S1: If someone told you that the Middle East country of
S1: Jordan has a theological seminary, would you believe them? Actually
S1: it's true, and the stories coming out of this school
S1: are amazing. Best of all, you'll hear them when you
S1: join us. Now this is the land and the book.
S1: A one hour look at everything happening in the Middle
S1: East will also answer a fascinating set of listener Bible questions.
S1: And our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, invites you to join
S1: him for a climb with a view and a lesson
S1: that's all ahead on the land and the book. I'm
S1: John Yeager and Charlie Passover will soon be upon us.
S1: One of the traditional Passover questions is what makes this
S1: night different from all others? Well, Passover is an important
S1: biblical holiday that has great meaning for both Jewish people
S1: and believers in Jesus. So I think it's an important
S1: question to ask, right?
S2: Absolutely, John. In fact, if people want to learn more
S2: about what makes Passover so special, well, our friends at
S2: Life in Messiah are offering to make you a free
S2: copy of their messianic Passover Haggadah. The booklet will lead
S2: you through the celebration of Passover to see the rich
S2: connections to Jesus, our Messiah, and the Last Supper. You'll
S2: also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder video
S2: with the Haggadah and video. You can celebrate Passover this
S2: year with your family and friends. To get this free offer,
S2: just go to Life in Messiah org and click on
S2: the Moody Radio button to find out more and request
S2: your copy. That's life in Messiah.
S1: Org and if you're new to the land in the book,
S1: this opening segment brings you a look at current events
S1: from the entire Middle East region. Our first story, Israel's
S1: Supreme Court, has now ruled that the country's mandatory military
S1: draft must be extended to all ultra-Orthodox Jews. That's kind
S1: of a blockbuster move, it seems, Charlie, to me. What's
S1: the history behind this ruling, and what impact could it
S1: have on Israel's society at large and on the current
S1: coalition government?
S2: Yeah, John, this decision has been called a bombshell since
S2: the founding of Israel in 1948. The state has exempted
S2: the ultra-Orthodox from serving in the armed forces, and has
S2: instead subsidized their study of the Torah and rabbinic literature
S2: at more than 1200 religious schools, collectively called yeshivas. In
S2: the early days, this wasn't a major problem, with about
S2: 400 being exempt back in the 1950s, but the ultra-Orthodox
S2: population has grown dramatically. They're now 10% of the total population,
S2: and are expected to increase to 16% in several years
S2: because of their large families. The number now exempt from
S2: the draft is over 60,000 and growing. And this has
S2: created resentment, especially among secular Israelis, who feel they're carrying
S2: an increasingly heavier burden. The current war with Hamas has
S2: now given the debate a greater sense of urgency. The
S2: Supreme Court ruled that all religious Jews are subject to
S2: the draft, and that the government is to freeze financial
S2: support for yeshiva students who are of enlistment age. What's
S2: uncertain is what will happen next. Past efforts to draft
S2: religious students has resulted in mass protests. The two religious
S2: parties in the current coalition have threatened to resign from
S2: the coalition and bring down the government if their voters
S2: are forced to enlist, and the chief Sephardic rabbi said
S2: will all move abroad if they force us to go
S2: into the army. However, it's unclear exactly how serious that
S2: threat might be since they don't know where they could
S2: move or how they would support themselves once they got there.
S2: But their threat to bring down the current government is
S2: very real. Prime Minister Netanyahu is working hard to try
S2: to keep that from happening, but his available options are
S2: limited now. One suggestion that's been offered is to establish
S2: a settlement defense authority, and to use the ultra-Orthodox to
S2: guard the more than 200 settlements in the West Bank
S2: and along the border with Gaza. However, it's unclear if
S2: that would be acceptable to the courts, the ultra-Orthodox community
S2: or the settlements. What is clear is that this is
S2: a major threat to the current coalition.
S1: Story number two President Biden is trying to thread the needle,
S1: so to speak, in supporting Israel while also trying to
S1: placate those in his support base who are anti-Israel. What
S1: impact does this having on the war against Hamas?
S2: Yeah, after some very negative comments, almost threats against Israel
S2: by some of his supporters of the president's trying to
S2: walk a very narrow path to try to mollify those
S2: who are against supporting Israel because of the devastation in Gaza.
S2: The president went out of his way to acknowledge what
S2: he called the pain being felt by many Arab Americans
S2: over the war in Gaza, and he admitted that part
S2: of the pain came from the US support for Israel
S2: and its military. He announced he was working to increase
S2: humanitarian aid into Gaza, establish a ceasefire to last at
S2: least six weeks and free the hostages. He also publicly
S2: expressed outrage at Israel's accidental killing of international aid workers
S2: in Gaza, saying Israel hasn't done enough to protect aid
S2: workers there. But at the same time, the administration. Quietly
S2: approved the sale of additional bombs and F-35 fighter jets
S2: to Israel, and they signal to Israel they understand Israel's
S2: position regarding its opposition to demands being made by Hamas
S2: in the hostage negotiations. The major sticking point between the
S2: US and Israel right now remains Rafah, both in the
S2: large number of refugees located there and the Hamas force
S2: still in control there. Israel is insisting it needs to
S2: go into Rafah to eliminate Hamas. Both Israel and the
S2: US agree that Hamas needs to be eliminated, the hostages
S2: need to be freed, and the people of Gaza need
S2: to be allowed to return home and rebuild. But the
S2: sticking point remains how to accomplish those goals. Right now,
S2: the two are not in agreement with the US telling
S2: Israel its Rafah plan is not viable. So we'll have
S2: to wait and see what happens. But it looks like
S2: right now that any invasion of Rafah might be put
S2: off till late April, more likely in May if it
S2: ever happens at all.
S1: Well, Charlie, the war in Gaza will eventually come to
S1: an end. But could it be followed by an even
S1: greater conflict with Hezbollah? What's the latest on the tensions
S1: along Israel's border with Lebanon?
S2: Well, the official US position right now is that we
S2: don't support a war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. Instead,
S2: we hope to restore calm along the border by establishing
S2: the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, since that's the main
S2: reason Hezbollah has said it's firing at Israel. However, while
S2: diplomatic efforts on the part of the US and France
S2: go on, Israel is bracing for what they see as
S2: a short but intense war with Hamas. There are two
S2: reasons Israel's perspective diverges so much from the US. First,
S2: 80,000 Israelis have been forced from their homes along the
S2: border with Lebanon. Businesses up there have been devastated. Their
S2: lives have come to a halt for the past six months,
S2: and they won't go back until it's safe to do so.
S2: And second, Israel believes Hezbollah when they say their goal
S2: is the elimination of the state of Israel. Hezbollah has
S2: attacked tunnels just like Hamas did. Their cache of rockets
S2: and missiles dwarfs that of Hamas. What Hamas did in
S2: the South is what Hezbollah has said it will do
S2: in the north, and Israel won't allow that to happen.
S2: Israel is saying that the UN Security Council Resolution 1701
S2: must be implemented, and that Hezbollah's forces must be moved
S2: north of the Litani River to be replaced with regular
S2: Lebanese Army forces. So far, each side has stopped short
S2: of launching an all out attack, but the level of
S2: violence is increasing, including an Israeli strike in Damascus that
S2: killed an Iranian commander responsible for Iranian support in Lebanon
S2: and Syria. Now, unless the US and France can get
S2: Hezbollah to move north, it's only a matter of time
S2: until Israel does attack. They can't have 80,000 citizens, remain
S2: permanent refugees from their own homes, and they can't allow
S2: Hezbollah to keep its forces along the border.
S1: Well, conflict in the Middle East might continue, but so
S1: does the medical research taking place in amazing Israel. Tell
S1: us about a novel treatment for age related macular degeneration, AMD,
S1: that researchers there believe could be just over the horizon?
S2: Yeah, 200 million people worldwide suffer from age related macular
S2: degeneration over the next 15 years. That number is expected
S2: to grow to nearly 300 million. One out of every
S2: eight people in the West over the age of 60
S2: can expect to develop AMD. Now, AMD has two stages
S2: dry AMD comes first. You can't lose your sight from it,
S2: but at the same time there's no treatment for it.
S2: It's then followed by wet AMD. Now there are treatments
S2: available for wet AMD, but not everyone responds to those treatments,
S2: and that lack of response can eventually lead to blindness.
S2: And that's where Professor Ofra Beni, co-founder of Foresight Pharma,
S2: comes in. She's identified a molecule that can target and
S2: potentially stop the formation of excess blood vessels in the eye,
S2: preventing the worst effects of wet AMD. So far, the
S2: molecule has only been tested on animals, though with very
S2: promising results. Human trials are still a few years away.
S2: The company plans to target the US market first, and
S2: the name or site was chosen deliberately. In addition to
S2: the word sight in the name, the first part of
S2: the brand, or in Hebrew, means light. Their goal is
S2: to bring light to people's eyes to keep them from
S2: going blind. Now the treatment is still down the road,
S2: but for those diagnosed with dry AMD who are concerned
S2: about progressing to wet AMD, this solution from amazing Israel
S2: can't come soon enough. And if listeners want more information,
S2: Google or Sight Pharma, that's o r c t Pharma
S2: and keep tabs on what they're doing.
S1: Well, here's something you should know about Charlie the Moody
S1: radio team. That would be you and me and our
S1: wives are just back from Israel. We have just finished
S1: a one hour special Inside Israel the War. And what's next, Charlie?
S1: We were there traveling five and a half days in Israel.
S1: Traveling 1100 miles up and down the country. We interviewed
S1: more than 30 people, brought back more than 12 hours
S1: of conversations, now condensed into an hour long special. What
S1: can people expect as they listen?
S2: I think they can expect a powerful presentation. We saw
S2: what's happening within the country. We saw what God has
S2: been doing, even more importantly, and the interviews were just amazing.
S2: We were blown away and I think people will be
S2: as well.
S1: You'll find that special. At Moody Radio Morgan Specials, we
S1: talk with soldiers back from Gaza, survivors of the attack
S1: on these kibbutz. Plus what pastors are doing. You'll find
S1: that Moody radio special at Moody Radio. Org forward slash specials.
S1: If you listen regularly to the land in the book,
S1: you have a sense of basic Bible geography. Most of
S1: the Bible's events unfolded in Israel, but not all. In fact,
S1: many key moments took place on the other side of
S1: the Jordan River. But would you believe that believers today
S1: in modern Jordan have access to quality Bible training? We'll
S1: talk about it next. Welcome again to the land and
S1: the book. I'm John Jaeger, and before we cross over
S1: the iconic Jordan River, let's think about creative ways we
S1: can reach out to our Muslim friends right where we live.
S1: When you're talking with a muslim friend, are there areas
S1: of conversation you should avoid, like movies and music and
S1: pop culture here in America? I'm guessing these are taboo
S1: or should be very carefully discussed, if at all. Stefano
S1: here is with call of Hope. What do you say.
S3: Are these movies and this music? Is this part of
S3: your life?
S1: It is part of my life.
S3: Okay. So you share your life. I think we should
S3: not be too complicated. If we start thinking of what
S3: do we talk about? What do we open up then?
S3: We are in a difficult situation. No, that's my Muslim friend.
S3: And if this jazz music is part of my life,
S3: and if I really like it, and if I really
S3: like this guy who is playing this chess music, well,
S3: then I tell him about it, you know, why not?
S3: And if I like the movie back to the future,
S3: and I think that's the best movie I have ever seen. Well,
S3: I tell that to my American friend. Why shouldn't I
S3: tell it also to my Muslim friend? Very normal. I
S3: share my life as it is.
S1: All right. Have a normal conversation about normal things with
S1: your Muslim friend and just get on with it.
S3: Absolutely. That's my advice.
S1: Stefano Faris with call of Hope. Us joining us today
S1: on the land and the book. Doctor Stephen Bramer is
S1: a teacher and preacher. You'd be hard pressed to take
S1: either one out of the man. He serves as department
S1: chair and professor of Bible exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary,
S1: but he also taught for 16 years at Briar Crest
S1: Bible College and at Briar Crest Biblical Seminary in Saskatchewan, Canada,
S1: before joining the faculty of Dallas. He's a teaching pastor
S1: at Walter Brook Bible Fellowship, travels yearly to Israel and Jordan.
S1: He serves as an adjunct professor for Word of Life
S1: Bible Institute, Hungary and New York, Briar Crest Seminary, Canada,
S1: as well as at a ministry known as Jets. It's
S1: that last part we want to talk about today, Jets.
S1: And we're not talking about planes in the sky. Our
S1: focus has a higher calling. Hey, welcome back to the
S1: land of the book, Doctor Bramer.
S4: It's great to be here with you, John.
S1: So if Jets isn't an airplane, what are we talking
S1: about here?
S4: Uh, jet stands for the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary. It's
S4: amazing that there's an evangelical theological seminary in the country
S4: of Jordan.
S1: Now, some listeners might automatically be thinking, hold the phone.
S1: I wasn't aware that the country of Jordan would even
S1: allow something like an evangelical theological seminary. What are we misunderstanding?
S4: Well, there is a freedom of religion within Jordan. Now,
S4: having said that, the population of the Christians, including all
S4: the different Christian denominations, is just a very few percent. Nevertheless,
S4: there is a measure of freedom, and one of the
S4: freedoms that was given to them was for a school
S4: to be approved by the Jordanian government to teach the
S4: Word of God to Christian believers, not to Muslims.
S1: So where exactly in Jordan is the seminary located and
S1: how many students there are enrolled?
S4: It's at the edge of the big city of Jordan, actually,
S4: in the hill country overlooking the Jordan River valley and
S4: Israel in the distance. And so it's just outside of Amman, Jordan.
S4: Of course, Amman is is famous in Scripture.
S1: I want to go back to my little introduction and
S1: invite you to list 2 or 3 biblical events that
S1: took place in what we know today as Jordan.
S4: Well, you know, when David committed his sin with Bathsheba,
S4: the place he should have been was over with his
S4: army in Amman, Jordan. And so they were attacking the
S4: king of Amman, their king of the ammonites. And so
S4: David stayed home, and it was Uriah the Hittite who
S4: ended up, of course, suffering death because David was trying
S4: to cover sin. So that's that's an important battle that
S4: took place there in the New Testament. It's one of
S4: the Decapolis cities. And so although Amman, Jordan, called Philadelphia
S4: by the Romans, is not mentioned specifically for an event,
S4: it is part of the Decapolis, the the Gentile region
S4: over there in the country of Jordan.
S1: Our focus today on the land in the book is Jordan.
S1: Our guest, Doctor Stephen Bremer, who has taught extensively for
S1: the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary. I'm John Jaeger, wondering, isn't
S1: it awkward, at the very least, to be in Jordan
S1: and have to teach about a Jewish messiah living in
S1: a Jewish land?
S4: Yeah, it is awkward, and perhaps even more awkward than
S4: that is because there is a state called the State
S4: of Israel over there. And so you're talking about Israel
S4: and an Israelite and an Israeli, you know, an Israelite
S4: was a descendant of Abraham, and Israeli is a citizen
S4: of the modern state of Israel. I often say to
S4: my Jewish guides, what's the difference between an Israeli and
S4: an Israelite? And he looks at me and I said,
S4: The Israelite has 100 fewer calories. And so Coke Light
S4: and Pepsi. But they're different. And so when you're there teaching,
S4: I often rather than using the term Israel or anything
S4: or Israeli Israelite, I will say descendants of Abraham and
S4: perhaps the land of the Bible, because Jordan is part
S4: of the land of the Bible, we call it the
S4: the other Holy Land. And and things happened over there.
S4: Two and a half tribes of Israel were over there.
S4: And so you need to separate anything political and modern.
S4: And most Christians there in Jordan can understand that and
S4: are able to focus on the biblical text and leave
S4: behind some of the political discussion.
S1: Well, many of our listeners have traveled to Israel. What
S1: might catch us by surprise if we were to visit Jordan, though?
S1: How is it different from Israel culturally, geographically, and spiritually?
S4: In many senses, the Jordanian people still have a culture
S4: that would be closer to the the. Culture. You know,
S4: you can travel and you can stop at a Bedouin
S4: tent and you can see the meals that they create.
S4: So the country is a modern country, but much of
S4: the country is still living in a more rural, a
S4: more Bedouin wandering types in the desert. So you get
S4: to see a little bit more of that. And because
S4: it hasn't been developed in a modern way, except for
S4: the city of Amman, you get to see that openness,
S4: the the hills, something that you might have seen 2000
S4: years ago, that when you're in Israel and they're hotels
S4: all over and and condominiums all over, it's a little
S4: bit harder to see. So Jordan is more wide open
S4: and a little bit more, I think, like what would
S4: have been like in the time of the scriptures.
S1: Thanks for being with us today on the land in
S1: the book, I'm John Jaeger talking today with Doctor Stephen Bremer.
S1: What are some other unique theological hurdles that you might
S1: be facing as you teach at a seminary in Jordan?
S1: You know.
S4: You're teaching in a country that the majority here are Muslim,
S4: and so you need to be sensitive to that. Although
S4: we're able to teach Christian people from a Christian background,
S4: a person perhaps was Muslim and converted to Christianity would
S4: not be allowed to come to the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary,
S4: not because the seminary doesn't want them there, but the
S4: government will not allow a person to change from Muslim
S4: to Christian. It's part of keeping the population from getting upset.
S4: And therefore, when you're there, you need to speak very
S4: carefully about the majority religion. You want to be careful
S4: that you don't offend. Many of these students are seeking
S4: to reach out to their friends and neighbors who are
S4: not from a Christian background. And and so you just
S4: need to be careful. I remember in class one time
S4: I told a joke about George Bush, you know, and
S4: my translator just shook his head, being translated of course,
S4: into Arabic. And I said to break, you know, why
S4: didn't you translate that joke? And he said, you know,
S4: it was about George Bush. And I said, well, he's
S4: from Texas. You know, we're okay with him. And he said, no, no,
S4: he's the president of the United States. And we don't
S4: make fun of any government official. He said we would
S4: never say anything about our king, and we want to
S4: respect the president of the United States. So it's a
S4: different culture in terms of authority, a different culture in
S4: terms of family members saying to a pastor, you know
S4: what shouldn't I preach on when I come to your church?
S4: And he said, well, don't preach on marriage. And I said,
S4: what do you mean? The Scripture has so much to
S4: say and it's so important. He said, yes, but but
S4: you as an American, just think of marriage so much
S4: differently than we would think in the Middle East. So
S4: much of your application probably wouldn't be appropriate for this culture.
S4: When you tell a husband to take his wife out
S4: for a date once a week, he said, you know,
S4: we weren't dating when we were in courtship often, you know?
S4: So here you are. It's a biblical subject, but it
S4: needs to be applied in a culturally relevant way. So
S4: even in class, I need to be careful about what
S4: I say in terms of application. It's more that I'm
S4: asking the students to respond to the biblical message.
S1: Describe the typical student who studies at the Jordan Evangelical
S1: Theological Seminary. Are they are they young, middle aged, single, married?
S1: You know.
S4: They're all of that. But I would say, you know,
S4: they're they've already, of course, completed a university course, uh,
S4: mostly male, but a number of females involved as well. So,
S4: like our seminary stay the the majority of them would
S4: be younger, you know, in their 20s, early 30s. But
S4: the difference is that maybe half of them would be
S4: from the country of Jordan. But this Arabic speaking seminary
S4: reaches out to the Arabic speaking world. And so there
S4: are students there from Lebanon and Syria and Iraq and
S4: Egypt in the occupied territory on the other side of
S4: the Jordan River and from Sudan. And so students from
S4: these other countries apply because they want to get solid
S4: evangelical biblical training in their native language, Arabic.
S1: Now, do most graduates hope to enter full time ministry,
S1: or is it understood that everybody's going to be a
S1: tent maker? What kind of a dynamic is there?
S4: I would say the majority who were coming there are
S4: planning to go into full time ministry. Uh. They're here.
S4: The churches of Jordan desperately need pastors. At one time,
S4: I think half the pastors had evangelical churches in Jordan
S4: had been trained by jets. Of course, some of them
S4: come over here to America and to other places to
S4: be trained. But I would say the majority of them
S4: are planning to go into full time Christian work, which
S4: is difficult because the churches don't have an awful lot
S4: of money and it's hard to support. So some of
S4: them will be tent makers, but they want to serve
S4: the Lord.
S1: Hey, what insights biblically might you have otherwise missed had
S1: you not spent time teaching and living in Jordan?
S4: I think the biggest one would be that here in
S4: North America, we don't think about persecution. We don't think about, uh,
S4: having our neighbor who would do something, you know, uh,
S4: towards us that might be even dangerous or something like that.
S4: The Jordanian people are wonderful, wonderful, warm people. But there
S4: is a measure of ostracization, a measure of pressure that
S4: comes upon believers in that country. And so I remember
S4: speaking about persecution one time and saying to the students,
S4: you know, I remember when I was persecuted back there
S4: in high school, and I said something and the students
S4: laughed at me, and I stopped and they looked at
S4: me and said, listen, that's the best story I have
S4: of persecution in America, you know? And then I turned
S4: to them and asked them, and someone had just come
S4: back from Iraq and had a gun pointed at his
S4: head and said, okay, you win the story contest. You know,
S4: it's just different. We're so free here. And we can
S4: say we can ask people what church they go to.
S4: We in a sense, we don't have to protect ourselves.
S4: But in a country like that, where there are people
S4: observing and reporting, you do need to be careful in
S4: how you speak and how you act towards, uh, the
S4: majority population.
S1: How can our listeners pray for the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary?
S4: You just pray that the Lord would provide for them.
S4: Most of the money that comes to keep this seminary
S4: going comes from North America. It's difficult for people in
S4: the country of Jordan. Jordan is a poor country, and
S4: they've had refugees come from Iraq and from Palestine and
S4: from Syria. And so they're poor. So pray that the
S4: Lord would provide for them. Pray that students from other
S4: countries would be able to get visas. Uh, Jordan Evangelical
S4: Theological Seminary may have 50 to 75 full time students.
S4: They used to have more than that. But certain people
S4: in the government don't allow the visas to come through
S4: for Arabic speaking students from other countries in many cases.
S4: So pray that the government would open up that gate
S4: and allow many more to come in and then pray
S4: for them spiritually. Uh, I'm sure that the devil does
S4: not want this school to exist there, to have the
S4: impact it's having to be training these Arab young men
S4: and women for ministry. And so pray that the Lord
S4: would protect them in all that they do.
S1: Well, thank you for taking us to Jordan. That's Stephen
S1: Bremer right now. Coming up, it's a conversation with Charlie Dyer,
S1: our host. What are we doing? We're looking at Bible
S1: questions that have come from you. That's all ahead. Next
S1: on the land and the book. Question do you keep
S1: a spiritual journal as in your reading the Bible, and
S1: something comes across that sticks in your brain and you
S1: want to remember it? Or maybe, maybe if you're like me,
S1: you puzzle over that something and you've got questions. Hi,
S1: I'm John Yeager, this is the land of the book,
S1: and I have to confess, my own journal has lots
S1: of questions in it. Well, the beauty of what you're
S1: listening to right now, here on the land in the book,
S1: is a segment that is devoted entirely to your questions
S1: about the Bible, about prophecy, about the Middle East. It's
S1: the land and the book. Charlie, are you ready for
S1: today's questions?
S2: I'm ready.
S1: John, uh, a quick thought before we begin, though, Passover
S1: will soon be upon us. And one of the traditional
S1: Passover questions is what makes this night different from all others? Passover,
S1: of course, is an important biblical holiday that has great
S1: meaning for both Jewish people and believers in Jesus. So
S1: I think that's a pretty good question to ask.
S2: It's a great question to ask. And if people listening
S2: want to know what makes Passover so special, our friends
S2: at Life and Messiah are offering to mail a free
S2: copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. The booklet will lead
S2: you through the celebration of Passover to see the rich
S2: connections to Jesus, our Messiah, and to the Last Supper.
S2: You'll also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder
S2: video with the Haggadah and the video. You can celebrate
S2: Passover this year with your family and friends. Now to
S2: get this free offer, just go to Life in messiah.org
S2: and click on the Moody Radio button there to find
S2: out more and to request your copy. That's life in messiah.org.
S1: Our email address where you can get your question to
S1: Charlie is the land and the book at Moody Edu.
S1: So let's dig into our first question from Todd. He
S1: takes us to Genesis 20, commenting that Sarah at this
S1: time was 80 years old. So why was Abimelech eager
S1: to marry an 80 year old woman?
S2: I think the answer might be that in typical Near
S2: Eastern fashion, Sarah could have been fully veiled so that
S2: only her eyes were showing. You know, even today, the
S2: eyes are seen as the point of beauty in those
S2: cultures from pharaohs perspective, Abraham was a wealthy Near Eastern sheik,
S2: and both he and Sarah would have appeared exotic to him. Finally,
S2: it's also possible even at 80, she was simply a
S2: stunningly beautiful woman.
S1: Mary asks, maybe this is complicated, but is there a
S1: time frame in a given Pauline letter to a specific church?
S1: For example, Paul begins in Galatians saying that he's amazed
S1: how they could so soon be removed from grace. But
S1: later he noted that the Galatians love was such that
S1: they would have plucked out their eyes and given them
S1: to him if possible. Does chapter four of Galatians represent
S1: a maturing on their part, and do later chapters in
S1: his epistles indicate growth on the part of the people
S1: that Paul addressed? You know.
S2: It is fascinating to put Paul's letters with the book
S2: of acts and see how they fit together. But you
S2: ask about Galatians, and Galatians is one of the problem ones.
S2: It actually depends on who the Galatians were and when
S2: the book was written. And there are two main theories.
S2: There's a North Galatian theory that holds the book was
S2: written to the churches up in the northern Asia minor region,
S2: just below the Black Sea, and would have been written
S2: during Paul's second missionary journey. And that would put the
S2: book around A.D. 53 to 57, somewhere about 8 or
S2: 9 years after Paul's first missionary journey. The other theory
S2: is called the South Galatian theory, and it holds that
S2: the book was written to the churches in the region
S2: of South Galatia, which includes Iconium, Lystra, and Derby. Those
S2: were churches visited by Paul on his first missionary journey
S2: about A.D. 46 to 48, and that places the book.
S2: Then right after that journey, or either slightly before or
S2: after the early church council meeting in Jerusalem, that's described
S2: in acts 15. Now, I personally take the South Galatian theory.
S2: I believe Paul wrote the book about the time of
S2: the Council in Jerusalem, which means he wrote to the
S2: Galatians about 2 or 3 years after visiting those churches.
S2: And I think that helps explain what Paul means when
S2: he says in chapter one, verse six, I'm astonished that
S2: you're so quickly deserting the one who called you by
S2: the grace of Christ, and are turning to a different gospel.
S2: It's only been a few years since their conversion, and
S2: even in chapter four, the chapter you mentioned, I sense
S2: Paul's astonishment at how quickly they've turned toward legalism. How
S2: is it that you have turning back to those weak
S2: and miserable principles? He asks, having started so well, Paul,
S2: shocked that such a short span of time was all
S2: it took for them to turn from the truth of
S2: the gospel. Now, I'm not sure if this completely answers
S2: your question, but I think it helps provide something of
S2: a timeline in terms of his dealing with the church
S2: in Galatia. And I think if you match up his
S2: letters with the other churches he visited, it really does
S2: provide some interesting and fascinating background information.
S1: I hope that's helpful. Mary. From Natalie, this question, she says.
S1: Do you have any thoughts regarding the Tree of Life
S1: translation of the Bible? From what I gather, it seems
S1: to be written with a messianic Jewish audience in mind.
S1: My heart longs to read and understand the Bible through
S1: a middle eastern lens. Is there a Bible translation or
S1: a different resource that you would recommend?
S2: Well, I've not had a great deal of connection to
S2: that translation. I'm a little familiar with it and it
S2: is a decent translation, though I think it could be.
S2: Be confusing for someone without a lot of knowledge of
S2: Jewish background. Changing the names of biblical characters to make
S2: them more Jewish can create a bit of disconnect for
S2: some readers. Now, obviously, changing Jesus to Yeshua is one
S2: that a fair number of people would know, but it
S2: could get more confusing to describe lesser known individuals. I
S2: also think changing the order of the books in the
S2: Old Testament to match the Hebrew scriptures could be confusing,
S2: especially if someone is using this translation in a church
S2: or a Bible study where they're using the normal order
S2: of the books. Now, I don't want to sound too
S2: picky because there is no perfect translation. Each has its
S2: own unique purpose, and this could be very helpful for
S2: someone wanting to do personal Bible study and understand some
S2: of that Jewish or Middle-Eastern background. I'm just not sure
S2: if it would work as well for regular use in
S2: a typical church setting.
S1: This listener wants to know your thoughts about Kristy McClelland.
S1: She says, I know her ministry focus is shedding light
S1: on the historical context of Scripture for the Western reader,
S1: but I don't know much about her theology and doctrine.
S1: She wrote a book called Rediscovering Israel. Sounds intriguing, but
S1: I don't want to invest in something without a trusted
S1: stamp of approval. What do you think?
S2: Well, I don't personally know Kristy McClellan, though I do
S2: know she graduated from Dallas Seminary with an Ma and
S2: Christian education and all that to say, I know the
S2: theological background and the biblical emphasis she received there. That
S2: at least leads me to assume she'd do a solid
S2: job in presenting God's Word. I suspect she also might
S2: have attended either Jerusalem University College and back in my day,
S2: that was called the American Institute of Holyland Studies when
S2: I went there, or Dallas Seminary short term program at
S2: Master's College Ibex Program. But either way, both of those
S2: provide good historical and geographical background. Now, I'm sorry I
S2: can't be more specific, but I can say where she
S2: went to school and what she's passionate about give me
S2: a very positive first impression.
S1: It's the land in the book from Moody Radio, our host,
S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer, I'm John Yeager. Thank you to this
S1: station for carving out airtime. Gary says I was discussing
S1: teenagers with our pastor and stated that the Bible does
S1: not talk about teenagers. I said that in the Old Testament.
S1: A boy becomes a man at age 13. Well, he
S1: challenged me on where the Bible says that some would
S1: say it's the age of 20, since it was only
S1: those that were over 20 years of age at the
S1: time of the exodus that died in the desert, at
S1: what age does a boy become a man?
S2: Well, you know, the Bible really doesn't speak directly to
S2: that matter. I just and I think about it, I
S2: know two possible passages. The first is the one your
S2: pastor cited. You know, the phrase 20 years old and
S2: upward was used two ways in the book of Numbers.
S2: In numbers, chapter one, it's the age given for those
S2: eligible to serve in Israel's army. Now, that could be
S2: an arbitrary age. Just when individuals were felt, you know,
S2: to be physically developed enough to fight like our service,
S2: requiring someone to be 18 to enlist. It wasn't an
S2: age of adulthood as much as the requirement for being
S2: able to serve militarily. However, when the age is used
S2: again in numbers 32, it does seem to refer not
S2: to military eligibility as much as it does to personal
S2: accountability for one's actions. That's where all the men, 20
S2: years old and upward, were held responsible for rejecting the
S2: offer to enter the land. But the second passage is
S2: also indirect in Luke chapter two. Uh, Luke records the
S2: account of Jesus at the temple when he was 12. Now,
S2: it might be a stretch to describe this as a
S2: model of a modern bar mitzvah, but Jesus was asking
S2: and answering questions with the teachers in the temple, and
S2: he told his parents he was there to be about
S2: his father's business. Now, the account doesn't say it was
S2: when Jesus became responsible for his actions. In fact, at
S2: the end of the chapter, it seems to say the opposite.
S2: It says he went to Nazareth and was obedient to
S2: his parents. But some do suggest that that was the
S2: age when Jewish males were thought to be responsible, and
S2: Jesus was reflecting that Jewish tradition. So what's the answer? Well, today,
S2: at the age of 12 or 13, a Jewish boy
S2: goes through the process of his bar mitzvah and and
S2: assumes religious obligation of becoming an adult in the sense
S2: of being responsible for obeying God's commands. But there's no
S2: specific passage in the Old or New Testament I know
S2: of that says that was true at that time.
S1: This morning, a Lutheran friend gave me a few copies
S1: of the Reader's Digest Bible, and I'm wondering, what do
S1: you think about this version, especially as a Bible, to
S1: be sent overseas to people who have no other Bibles? Yeah.
S2: Personally, I'm not really excited about a condensed Bible. While
S2: it might present the basic historical summary of what's in
S2: the Bible, there's really a reason God included everything in
S2: His word. For example, you know, God included four gospels
S2: to present the life of Christ. I also included two
S2: sets of historical books, you know, the Samuel and Kings,
S2: and then first and second Chronicles to trace the history
S2: of the Kingdom of Israel and Judah. Now by summarizing
S2: or combining content and then leaving out the rest, the
S2: material that remains is is simply a human summary of
S2: all God intent. It's kind of like the cliff notes
S2: of the Bible. I think it's better to present the
S2: whole counsel of God. It, rather than just a summary,
S2: is the message God wants people to read, memorize, and follow.
S2: Now you can share a modern translation with someone. You
S2: certainly don't want to send them a Bible. That's difficult.
S2: To read and understand, but with that modern translation, it's
S2: far better for them to read the whole word of
S2: God rather than just a summary of the Word of God.
S1: Thank you Charlie, and thank you to every listener who
S1: took the time to email their question. You can do
S1: the same when you connect with us at the Land
S1: and the book@moody.edu. Are you taking advantage of our podcast?
S1: It's there at the website. A great way to listen
S1: to this program, any program again or share us with
S1: a friend. A lot of folks don't live in an
S1: area where we broadcast this program, so why not share
S1: with them the podcast? It's at our website. The land
S1: and the book, dawg. Coming up, Charlie's devotional right here
S1: on Moody Radio's The Land and the book. Welcome to
S1: segment four of The Land. In the book, I'm John Jaeger, asking,
S1: how much of a climber are you? For some people,
S1: climbing into the bed is the most challenging thing they
S1: face physically, but some people are really into climbing. I
S1: got a doctor friend, Charlie, who's climbed Kilimanjaro, who's climbed
S1: Mount McKinley and has more mountains in sight. But that's
S1: not the kind of climb that you're talking about. And
S1: your devotional coming up, is it?
S2: No it's not. Our mountains are a little less steep,
S2: but I think biblically they're far more significant.
S1: We're headed to a climb up a Zaka, and that's
S1: in Joshua chapter ten. If you've got a Bible handy,
S1: you might want to open it there. As we first
S1: listen to this Holy Land experience testimony.
S5: Hi, my name is Elizabeth Hartley and my Holy Land
S5: experience consisted of first a tour with the Wheaton College
S5: Holy Land program in 1979, and then the privilege of
S5: going back between 1984 and 1989 to study at the
S5: American Institute of Holy Land Studies under a number of
S5: wonderful professors, one of them being Jim Munson, who showed
S5: us the land to take visual pictures so that when
S5: you're reading your scriptures, you see that in your mind.
S5: And as you read your scriptures, one of the Psalms
S5: comes to mind as the mountains surround Jerusalem. So the
S5: Lord surrounds his people. And anywhere you look at from
S5: when you're in the city of David, there are mountains
S5: to the north. To the east is the Mount of Olives.
S5: To the south are mountains. To the west. What is
S5: sometimes called Mount Zion is actually the western hill you
S5: have to look up. And God has surrounded each of
S5: us the way he has surrounded his holy city.
S1: All right, Joshua. A book of action. All kinds of
S1: great stuff going on. But we're talking about a climb today, Charlie.
S1: Lead on. Okay.
S2: Okay. Hello, hello, hello. Okay, I think everybody's there. Can
S2: you hear me? The microphone, I think, is now on. Okay.
S2: Can everybody in the back of the bus hear me?
S2: Wave your hand if you do. Excellent. Now, sorry about
S2: the bumpy ride, but as you can tell, we're not
S2: on a road normally traveled by tour buses. And in
S2: a very short time, we're going to reach the end
S2: of the road. Quite literally. The bus will park and
S2: will still have a bit of a hike up to
S2: the top of this hill, but trust me, it's worth
S2: the walk. When we stop, be sure to bring along
S2: your map, your camera or smartphone and your hat. Here
S2: we are. So follow me up to the top. That really?
S2: That wasn't too bad, was it? The bus did most
S2: of the work in getting as close to the top
S2: 40 years ago. It was a bit more of an
S2: adventure to reach where we're now standing. And where is that,
S2: you might ask? Well, we're now on the ancient site
S2: of Isaca and I can see for some of you
S2: that doesn't mean much, but I hope it will by
S2: the time we're through. First, though, let me help you
S2: understand where you are geographically. We're in the area of
S2: the low foothills between the hill country of Judah to
S2: our east and the Philistine plain to our west. In Hebrew,
S2: this area is known as the fella. Now the hill
S2: we're on is about the highest one around, so it
S2: gives us a pretty good view of the area. See
S2: all those low hills spread out down below? That's what
S2: the fella these low foothills generally look like. These low
S2: hills have a limestone crust on top called nori. Think
S2: of it as being something like poor quality cement. The
S2: hills aren't much good for agriculture, and as you can see,
S2: they're generally covered with some hardier scrub brush and bushes
S2: that don't need much soil. About 4 or 5ft. Underneath
S2: that limestone crust is a layer of white chalk. Now,
S2: these details might sound boring, but they're important for understanding
S2: the entire area. The hills weren't good for agriculture, so
S2: that's where the towns and villages were built. The major
S2: east west valleys in between the hills are filled with
S2: rich alluvial soil that washed down from the hill country
S2: to our east. You can see quite a bit of
S2: agriculture in those valleys today. That was also true in
S2: Bible times. The farms and roads ran through the valleys,
S2: and just below us is a trough running northward. It's
S2: actually a chalk moat of sorts, a natural valley formed
S2: where that soft layer of chalk was exposed and weathered away.
S2: It made for a natural North-South roadway. So, so much
S2: for geography. Now let's open our Bibles and see why
S2: the city on this high hill was so strategic. I
S2: want us to be right here on this hill, so
S2: we can watch the first of three historical events that
S2: unfolded in this very region to have front row seats
S2: for this first conflict. Let's walk over to the northern
S2: edge of the hill and look down at the chalk
S2: valley below. To our north, the sky looks rather ominous.
S2: Dark clouds are rolling in from off the Mediterranean, and
S2: the green tint along the bottom of the clouds is
S2: a telltale sign of hail. As we watch the clouds
S2: move closer, we can also start to see flashes of lightning,
S2: followed by rumbles of thunder and then through the darkening sky.
S2: We also catch a glimpse of people running south through
S2: this natural chalk valley. From up here, they almost look
S2: like ants scurrying to get away. As the fleeing horde approaches,
S2: many are stumbling and falling. They're being pelted by chunks
S2: of falling ice. No, wait. They're being bombed by extremely
S2: large hailstones and out in the open they're defenseless. And then,
S2: just as soon as it began, the storm skirts by
S2: and the hail stops falling. But most of those on
S2: the ground aren't getting up. Their comrades keep running, not
S2: even stopping to help. We wonder why until we see
S2: another group in the distance gaining on them. This original
S2: group was fleeing from these pursuers. That's why they're not stopping.
S2: So what just took place? Open your Bibles to Joshua ten.
S2: You probably know this story is the account of Joshua
S2: leading his forces from Gilgal on an all night hike
S2: to rescue the people of Gibeon in verse five explains
S2: the problem facing Gibeon five kings of the Amorites, the
S2: kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Yarmuth, Lachish and Eglon joined forces.
S2: They moved up with all their troops and took up
S2: positions against Gibeon and attacked it. The kings in the
S2: hill country were alarmed with the surrender of Gibeon. Israel
S2: now controlled a main east west crossing point in the land.
S2: The region had been cut in two by this move.
S2: Their goal was to recapture Gibeon and bottle up Israel.
S2: Back in the Jordan Valley, Joshua and his forces caught
S2: the armies of the Five Kings off guard. Again, Joshua
S2: ten summarizes what happened after an all night march from Gilgal.
S2: Joshua took them by surprise. The Lord threw them into
S2: confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory
S2: at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road, going up
S2: to Beth Horan, and cut them down all the way
S2: to a Zarqa and Makeda. Now we tend to focus
S2: on the long day of Joshua ten, when God kept.
S2: The sun and moon from moving to give Israel time
S2: for this extended battle. And that was indeed a miracle.
S2: But there was another miracle that day, one most skip over,
S2: but which we can spot from our vantage point up here.
S2: But to do so, you need to look carefully at
S2: the details. Joshua chased the Canaanites down the main road
S2: that went west from Gibeon toward the Mediterranean. The enemy
S2: first ran away from Joshua, but now they needed to
S2: get home. To do so, they had to stop at
S2: the bottom of the Beth Horn Ridge Road and then
S2: turn south, traveling through the chalk moat or roadway below us.
S2: Once they got far enough south, they could then take
S2: a different roadway back east into the hill country, but
S2: they faced two obstacles. The first was the Israelites pursuing them.
S2: The Israelites were tired after an all night 20 mile
S2: uphill hike. So many of the Canaanites were confident they
S2: could outrun the Israelites and escape. But that's when the
S2: second difficulty, God himself entered the fight and they couldn't
S2: outrun him. Here's how Joshua describes this often overlooked detail
S2: as they fled before Israel. On the road down from
S2: Beth Horn to Waseca, the Lord hurled large hailstones down
S2: on them from the sky, and more of them died
S2: from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of
S2: the Israelites. The natural chalk valley from below Beth Horn
S2: to Isaca became a highway of death for the Canaanite army.
S2: It wasn't the rain or even the lightning that was
S2: the problem. God literally hurled large hail stones from heaven
S2: on the soldiers as they fled, and more died from
S2: the hailstones than were killed by the Israelites. About two
S2: months ago, I talked about hailstorms in Texas and Indiana
S2: that forced me to replace two roofs on houses, and
S2: they were just golf ball sized hail. I remember times
S2: in Texas when they had hail the size of baseballs
S2: and larger. I'm glad the account says the storm only
S2: lasted to a Zaka. Imagine being on this hill and
S2: watching a storm like that pass by just to our north.
S2: God had the sun and moon stand still, which helped
S2: Israel on a very long day of battle. But the
S2: crucial element of victory was a violent thunderstorm, accompanied by
S2: large hail used as divine missiles to target the invaders.
S2: God is the one who gets credit for this victory.
S2: So what can we carry back with us from this
S2: first visit to Isaca? How about this? God calls on
S2: us to do our part to stand up for him.
S2: But as we do, let's remember that ultimately he's the
S2: one who will bring victory, and he'll often do so
S2: in ways we might never have imagined. So stay faithful
S2: and keep looking up.
S1: Boy, great lesson there from the top of Isaca. Thank
S1: you Charlie. If you'd like to hear today's program again,
S1: any past program is available at our website, the land
S1: and the book.org. We encourage you to share our podcast
S1: with your friends. Again, the land and the book. Org.
S1: Thanks for being a part of our program today. Hope
S1: you'll be back next week. On behalf of Charlie Dyer
S1: and Dan Anderson, I'm John Yeager, the land in the
S1: book is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of
S1: Moody Bible Institute.