239 --> 0:46:34.540 any past program is available at our website, the land 0:46:34.540 --> 0:46:38.290 and the book.org. We encourage you to share our podcast 0:46:38.290 --> 0:46:42.880 with your friends. Again, the land and the book. Org. 0:46:43.120 --> 0:46:45.549 Thanks for being a part of our program today. Hope 0:46:45.550 --> 0:46:48.280 you'll be back next week. On behalf of Charlie Dyer 0:46:48.280 --> 0:46:50.740 and Dan Anderson, I'm John Yeager, the land in the 0:46:50.739 --> 0:46:53.560 book is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of 0:46:53.560 --> 0:46:54.969 Moody Bible Institute.