1 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,239 S1: So you want to understand the Bible better, but you're 2 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:15,160 S1: scared off by huge commentaries with hard to understand words. 3 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:18,160 S1: What if there was an easier way? One that uses 4 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:22,599 S1: language you could really understand. Good news there is. We'll 5 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,400 S1: talk about it in just a few minutes from Moody Radio. 6 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:27,820 S1: This is the land and the book. It's a one 7 00:00:27,820 --> 00:00:30,480 S1: hour focus on the Middle East. Our host is a 8 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,400 S1: widely respected Old Testament scholar, Doctor Charlie Dyer. And I'm 9 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,320 S1: John Geiger. Charlie, things going well at your house, John? 10 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:39,360 S2: They are, but I'm waiting for the shoe to drop. 11 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:41,000 S2: But right now it's doing great. 12 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,479 S1: All right. That's right. Well, soon we're going to be 13 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:48,280 S1: celebrating Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday and remembering the words 14 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,840 S1: from the Last Supper. In the same way he took 15 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,760 S1: the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new 16 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,560 S1: covenant in my blood. Did you know that the Last 17 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,510 S1: Supper was a Passover Seder, and that cup is believed 18 00:01:00,510 --> 00:01:03,790 S1: to be the third cup in the traditional Passover service. 19 00:01:04,150 --> 00:01:07,029 S1: There's so much depth and understanding to be gained when 20 00:01:07,030 --> 00:01:09,429 S1: we view the Last Supper as a Passover Seder, it 21 00:01:09,430 --> 00:01:10,350 S1: seems to me. Charlie. 22 00:01:10,630 --> 00:01:13,270 S2: Yeah, that's exactly right, John. And for this reason, our 23 00:01:13,270 --> 00:01:16,030 S2: friends at Life in Messiah are offering to mail you 24 00:01:16,030 --> 00:01:20,270 S2: a free copy of their messianic Passover Haggadah. The booklet 25 00:01:20,270 --> 00:01:22,990 S2: will lead you through the celebration of Passover to see 26 00:01:22,990 --> 00:01:26,870 S2: the rich connections to Jesus, our Messiah and Savior. You'll 27 00:01:26,870 --> 00:01:30,149 S2: also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder video 28 00:01:30,470 --> 00:01:33,750 S2: with the Haggadah and video. You can celebrate Passover this 29 00:01:33,750 --> 00:01:36,430 S2: year with your family and friends. And to get this 30 00:01:36,430 --> 00:01:39,990 S2: free offer, just go to Life in messiah.org and click 31 00:01:39,990 --> 00:01:42,310 S2: on the Moody radio button there to find out more 32 00:01:42,430 --> 00:01:46,190 S2: and to request your copy. That's life in Messiah. Oh. 33 00:01:47,230 --> 00:01:49,790 S1: Thank you Charlie. And now a look at current events, 34 00:01:49,790 --> 00:01:53,430 S1: all based in the Middle East. The war between the US, 35 00:01:53,470 --> 00:01:57,350 S1: Israel and Iran has now lasted for three weeks. What's 36 00:01:57,390 --> 00:02:01,020 S1: really happening And how much longer can this conflict go on? 37 00:02:01,380 --> 00:02:04,860 S2: You know, John, I keep being reminded Americans are so impatient. 38 00:02:04,900 --> 00:02:08,780 S2: You know, we want fast food, high speed internet, rapid transit. 39 00:02:08,780 --> 00:02:11,500 S2: Even when it comes to armed conflict, we forget that 40 00:02:11,500 --> 00:02:14,900 S2: World War One lasted for years. World War Two lasted 41 00:02:14,900 --> 00:02:17,579 S2: six years, and we had troops fighting in Vietnam for 42 00:02:17,580 --> 00:02:20,419 S2: eight years. So in the big picture, three weeks is 43 00:02:20,419 --> 00:02:24,180 S2: a relatively short stretch of time. And during that time, 44 00:02:24,220 --> 00:02:27,060 S2: thousands of Iranian targets have been hit and many of 45 00:02:27,100 --> 00:02:30,139 S2: their key leaders have now been eliminated. Now, in terms 46 00:02:30,139 --> 00:02:32,579 S2: of how much longer the war will go on, it 47 00:02:32,580 --> 00:02:35,179 S2: really depends on the specific goals that are set for 48 00:02:35,180 --> 00:02:37,940 S2: the war. If the goal is to defeat the Islamic 49 00:02:37,940 --> 00:02:41,540 S2: Revolutionary Guard Corps and replace the government, that could take 50 00:02:41,580 --> 00:02:45,340 S2: far more time and more logistical support. But based on 51 00:02:45,340 --> 00:02:48,420 S2: President Trump's statements, the goal of this war are to 52 00:02:48,460 --> 00:02:52,780 S2: eliminate Iran's nuclear program, its ballistic missile and drone threat, 53 00:02:52,780 --> 00:02:55,780 S2: and its support for terror groups. While doing all that, 54 00:02:55,780 --> 00:02:58,489 S2: I think he's trying to weaken the current government and 55 00:02:58,490 --> 00:03:00,770 S2: their control of Iran now. That could lead to a 56 00:03:00,770 --> 00:03:04,290 S2: change in government, but it's not a primary goal. The 57 00:03:04,290 --> 00:03:06,900 S2: expectation right now is that it'll take another 2 to 58 00:03:06,900 --> 00:03:10,010 S2: 3 weeks to finish destroying all the sites involved in 59 00:03:10,010 --> 00:03:13,690 S2: Iran's nuclear program and its production of missiles and drones. 60 00:03:13,690 --> 00:03:16,570 S2: So watch to see what happens after that goal is reached. 61 00:03:16,930 --> 00:03:19,329 S2: A second goal has been stated. That's to keep the 62 00:03:19,330 --> 00:03:22,970 S2: Strait of Hormuz open. This narrow chokepoint is vital to 63 00:03:23,010 --> 00:03:27,290 S2: the world's economy. 25% of the world's oil trade, 20% 64 00:03:27,290 --> 00:03:30,410 S2: of the world's liquefied natural gas, and over a third 65 00:03:30,410 --> 00:03:33,850 S2: of the world's fertilizer passed through the Strait of Hormuz. 66 00:03:34,210 --> 00:03:38,330 S2: Iran effectively closed the strait after attacking several ships. The U.S. 67 00:03:38,370 --> 00:03:41,330 S2: is arranging escorts for convoys, but it looks like we 68 00:03:41,330 --> 00:03:44,170 S2: might also be planning to engage in littoral warfare. Now, 69 00:03:44,170 --> 00:03:47,530 S2: that's not literal, but literal. L I t t o 70 00:03:47,570 --> 00:03:50,490 S2: r a l that refers to coastal or shore regions 71 00:03:50,490 --> 00:03:53,330 S2: like the Strait of Hormuz. We would need to dislodge 72 00:03:53,370 --> 00:03:56,600 S2: Iran from their side of the waterway to provide a 73 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,200 S2: clear way for ships to transit there. And that's why 74 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,360 S2: we're now sending an amphibious assault ship, along with a 75 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:06,040 S2: marine expeditionary force to the region. A ground incursion to 76 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:08,960 S2: secure that area could add weeks to the previous timeline 77 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,560 S2: and place more Americans in harm's way. If the US 78 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,240 S2: stays the course and pries open the Strait of Hormuz, 79 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:19,480 S2: it would greatly weaken Iran's rulers and calm world markets. 80 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,479 S2: But there are hidden dangers. Most of our allies have 81 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,920 S2: decided to sit on the sidelines and let the US 82 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,120 S2: and Israel continue doing the bulk of the fighting. And 83 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:30,640 S2: Russia and China will be looking for ways to help 84 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:35,039 S2: Iran create additional problems for our forces. Now we need 85 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,360 S2: to keep praying for our president, for our military leaders, 86 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:40,640 S2: and for those serving on the front lines, and ask 87 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:44,880 S2: God for wisdom and for his protection. In addition, especially, 88 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,120 S2: we need to keep praying for the believers Jewish, Arab 89 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,840 S2: and Iranian and ask for their protection and for opportunities 90 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:53,080 S2: to share the gospel. 91 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,620 S1: Charlie, I readily concede my military ignorance here, but it 92 00:04:56,620 --> 00:04:58,700 S1: seems to me that it should be a little easier 93 00:04:58,700 --> 00:05:02,260 S1: than it apparently is. They're putting mines in the water. 94 00:05:02,260 --> 00:05:06,419 S1: We sweep those mines with a special sweeping thing, and 95 00:05:06,420 --> 00:05:08,860 S1: then the ships go through. What am I misunderstanding? 96 00:05:08,980 --> 00:05:11,820 S2: It's actually not the mines that are the problem. It's 97 00:05:11,820 --> 00:05:16,460 S2: anti-ship missiles. And Iran has built hardened silos, hardened places 98 00:05:16,460 --> 00:05:19,500 S2: along the shore for these missiles. They can also mount 99 00:05:19,500 --> 00:05:22,140 S2: those missiles on pickup trucks and move them in and out. 100 00:05:22,540 --> 00:05:24,940 S2: So it's hard to spot them. And if they launch 101 00:05:24,940 --> 00:05:27,100 S2: a missile at a ship, it can only take a 102 00:05:27,100 --> 00:05:30,260 S2: matter of seconds for that to travel the short distance, 103 00:05:30,260 --> 00:05:32,420 S2: it needs to get to that ship and cause it 104 00:05:32,420 --> 00:05:36,020 S2: to explode. So it's more than mines. It's and it's 105 00:05:36,020 --> 00:05:38,460 S2: really a technological challenge right now. We need to push 106 00:05:38,460 --> 00:05:40,900 S2: the Iranians away from their side of the of the 107 00:05:40,900 --> 00:05:42,500 S2: shore to protect those ships. 108 00:05:42,540 --> 00:05:45,619 S1: Okay. That makes a lot of sense. Story number two. 109 00:05:45,660 --> 00:05:49,099 S1: Hezbollah had agreed to disarm as part of the cease 110 00:05:49,140 --> 00:05:52,420 S1: fire reached with Israel last year. But three days into 111 00:05:52,420 --> 00:05:56,930 S1: the current conflict. They again started attacking, firing hundreds of 112 00:05:56,930 --> 00:06:00,690 S1: rockets and attack drones into northern and central Israel. How 113 00:06:00,690 --> 00:06:02,690 S1: serious is this renewed violence? 114 00:06:02,930 --> 00:06:05,490 S2: Yeah, it really is serious, both for those in Israel 115 00:06:05,529 --> 00:06:08,250 S2: being attacked and for the nation of Lebanon, which is 116 00:06:08,250 --> 00:06:11,410 S2: once again being caught in the crossfire. Part of the 117 00:06:11,410 --> 00:06:13,890 S2: reason for all of this is the financial connection between 118 00:06:13,890 --> 00:06:17,450 S2: Hezbollah and Iran. Iran sent 1 billion to 1 billion 119 00:06:17,490 --> 00:06:20,970 S2: and a half dollars in aid to Hezbollah after the ceasefire. 120 00:06:21,210 --> 00:06:24,969 S2: They now expect Hezbollah to use those resources they bought 121 00:06:24,970 --> 00:06:27,810 S2: to help attack Israel. But the other reason for the 122 00:06:27,810 --> 00:06:30,890 S2: attack is religious. Both Iran and Hezbollah are part of 123 00:06:30,890 --> 00:06:34,089 S2: the Shiite branch of Islam. They're looking for the return 124 00:06:34,089 --> 00:06:37,250 S2: of the Mahdi, the Islamic Messiah, which they believe will 125 00:06:37,250 --> 00:06:40,370 S2: be preceded by a great battle. And as a result, 126 00:06:40,370 --> 00:06:43,650 S2: they're speaking about this as an existential battle between the 127 00:06:43,650 --> 00:06:48,690 S2: Great Satan America and, as they call it, the cancerous tumor. Israel. 128 00:06:49,050 --> 00:06:54,160 S2: Before October 7th, Hezbollah claimed to have more than 150,000 rockets. 129 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,479 S2: A year later, Israel had destroyed 70 to 80% of 130 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:00,159 S2: that arsenal, and over the past few weeks, the number 131 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:04,440 S2: has been reduced even further. Hezbollah has fired several thousand rockets, 132 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:08,679 S2: and Israeli strikes on storage depots have destroyed many others. 133 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,040 S2: But Hezbollah still has a lot of rockets. France has 134 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:15,440 S2: been trying to broker a ceasefire. But here's the problem. 135 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:19,080 S2: As part of the last ceasefire, Hezbollah promised to disarm 136 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,240 S2: and have the Lebanese army take control of their weapons. Well, 137 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:27,640 S2: that never happened. Instead, Hezbollah immediately started to rebuild its supplies. John, 138 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:29,480 S2: did you ever try and do something with someone when 139 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:31,400 S2: they make an agreement? And then later they say, well, 140 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:33,520 S2: I had my fingers crossed. Well, that's what it's been 141 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,160 S2: like dealing with Hezbollah. So how do you negotiate with 142 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:39,880 S2: an enemy that lied, that refused to disarm, that continues 143 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:42,960 S2: to fire rockets and drones, and that is publicly committed 144 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,840 S2: to your destruction? Well, Israel believes the only credible option 145 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:50,320 S2: is to eliminate Hezbollah as a military threat one way 146 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,150 S2: or another. And that's why this fight could go on 147 00:07:53,150 --> 00:07:53,950 S2: for some time. 148 00:07:54,070 --> 00:07:56,390 S1: This is the land and the book from Moody Radio. 149 00:07:56,430 --> 00:07:59,070 S1: Our host, doctor Charlie Dyer. All the conflict in the 150 00:07:59,070 --> 00:08:02,270 S1: Middle East, though, brings out speculation on the end times. 151 00:08:02,270 --> 00:08:04,550 S1: And that raises a question we haven't talked about in 152 00:08:04,590 --> 00:08:07,470 S1: more than six months. What happened to the red heifers 153 00:08:07,470 --> 00:08:10,390 S1: that were brought into Israel three and a half years ago? 154 00:08:10,830 --> 00:08:13,950 S2: Yeah, those red heifers. Well, a recent article in Texas 155 00:08:13,950 --> 00:08:17,750 S2: Monthly Magazine had a fascinating update on what's been happening. 156 00:08:18,110 --> 00:08:20,750 S2: Of the five red heifers that were exported from Texas 157 00:08:20,750 --> 00:08:24,990 S2: to Israel back in 2022. Well, two have already been disqualified. 158 00:08:25,230 --> 00:08:28,470 S2: One sprouted white hairs and the other grew warts on 159 00:08:28,470 --> 00:08:31,030 S2: its neck. And that makes both of them blemished, which 160 00:08:31,030 --> 00:08:35,750 S2: is a disqualification. Another controversy arose when the heifers required 161 00:08:35,750 --> 00:08:38,550 S2: some sort of identification. Now an ear tag is what 162 00:08:38,590 --> 00:08:41,550 S2: normally would be done, but that would be considered a blemish. 163 00:08:41,790 --> 00:08:45,510 S2: So instead, the cows received an implanted ID chip the 164 00:08:45,510 --> 00:08:48,230 S2: size of a grain of rice using a needle that 165 00:08:48,230 --> 00:08:52,020 S2: didn't cause scarring, but that led to an ongoing debate 166 00:08:52,020 --> 00:08:56,380 S2: over whether implanting the small chip rendered the cow ceremonially blemished, 167 00:08:56,380 --> 00:08:58,819 S2: or if having the chip in their ear met. The 168 00:08:58,820 --> 00:09:02,580 S2: cows were carrying a burden, which would also disqualify them. 169 00:09:02,660 --> 00:09:06,059 S2: Don't you love those detailed rules that they have, John? Well, 170 00:09:06,100 --> 00:09:09,459 S2: last July, a rehearsal sacrifice took place in Shiloh to 171 00:09:09,500 --> 00:09:11,980 S2: go through the process of preparing the ashes of the 172 00:09:11,980 --> 00:09:14,939 S2: red heifer. They used one of the animals that was disqualified, 173 00:09:14,940 --> 00:09:17,100 S2: or at least they thought they were. But at least 174 00:09:17,100 --> 00:09:20,740 S2: one individual involved said that when the animal was being selected, 175 00:09:20,740 --> 00:09:24,420 S2: one of the unblemished animals was accidentally chosen. Instead, it 176 00:09:24,420 --> 00:09:27,700 S2: was sacrificed and the ashes were gathered. So does this 177 00:09:27,700 --> 00:09:30,140 S2: count as having the ashes of the red heifer? Well, 178 00:09:30,179 --> 00:09:33,140 S2: as you might guess, that led to even more controversy. 179 00:09:33,460 --> 00:09:36,620 S2: Rabbinic tradition says the animal to be sacrificed has to 180 00:09:36,620 --> 00:09:39,620 S2: be done on the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem. But 181 00:09:39,620 --> 00:09:42,460 S2: the tabernacle did dwell in Shiloh in the past, so 182 00:09:42,500 --> 00:09:45,980 S2: could this count as being outside the camp? Well who knows? 183 00:09:46,059 --> 00:09:50,370 S2: There's been so much discussion that the Palestinian Liberation Organisation 184 00:09:50,370 --> 00:09:53,410 S2: is now warning the Jews against trying to resume Passover 185 00:09:53,410 --> 00:09:57,330 S2: sacrifices on the Temple Mount. The month of Ramadan just 186 00:09:57,330 --> 00:10:00,690 S2: ended and Passover is coming up on April 1st, so 187 00:10:00,690 --> 00:10:03,929 S2: religious feelings are running high and the ashes of the 188 00:10:03,929 --> 00:10:06,490 S2: red heifer may or may not be part of the 189 00:10:06,490 --> 00:10:08,050 S2: discussion that's taking place. 190 00:10:08,330 --> 00:10:10,530 S1: And that's a look at current events from the Middle East. 191 00:10:10,530 --> 00:10:13,450 S1: Thank you Charlie, appreciate your attention to all of that. 192 00:10:13,850 --> 00:10:16,449 S1: Maybe you'd like to understand the Bible better, but you 193 00:10:16,490 --> 00:10:18,930 S1: sort of feel scared off. You run into hard to 194 00:10:18,970 --> 00:10:22,530 S1: understand words. What if there was an easier way? Language 195 00:10:22,530 --> 00:10:25,010 S1: you really understand? Well, we're about to talk to a 196 00:10:25,010 --> 00:10:27,969 S1: guy who's put together what he calls the lightning fast 197 00:10:27,970 --> 00:10:32,090 S1: field guide to the Bible. It's in everyday language. It 198 00:10:32,130 --> 00:10:34,490 S1: sums it all up. You move quickly. You're going to 199 00:10:34,490 --> 00:10:37,170 S1: want to stick around for this conversation on the land 200 00:10:37,170 --> 00:10:40,170 S1: and the book, our website, the land and the book.org. 201 00:10:41,330 --> 00:10:45,050 S1: You can always learn about past programs, future programs, books 202 00:10:45,050 --> 00:10:46,730 S1: that Charlie and I have written, and a whole lot 203 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:50,480 S1: more complete information there at the website, the land and 204 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:55,040 S1: the book. All the lightning fast field guide to the Bible. Next. 205 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:12,120 S1: So you want to understand the Bible better, but you're 206 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:15,880 S1: scared off by huge commentaries with hard to understand words. 207 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:18,800 S1: But what if there was an easier way? What if 208 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,040 S1: there was a tool that was more concise, a bit playful, 209 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,439 S1: and one that uses language you could actually understand? Good 210 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:28,880 S1: news there is, and we'll talk about it coming up. 211 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,439 S1: Welcome back to the land and the book. I'm John Geiger, 212 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:35,520 S1: hoping you'll join me for about 90s right now, as 213 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:39,000 S1: we put our heads together and ponder another creative idea 214 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:41,679 S1: for sharing the love of Jesus with a Jewish friend. 215 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,480 S1: So you've developed this friendship with your Jewish friend and 216 00:11:45,580 --> 00:11:48,420 S1: you want to have a conversation about Messiah. How do 217 00:11:48,420 --> 00:11:50,980 S1: you go about it or not go about it? Let's 218 00:11:51,020 --> 00:11:54,780 S1: ask Eva Riedel, adjunct faculty member at the Moody Bible Institute. Eva, 219 00:11:54,820 --> 00:11:56,420 S1: there's probably a right way and a wrong way to 220 00:11:56,420 --> 00:11:58,540 S1: do this. Start with the wrong way. 221 00:11:58,660 --> 00:12:02,500 S3: Well, John, it's interesting. Most people, Jewish or not Jewish, 222 00:12:02,660 --> 00:12:05,500 S3: but specifically Jewish people are not waking up every morning 223 00:12:05,500 --> 00:12:08,780 S3: and thinking, I wonder who the Messiah is. They're just 224 00:12:08,780 --> 00:12:11,699 S3: like everybody else. They're thinking about. I wonder if I'm 225 00:12:11,700 --> 00:12:13,020 S3: going to have a lot of traffic on the way 226 00:12:13,020 --> 00:12:14,980 S3: to work. And I wonder if that argument I have. 227 00:12:14,980 --> 00:12:18,740 S3: My wife's going to be over by lunchtime. Uh, so 228 00:12:18,780 --> 00:12:21,060 S3: when we began to talk to Jewish people, our opening 229 00:12:21,059 --> 00:12:24,780 S3: question is not really helpful. If we say, well, Bob, 230 00:12:24,940 --> 00:12:27,059 S3: what do you think about the Messiah? Because they're not 231 00:12:27,059 --> 00:12:29,300 S3: really thinking about the Messiah. There are better ways, I think, 232 00:12:29,300 --> 00:12:31,179 S3: to approach that opening conversation. 233 00:12:31,179 --> 00:12:33,380 S1: And those better ways would include what? 234 00:12:33,460 --> 00:12:36,420 S3: Well, you know, how are things going at work today, John? 235 00:12:36,460 --> 00:12:38,339 S3: You know, how's that going with your boss? And then 236 00:12:38,340 --> 00:12:40,860 S3: he'll say this or that and then you can relate. 237 00:12:40,860 --> 00:12:43,020 S3: Then I think you begin to weave in your own 238 00:12:43,020 --> 00:12:47,290 S3: faith story into the conversation and on the basis of 239 00:12:47,290 --> 00:12:51,490 S3: the faith story. Then, because of your walk with the Messiah, Jesus, 240 00:12:51,809 --> 00:12:53,929 S3: that's going to be an open door of conversation. 241 00:12:53,929 --> 00:12:56,290 S1: And not only your walk with Jesus, but your obvious 242 00:12:56,290 --> 00:12:57,490 S1: care for your Jewish friend. 243 00:12:57,530 --> 00:13:00,810 S3: Absolutely, absolutely. What you're saying is what Jesus has done 244 00:13:00,809 --> 00:13:03,650 S3: for me. He can do for you. And I believe 245 00:13:03,650 --> 00:13:06,209 S3: he really is the Messiah of Israel, and that's going 246 00:13:06,210 --> 00:13:07,330 S3: to be your opening. 247 00:13:07,370 --> 00:13:10,050 S1: Eva Riedel is an adjunct faculty member at the Moody 248 00:13:10,050 --> 00:13:12,730 S1: Bible Institute and joins us today on the land and 249 00:13:12,730 --> 00:13:16,730 S1: the book. Matt Whitman is host of the Ten Minute 250 00:13:16,730 --> 00:13:21,609 S1: Bible Hour Podcast, a tight, informative and funny format where 251 00:13:21,650 --> 00:13:23,730 S1: Matt focuses on a book of the Bible and works 252 00:13:23,730 --> 00:13:26,250 S1: through it just a little bit each day. In addition 253 00:13:26,250 --> 00:13:29,410 S1: to church and family, Matt is heavily involved in filmmaking. 254 00:13:29,570 --> 00:13:33,130 S1: He writes, acts, and directs. He's written the Lightning Fast 255 00:13:33,130 --> 00:13:36,170 S1: Field Guide to the Bible. Our focus today on the 256 00:13:36,170 --> 00:13:38,490 S1: land and the book. Hey. Welcome, mat. 257 00:13:38,610 --> 00:13:40,450 S4: Thanks. It's wonderful to be here. 258 00:13:40,530 --> 00:13:43,760 S1: So despite my words, somebody listening says, how is the 259 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:48,319 S1: lightning fast guy different from other Bible commentaries or reference books? 260 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,960 S4: The first and most obvious way is accessibility. I wrote 261 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,040 S4: this in the language that you and I use when 262 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:57,400 S4: we want to be understood and we want to understand. 263 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:01,720 S4: I imagined sitting down with a buddy at Chili's or 264 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:03,960 S4: something like that, and they say, hey, I don't really 265 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:05,880 S4: know about a lot about the Bible, but I give 266 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,360 S4: me the quick version while I eat of this book 267 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:10,760 S4: or that book. Right? Well, how would you say that 268 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:14,800 S4: you'd speak to be understood, not to impress your seminary professor. 269 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:17,880 S4: So that's what I was going for with this book. 270 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:20,200 S1: Well, you hit a home run in that department, that's 271 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,160 S1: for sure. I really love the easy to read language 272 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:27,320 S1: and the at times humorous references, but I think a 273 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,760 S1: lot of us struggle in our understanding of Scripture at 274 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:34,040 S1: the outset because we lack the big picture. For example, 275 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:38,240 S1: we disconnect the Old Testament from the new. Your thoughts 276 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:38,760 S1: on that? 277 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,200 S4: Oh, I think you're absolutely right. So I think what 278 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:44,150 S4: happens with the Old Testament New Testament relationship is that 279 00:14:44,150 --> 00:14:48,190 S4: the New Testament feels more foreign because it's older. It's 280 00:14:48,190 --> 00:14:52,710 S4: happening in cultures where more removed from the New Testament. 281 00:14:52,750 --> 00:14:56,630 S4: Set against the backdrop of Rome and Greek thought. Those things, 282 00:14:56,630 --> 00:14:58,630 S4: whether people know it or not, are a little more 283 00:14:58,630 --> 00:15:02,870 S4: intuitive because our culture is grounded in both of those things. 284 00:15:03,230 --> 00:15:06,350 S4: And you've got Jesus there and point of view characters 285 00:15:06,350 --> 00:15:09,390 S4: like Peter who come at what he's seeing the same 286 00:15:09,390 --> 00:15:12,150 S4: way probably you or I would if I were there. 287 00:15:12,350 --> 00:15:16,590 S4: So I do think the New Testament is inherently easier. 288 00:15:16,630 --> 00:15:19,350 S4: Plus it's shorter. What I'm going for in a book 289 00:15:19,350 --> 00:15:21,590 S4: like this is to try to make it so that 290 00:15:21,590 --> 00:15:24,310 S4: you can hold the whole thing in your brain at once. 291 00:15:24,350 --> 00:15:27,230 S1: Yeah. Appreciate your company today on the land and the book. 292 00:15:27,230 --> 00:15:30,270 S1: I'm John Geiger, having a fun time talking with our guest, 293 00:15:30,270 --> 00:15:33,830 S1: Matt Whitman, host of the Ten Minute Bible Hour podcast 294 00:15:33,830 --> 00:15:37,070 S1: and author of the Lightning Fast Field Guide to the Bible. Now, 295 00:15:37,070 --> 00:15:40,230 S1: you really can't understand how unique this book is until 296 00:15:40,340 --> 00:15:42,340 S1: you sample it. So let me do that for us 297 00:15:42,340 --> 00:15:45,740 S1: by skimming over a few highlights. Matt, from your assessment 298 00:15:45,740 --> 00:15:49,180 S1: of the book of Jeremiah. Okay, so here we go. You. 299 00:15:49,540 --> 00:15:53,140 S1: I love these these headings. Unique feature. Jeremiah is the 300 00:15:53,140 --> 00:15:55,940 S1: longest book of the Bible by word count. MM. Didn't 301 00:15:55,940 --> 00:16:00,620 S1: know that Jeremiah is out of order. Jeremiah is not chronological. Instead, 302 00:16:00,620 --> 00:16:05,300 S1: it's organized around theological themes. What truth? Jeremiah's message is 303 00:16:05,300 --> 00:16:08,700 S1: that God has had enough. He'll no longer tolerate Judah's 304 00:16:08,700 --> 00:16:12,580 S1: spiritual adultery. God's people have broken the covenant, but God 305 00:16:12,580 --> 00:16:14,460 S1: is going to keep up his end of the deal 306 00:16:14,700 --> 00:16:19,060 S1: by punishing them harshly. Was it that bad? Yes. One 307 00:16:19,060 --> 00:16:22,340 S1: could smell the burnt incense to God near Solomon's temple, 308 00:16:22,340 --> 00:16:25,220 S1: and then walk aways and smell the stench of child 309 00:16:25,220 --> 00:16:28,780 S1: sacrifice to pagan gods down the street. What kind of 310 00:16:28,780 --> 00:16:32,860 S1: punishment are we talking about here? Jeremiah prophesies that God 311 00:16:32,860 --> 00:16:36,700 S1: will bring Babylon to destroy Jerusalem and the temple and 312 00:16:36,700 --> 00:16:39,770 S1: take the people into captivity. That is to say, he 313 00:16:39,770 --> 00:16:44,050 S1: predicted the complete destruction of Judah. So does that make 314 00:16:44,090 --> 00:16:48,290 S1: Babylon the good guys? Hard? No. Babylon is the clumsy 315 00:16:48,290 --> 00:16:52,170 S1: instrument that God will deftly wield to execute his judgment. 316 00:16:52,530 --> 00:16:56,570 S1: After that, God will judge and punish wicked Babylon as well. 317 00:16:56,890 --> 00:16:59,930 S1: All right. Let me ask, was it difficult to simplify 318 00:16:59,930 --> 00:17:01,690 S1: as much as you have? I have to imagine that 319 00:17:01,690 --> 00:17:05,370 S1: was challenging. You want to include the most salient points, 320 00:17:05,570 --> 00:17:07,770 S1: but you simply don't have room for it all. How 321 00:17:07,770 --> 00:17:11,170 S1: do you simplify it without oversimplifying it? Matt. 322 00:17:11,210 --> 00:17:13,770 S4: Well, you boil it down to the heart of the story, 323 00:17:14,170 --> 00:17:16,770 S4: and there are a few obvious questions you ask. Like, 324 00:17:16,810 --> 00:17:19,970 S4: why is this book in the Bible? If you know 325 00:17:19,970 --> 00:17:22,770 S4: that and you're in my seat, it becomes a lot 326 00:17:22,810 --> 00:17:25,330 S4: easier to figure out what you leave for the reader 327 00:17:25,330 --> 00:17:28,210 S4: to go and discover for themselves by reading the actual 328 00:17:28,210 --> 00:17:31,450 S4: text of Scripture, which is the goal of the book. 329 00:17:32,010 --> 00:17:35,649 S4: And if you are the reader of my book, well 330 00:17:35,650 --> 00:17:38,720 S4: then that question is going to help You have interpretive 331 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,440 S4: lenses for picking up some of those more obscure books 332 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:44,200 S4: of the Old Testament. So what you just read in Jeremiah, which, 333 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:47,040 S4: by the way, great delivery on that. That's better than 334 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:48,480 S4: I can say it. I like the way that sounded 335 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:50,920 S4: better in your voice than mine. You know, just from 336 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:54,560 S4: that little bit that you read in Jeremiah. Well, now, hopefully, 337 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:56,480 S4: if any of us went and picked up a Bible 338 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:59,719 S4: and read any passage in Jeremiah, we're oriented. We have 339 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:01,640 S4: a sense of what the story feels like. We have 340 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:04,840 S4: a sense of how the author feels not good, but 341 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,040 S4: also we have a long view of how that story 342 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,880 S4: is going to play out. There's still hope. We know 343 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:12,320 S4: who the villain is, but we also know they're a 344 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:16,240 S4: complicated villain, Babylon, and they're there for a reason, not 345 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:18,760 S4: just the normal ebbs and flows of history. If you 346 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:22,080 S4: get that stuff, you're going to get Jeremiah, and it's 347 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:23,960 S4: going to be easier to figure out where it fits 348 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:25,160 S4: into the larger book. 349 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,640 S1: The lightning Fast Field Guide to the Bible that's in 350 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:31,199 S1: our spotlight today here on the land and the book 351 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:34,760 S1: talking with Matt Whitman, it's author. How does this guide 352 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:38,830 S1: help readers resist myths about the Bible that lead to 353 00:18:38,869 --> 00:18:39,669 S1: bad teachings. 354 00:18:40,390 --> 00:18:45,230 S4: These are wonderful questions. Great job on this. Well, first 355 00:18:45,230 --> 00:18:49,510 S4: and foremost, I mean the biggest antidote, the biggest inoculation 356 00:18:49,510 --> 00:18:52,070 S4: that the reader can have to bad ideas and bad 357 00:18:52,070 --> 00:18:56,310 S4: interpretation is to conceive of the Bible as a whole. 358 00:18:56,750 --> 00:19:01,230 S4: Think about for your listeners, picture whatever epic story you 359 00:19:01,230 --> 00:19:05,350 S4: love most a movie, a book series, a series of films, 360 00:19:05,350 --> 00:19:08,350 S4: a cinematic universe, whatever it might be. If somebody who 361 00:19:08,350 --> 00:19:11,510 S4: doesn't know what they're talking about comes along and says 362 00:19:11,510 --> 00:19:14,310 S4: something about a character or a story arc, and that 363 00:19:14,310 --> 00:19:18,270 S4: story that you understand, they might have one little out-of-context 364 00:19:18,270 --> 00:19:21,910 S4: quote from that character that you would immediately recognize as 365 00:19:21,910 --> 00:19:25,669 S4: mischaracterizing that character and the larger story. How do you 366 00:19:25,710 --> 00:19:28,870 S4: know it's not just because of one other quote? It's 367 00:19:28,869 --> 00:19:32,150 S4: because you know the whole story front to back, right? 368 00:19:32,190 --> 00:19:35,070 S4: And you understand the themes and the arcs when you 369 00:19:35,170 --> 00:19:38,250 S4: get that about the Bible and you can get that 370 00:19:38,250 --> 00:19:41,570 S4: about the Bible, all of a sudden the silly stuff 371 00:19:41,570 --> 00:19:45,410 S4: becomes easily dismissed because you can quickly identify it as 372 00:19:45,410 --> 00:19:49,450 S4: being out of context. Attempts to work against the bigger 373 00:19:49,450 --> 00:19:50,850 S4: theme and point of the Bible. 374 00:19:51,130 --> 00:19:53,410 S1: Land, and the book listeners will appreciate a feature that 375 00:19:53,410 --> 00:19:57,210 S1: you include, stuff you can still look at. Explain what 376 00:19:57,210 --> 00:19:57,730 S1: this is. 377 00:19:58,050 --> 00:20:02,170 S4: I am fascinated by history, and I'm fascinated by how 378 00:20:02,210 --> 00:20:05,290 S4: not long ago, in the grand scheme of things, all 379 00:20:05,290 --> 00:20:09,090 S4: this stuff happened. I mean, even the Old Testament isn't 380 00:20:09,090 --> 00:20:11,649 S4: really that long ago. And there are so many places 381 00:20:11,650 --> 00:20:15,929 S4: where you can still go and stand and feel the story. 382 00:20:16,170 --> 00:20:18,690 S4: You can still go and see things that characters in 383 00:20:18,690 --> 00:20:23,530 S4: the Bible put their hands on and made or positioned. 384 00:20:23,930 --> 00:20:26,050 S4: So I think for a lot of readers, especially in 385 00:20:26,050 --> 00:20:30,490 S4: the Western Hemisphere, the Bible can feel on accident like 386 00:20:30,530 --> 00:20:34,000 S4: a fairyland story that happened far, far away in a 387 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,000 S4: place that we could never go. And that's how we 388 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,920 S4: think of fairy tales. But this isn't. It's real people, 389 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:43,800 S4: real places, real times. We know where it happened. And 390 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:47,640 S4: tons of the stuff that was involved in the stories 391 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:50,160 S4: you read on the pages of scripture, you can still 392 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:52,000 S4: go see, and some of it you can even put 393 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:53,360 S4: hands on. Yeah. 394 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,360 S1: Hey, what is one of the unsung heroes in Scripture 395 00:20:57,359 --> 00:21:00,200 S1: that you have featured that might be a favorite of yours? 396 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,840 S4: I really like Joseph in the book of Matthew, who's 397 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:08,160 S4: in an incredibly difficult position himself, as is his fiance Mary, 398 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:12,639 S4: and he believes God, and I think it's credited to 399 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,640 S4: him as righteousness in the same way it was Abraham. 400 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:19,320 S4: He is faithful. He is steady. He doesn't really get 401 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:22,760 S4: any lines in the book of Matthew. He just does 402 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:25,640 S4: what God says to do and plays an important and 403 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:29,879 S4: difficult role in the unfolding of the incarnation. There are 404 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,350 S4: a whole lot of examples of unsung heroes that I 405 00:21:33,350 --> 00:21:38,510 S4: reference throughout the document. Aaron at one point who puts 406 00:21:38,510 --> 00:21:40,510 S4: his head down in the midst of a very difficult 407 00:21:40,510 --> 00:21:44,190 S4: situation and serves the Lord anyway. I'm glad you brought 408 00:21:44,190 --> 00:21:45,990 S4: that section up. That was one of my favorite parts 409 00:21:45,990 --> 00:21:47,070 S4: of the book to write. 410 00:21:47,350 --> 00:21:49,270 S1: Well, thanks for listening to the land and the book. 411 00:21:49,270 --> 00:21:52,350 S1: I'm John Gager, joined by Matt Whitman, who has written 412 00:21:52,350 --> 00:21:55,550 S1: the Lightning Fast Field Guide to the Bible. Hey, what 413 00:21:55,550 --> 00:21:59,550 S1: in your opinion, is the most bizarre biblical story? Matt? 414 00:21:59,750 --> 00:22:03,470 S4: Oh, mercy, I've got two. One the parable of Jesus 415 00:22:03,470 --> 00:22:06,790 S4: about the shrewd manager. It's so confusing at first. Yeah. 416 00:22:06,950 --> 00:22:09,390 S4: Jesus gives the example of this guy who knows he's 417 00:22:09,390 --> 00:22:12,190 S4: going to get fired. So he cuts the debt of 418 00:22:12,190 --> 00:22:16,590 S4: a bunch of his master's debtors. And then Jesus kind 419 00:22:16,590 --> 00:22:21,350 S4: of backdoor praises him, saying basically, hey, if this joker 420 00:22:21,390 --> 00:22:23,910 S4: could figure out how to use the resources, he can 421 00:22:23,910 --> 00:22:26,510 S4: only keep for a moment for the long term, how 422 00:22:26,510 --> 00:22:29,110 S4: much more so should people who are followers of Jesus, 423 00:22:29,109 --> 00:22:31,420 S4: children of the light be able to do the same. 424 00:22:31,619 --> 00:22:35,260 S4: I also just love the bizarre story of Balaam and 425 00:22:35,260 --> 00:22:38,300 S4: his donkey from the Old Testament. Hey, here's some money. 426 00:22:38,300 --> 00:22:41,340 S4: Go curse the children of God and he just can't 427 00:22:41,340 --> 00:22:43,260 S4: do it. The donkey even gets it right. 428 00:22:43,980 --> 00:22:47,780 S1: Hey, how can readers apply lessons from this very ancient, 429 00:22:47,820 --> 00:22:51,220 S1: often difficult to comprehend text we call the Bible to 430 00:22:51,300 --> 00:22:52,820 S1: modern day situations. 431 00:22:53,100 --> 00:22:54,780 S4: I think the number one way to do it is 432 00:22:54,780 --> 00:22:57,820 S4: to ask the following three questions. In order of any 433 00:22:57,820 --> 00:23:01,660 S4: text you encounter. Number one, what does this text tell 434 00:23:01,660 --> 00:23:05,300 S4: me about God? God is the only through line character 435 00:23:05,300 --> 00:23:08,180 S4: of the whole Bible. The human characters come and go 436 00:23:08,180 --> 00:23:12,699 S4: off the page. There's a fleetingness to us. There is 437 00:23:12,700 --> 00:23:18,860 S4: an absolute timelessness and eternality and immutability, unchanging this to God. 438 00:23:19,260 --> 00:23:21,899 S4: So you focus your read on the Scripture first and 439 00:23:21,900 --> 00:23:25,340 S4: foremost on the character of God, and let that first 440 00:23:25,340 --> 00:23:28,619 S4: and foremost inform us. Second, you ask the question of 441 00:23:28,619 --> 00:23:31,530 S4: each passage What is God doing? How is his redemptive 442 00:23:31,530 --> 00:23:35,690 S4: plan playing out here? And then third and only third 443 00:23:35,690 --> 00:23:38,770 S4: after you've done the first two. We ask the question, 444 00:23:38,770 --> 00:23:41,010 S4: where do I fit? What does this mean for me? 445 00:23:41,050 --> 00:23:43,530 S4: What do I do to be on board with God's 446 00:23:43,530 --> 00:23:47,410 S4: plan and informed by his character? If you do that, 447 00:23:47,730 --> 00:23:50,490 S4: even the most obscure books of the Bible that seem 448 00:23:50,490 --> 00:23:53,770 S4: like they're not for us suddenly become for us. 449 00:23:54,050 --> 00:23:56,290 S1: Hey, how does this book equip us to respond to 450 00:23:56,330 --> 00:23:58,770 S1: the Bible skeptics in our lives? And is it appropriate 451 00:23:58,770 --> 00:24:00,610 S1: to give a non-believer the book? 452 00:24:00,650 --> 00:24:04,850 S4: Absolutely. It's written with the non-believer and the believer in mind. 453 00:24:05,450 --> 00:24:08,690 S4: It's written from the perspective of somebody who has lived 454 00:24:08,690 --> 00:24:10,810 S4: a life of faith. But I've also been on the 455 00:24:10,810 --> 00:24:13,969 S4: outside looking in. I know what that feels like. So 456 00:24:13,970 --> 00:24:16,969 S4: I took into account outsiders when writing the book. The 457 00:24:16,970 --> 00:24:19,970 S4: book does not assume a lot of previous knowledge, but 458 00:24:19,970 --> 00:24:22,690 S4: it gets into the deep water quickly, so it will 459 00:24:22,690 --> 00:24:26,850 S4: be very advantageous for the outsider. The growing student of 460 00:24:26,850 --> 00:24:29,840 S4: the Bible. And as a quick reference for the experienced 461 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:33,040 S4: student of the Bible, the way it can help answer 462 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:36,920 S4: questions or criticisms of the text. Is it gives you 463 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:40,000 S4: a really honest nuts and bolts look at how each 464 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,920 S4: book of the Bible happened. I do not shy away 465 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:46,840 S4: from the processes God used to build out his perfect, 466 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:50,239 S4: inerrant word, piece by piece. I make it clear in 467 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:54,240 S4: the text, Christians believe all of these processes are ordained 468 00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:59,679 S4: and supervised by God, and nothing defeats criticism of the 469 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:04,840 S4: Bible like context. God did not possess the biblical authors 470 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:08,120 S4: and make them write words he dictated while they were 471 00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:11,040 S4: in some sort of trance. He worked through their circumstances, 472 00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:15,280 S4: their personalities, their moments, and the needs of the audience 473 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:18,000 S4: to whom they were writing. This book is going to 474 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,560 S4: help you understand who those authors were, what that original 475 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:25,760 S4: audience was, the historical backdrop against which the writing happened. 476 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:27,950 S4: And when you read it in light of that stuff. 477 00:25:28,470 --> 00:25:32,030 S4: You see it for what it is, the absolute brilliance 478 00:25:32,030 --> 00:25:35,230 S4: of God coming through in a moment in the history 479 00:25:35,230 --> 00:25:36,230 S4: of humankind. 480 00:25:36,470 --> 00:25:39,070 S1: But here's what the book will not do. Bore you, 481 00:25:39,070 --> 00:25:42,510 S1: I promise you. Check out the Lightning Fast Field Guide 482 00:25:42,510 --> 00:25:45,030 S1: to the Bible, a link at our website, the land 483 00:25:45,030 --> 00:25:48,510 S1: and the book.org. Matt, thank you so much for your time. 484 00:25:48,510 --> 00:25:50,229 S5: This was a delight. Thanks for having me. 485 00:25:50,270 --> 00:25:52,629 S1: Gerald Peterson is in the studio looking forward to answering 486 00:25:52,630 --> 00:25:55,550 S1: your Bible questions next on the land and the book. 487 00:26:06,910 --> 00:26:09,630 S1: As a follower of Jesus, you're told, study the Word 488 00:26:09,630 --> 00:26:13,830 S1: of God. But if you do, you've got questions, questions 489 00:26:13,830 --> 00:26:16,710 S1: and questions. As a result of that study of the 490 00:26:16,710 --> 00:26:18,869 S1: Word of God, what do you do with them? Well, 491 00:26:18,869 --> 00:26:21,230 S1: that's what this next segment is all about here on 492 00:26:21,230 --> 00:26:23,310 S1: the land and the book. Chuckling along with me in 493 00:26:23,310 --> 00:26:27,140 S1: the studio, Doctor Gerald Peterson of the Moody Bible Institute faculty. 494 00:26:27,500 --> 00:26:29,859 S1: It is interesting though. There's just no getting around it. 495 00:26:29,859 --> 00:26:31,300 S1: You study, you do ask, right? 496 00:26:31,340 --> 00:26:34,820 S6: Yeah. And you know, after doing this for 40 years, 497 00:26:34,859 --> 00:26:38,100 S6: it's true for me as it is for the baby Christian. Yes, indeed. 498 00:26:38,140 --> 00:26:39,659 S1: Well, we're going to get to a great collection of 499 00:26:39,660 --> 00:26:42,619 S1: questions after I remind you that soon we're going to 500 00:26:42,619 --> 00:26:46,780 S1: be celebrating Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday and remembering the 501 00:26:46,780 --> 00:26:48,980 S1: words from the Last Supper in the same way he 502 00:26:48,980 --> 00:26:52,139 S1: took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the 503 00:26:52,140 --> 00:26:54,859 S1: new covenant in my blood. Do you know that the 504 00:26:54,859 --> 00:26:58,700 S1: Last Supper was actually a Passover Seder? And that cup 505 00:26:58,700 --> 00:27:01,420 S1: is believed to be the third cup in the traditional 506 00:27:01,420 --> 00:27:05,179 S1: Passover service. There is so much depth and understanding to 507 00:27:05,220 --> 00:27:08,100 S1: be gained when we view the Last Supper as a 508 00:27:08,100 --> 00:27:10,660 S1: Passover Seder, and for this reason, our friends at Life 509 00:27:10,660 --> 00:27:13,699 S1: in Messiah are offering to mail you a free copy 510 00:27:13,700 --> 00:27:17,460 S1: of their messianic Passover Haggadah. This is a booklet that 511 00:27:17,460 --> 00:27:20,340 S1: will lead you through the celebration of Passover to see 512 00:27:20,340 --> 00:27:25,169 S1: for yourself the rich connections to Jesus, our Messiah and Savior. 513 00:27:25,410 --> 00:27:29,369 S1: You'll also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder video. 514 00:27:29,650 --> 00:27:32,889 S1: So armed with that Haggadah and the video, well, you 515 00:27:32,890 --> 00:27:35,890 S1: can celebrate Passover this year with your family and friends. 516 00:27:35,930 --> 00:27:38,730 S1: It's a great idea. And to get this free offer, 517 00:27:38,730 --> 00:27:42,449 S1: just head to Life in messiah.org and click on the 518 00:27:42,450 --> 00:27:46,490 S1: Moody radio button there. You can't miss it. Life in messiah.org. 519 00:27:47,250 --> 00:27:52,010 S1: That's life in messiah.org. All right, let's get to question 520 00:27:52,050 --> 00:27:55,050 S1: number one of the day. It's from Dana and she 521 00:27:55,050 --> 00:28:00,410 S1: emailed us at the land and the book@moody.edu. That, by 522 00:28:00,410 --> 00:28:02,770 S1: the way, is how you get your question to us, 523 00:28:02,770 --> 00:28:07,010 S1: the land and the book@moody.edu. She takes us to Luke 524 00:28:07,010 --> 00:28:10,850 S1: chapter two, verse 39, which says that Joseph, Mary and 525 00:28:10,850 --> 00:28:15,209 S1: Jesus returned to Nazareth after fulfilling all things according to 526 00:28:15,250 --> 00:28:18,290 S1: the law. What is the timeline of events she wants 527 00:28:18,290 --> 00:28:21,530 S1: to know after the birth of Jesus? When did the 528 00:28:21,530 --> 00:28:24,790 S1: Magi visit and when did they travel to Egypt? 529 00:28:24,869 --> 00:28:27,430 S6: That's a great question. I've pondered it and puzzled it. 530 00:28:27,910 --> 00:28:30,550 S6: An issue we have is Luke's telling the story a 531 00:28:30,550 --> 00:28:32,790 S6: little bit different. Matthew is telling the story a little 532 00:28:32,790 --> 00:28:35,270 S6: bit different. So how did they go together and whole 533 00:28:35,310 --> 00:28:37,190 S6: books are written on this question. I take it that 534 00:28:37,190 --> 00:28:41,870 S6: Jesus is born around five BC, so Mary and Joseph 535 00:28:41,870 --> 00:28:45,510 S6: are in Bethlehem because of the registration that Caesar required, right? 536 00:28:45,710 --> 00:28:50,110 S6: That's Luke two one through five. And according to Leviticus 12, 537 00:28:50,310 --> 00:28:53,750 S6: eight days after a male child is born, he's presented 538 00:28:53,750 --> 00:28:56,870 S6: to the Lord and circumcised. So I'm thinking they stayed 539 00:28:57,190 --> 00:29:00,270 S6: in Jerusalem. And then Luke says, they went back to Nazareth. 540 00:29:00,630 --> 00:29:04,110 S6: And then Matthew two, we learn that after Jesus was 541 00:29:04,110 --> 00:29:08,310 S6: born in Bethlehem in Judea, the Magi came. Now when 542 00:29:08,310 --> 00:29:11,950 S6: is this? Herod is all upset about them coming, right? 543 00:29:11,950 --> 00:29:15,790 S6: He wants to know, wants to know some timeline for them. 544 00:29:15,790 --> 00:29:19,270 S6: And then so Herod has all the male children under 545 00:29:19,270 --> 00:29:23,820 S6: two years of age slaughtered. So this is a broad timeline. 546 00:29:23,820 --> 00:29:25,620 S6: What is what is that two years? That two years 547 00:29:25,620 --> 00:29:29,980 S6: is probably somewhere between three BC and 5 or 6 BC. 548 00:29:30,060 --> 00:29:32,060 S6: I'm taking it that the wise men are watching this 549 00:29:32,060 --> 00:29:36,140 S6: star and traveling for a long time. So the angel 550 00:29:36,140 --> 00:29:39,940 S6: warns Joseph to flee to Egypt. Where are the parents 551 00:29:39,940 --> 00:29:43,580 S6: at this time? Matthew doesn't tell us how they got there, 552 00:29:43,580 --> 00:29:47,780 S6: but they're fleeing to Egypt from Jerusalem. And then the 553 00:29:47,780 --> 00:29:51,260 S6: death of Herod comes and they go back home to Nazareth. 554 00:29:51,260 --> 00:29:54,900 S6: When does Herod die? It's sometime in four BC. So 555 00:29:54,900 --> 00:29:57,140 S6: from the birth of Christ to the death of Herod, 556 00:29:57,180 --> 00:30:00,420 S6: maybe as much as 18 months, something like that. 557 00:30:01,180 --> 00:30:04,780 S1: Carleen emailed her question. Can you explain to me how 558 00:30:04,780 --> 00:30:07,620 S1: the area called the West Bank, which I've been told 559 00:30:07,620 --> 00:30:11,220 S1: should be called Judea and Samaria? Is that area the 560 00:30:11,220 --> 00:30:14,900 S1: same geographically as in the days of Jesus? And is 561 00:30:14,900 --> 00:30:16,860 S1: this area included in Israel? 562 00:30:17,500 --> 00:30:19,700 S6: The short answer for these questions is yes. So the 563 00:30:19,700 --> 00:30:23,050 S6: West Bank is called the West Bank because it's west 564 00:30:23,050 --> 00:30:25,210 S6: of the Jordan River. And some of this area is 565 00:30:25,210 --> 00:30:28,010 S6: right next to Jerusalem, some of it south of Jerusalem, 566 00:30:28,010 --> 00:30:31,530 S6: some of it's north of Jerusalem into Samaritan territory. As 567 00:30:31,530 --> 00:30:33,970 S6: a matter of fact, the West Bank comes almost as 568 00:30:33,970 --> 00:30:38,170 S6: far north as Nazareth, which would take you through Samaria. So, yes, 569 00:30:38,170 --> 00:30:41,810 S6: the West Bank is largely made up of portions of Judea, 570 00:30:41,970 --> 00:30:43,170 S6: portions of Samaria. 571 00:30:43,370 --> 00:30:45,530 S1: This is the land. And the book from Moody Radio. 572 00:30:45,530 --> 00:30:49,050 S1: Doctor Gerald Peterman teaches students Monday through Friday on the 573 00:30:49,050 --> 00:30:53,490 S1: Moody campus. And imagine your own son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter 574 00:30:53,490 --> 00:30:56,010 S1: in a class with him or a prof like him. 575 00:30:56,290 --> 00:30:57,770 S1: This is the thing you need to check out a 576 00:30:57,770 --> 00:31:04,210 S1: moody education for them@moody.edu.edu. And if you've got a question, well, 577 00:31:04,210 --> 00:31:06,650 S1: you can get that to us at the land and 578 00:31:06,650 --> 00:31:12,290 S1: the book@moody.edu. Mark says, my question refers to prophecies made 579 00:31:12,290 --> 00:31:15,650 S1: both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. How 580 00:31:15,650 --> 00:31:18,330 S1: many have come true and how many are left to 581 00:31:18,370 --> 00:31:20,080 S1: come true? That's an easy one, right? 582 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:20,680 S7: Oh, wow. 583 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:24,000 S6: I really understand where this question is coming from. It's 584 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,320 S6: an important question, but I can't give you an exact number. 585 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:30,360 S6: It's just really hard to pin down in our Old Testaments. 586 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:35,200 S6: We have around something like 400 prophecies just about our 587 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:37,760 S6: Lord Christ, not to mention all the others that are 588 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:43,400 S6: in there. So those 400, most of those have become 589 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:47,680 S6: fulfilled in some partially fulfilled. If you think about, say, 590 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:50,800 S6: Genesis 315, when the seed of the woman comes, he 591 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:53,840 S6: will crush the serpent's head. That is, the serpent will 592 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:58,280 S6: be finally destroyed. Well, our Lord is doing that now. Ah, 593 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:01,960 S6: but the final victory hasn't come yet, so it's in process. 594 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:05,680 S6: And there are still many messianic prophecies in progress in 595 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:11,040 S6: the New Testament. There's something like 100 to 120 prophecies 596 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:15,000 S6: about the future, about persecution or rapture, or the coming judgment, 597 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:20,230 S6: or the Antichrist or the beast, or Jewish revival, mostly revelation, Matthew, 598 00:32:20,230 --> 00:32:23,430 S6: but some of them in Paul. Hard again to know 599 00:32:23,430 --> 00:32:26,270 S6: how to. Number these, but they are beginning to come 600 00:32:26,270 --> 00:32:30,110 S6: true and some are left for their complete fulfillment. 601 00:32:30,150 --> 00:32:32,990 S1: Yeah. So a work in progress in many cases. But 602 00:32:32,990 --> 00:32:35,550 S1: the bottom line is many, many as in hundreds. 603 00:32:35,590 --> 00:32:36,550 S6: Hundreds, yes. 604 00:32:36,590 --> 00:32:37,590 S1: Have been fulfilled. 605 00:32:37,630 --> 00:32:38,430 S6: Have been fulfilled. 606 00:32:38,470 --> 00:32:41,750 S1: Yeah. And that speaks to the accuracy and reliability of Scripture. 607 00:32:41,790 --> 00:32:45,030 S6: Yeah. And it just speaks to God's stunning mercy and grace. 608 00:32:45,030 --> 00:32:46,750 S6: And he's committed to his plan. 609 00:32:46,790 --> 00:32:48,470 S1: Yeah, yeah. You think how the how the world would 610 00:32:48,470 --> 00:32:51,630 S1: react if, you know, some guy, you know, 100 years 611 00:32:51,630 --> 00:32:55,670 S1: ago had had 3 or 4 prophecies that he'd made and, 612 00:32:55,710 --> 00:32:59,270 S1: and were. Oh my goodness, they were all fulfilled. This 613 00:32:59,270 --> 00:33:01,510 S1: is not 3 or 4. This is 400. 614 00:33:01,550 --> 00:33:04,990 S6: Yeah. Hundreds. Something like 400 prophecies. Amazing. 615 00:33:04,990 --> 00:33:06,910 S1: We have an awesome God who wrote an awesome book, 616 00:33:06,910 --> 00:33:07,470 S1: the Bible. 617 00:33:07,510 --> 00:33:08,030 S7: Amen. 618 00:33:08,510 --> 00:33:12,230 S1: Eric's question in the story of Cain and Abel. Why 619 00:33:12,230 --> 00:33:15,270 S1: did God look with favor on Abel's gift and not 620 00:33:15,350 --> 00:33:17,940 S1: on Cain's gift? Is it due to the type of 621 00:33:17,980 --> 00:33:21,100 S1: gift being brought or due to having faith, or not 622 00:33:21,100 --> 00:33:24,140 S1: having faith when bringing gifts? If it was faith, how 623 00:33:24,140 --> 00:33:28,020 S1: was able showing faith and Kane not showing faith? 624 00:33:28,220 --> 00:33:30,940 S6: Eric has given us many really good questions. I love 625 00:33:30,940 --> 00:33:34,180 S6: this one and many people wonder about it. So the issue, 626 00:33:34,660 --> 00:33:39,180 S6: the issue is not the difference between, say, a grain 627 00:33:39,460 --> 00:33:43,580 S6: or a vegetable offering and an animal offering. Because if 628 00:33:43,620 --> 00:33:46,540 S6: you read Leviticus, I know sometimes Leviticus is tough, but 629 00:33:46,540 --> 00:33:49,740 S6: if you read Leviticus, you see that both of those offerings, 630 00:33:49,940 --> 00:33:53,460 S6: grain offerings or offerings of fruit and offerings of animals 631 00:33:53,460 --> 00:33:57,780 S6: are accepted by God as worship. So now what's the difference? 632 00:33:57,780 --> 00:34:01,980 S6: Is it just the stuff itself? Ah, the text gives 633 00:34:01,980 --> 00:34:05,460 S6: us a hint. Let me go to Genesis four. In 634 00:34:05,460 --> 00:34:08,660 S6: the course of time, Cain brought to the Lord an 635 00:34:08,700 --> 00:34:13,980 S6: offering of the fruit of the ground. And Abel also 636 00:34:13,980 --> 00:34:19,290 S6: brought the firstborn of his flock and their portions. Here's 637 00:34:19,290 --> 00:34:23,210 S6: the issue. The firstborn or the first fruits. If we're 638 00:34:23,210 --> 00:34:26,410 S6: talking about grain or something from the field, that's what 639 00:34:26,410 --> 00:34:29,490 S6: you bring. You bring the most valuable portion to God. 640 00:34:29,690 --> 00:34:32,370 S6: This is well known in the law of Moses. So. 641 00:34:32,770 --> 00:34:35,730 S6: So Abel brings the firstborn, but it just says Cain 642 00:34:35,730 --> 00:34:40,810 S6: brings fruit. What motivated that? I suspect that it's both 643 00:34:40,810 --> 00:34:44,090 S6: the offering and God sees. The motivation of the heart 644 00:34:44,090 --> 00:34:47,850 S6: is not to give the very best. And so is 645 00:34:47,850 --> 00:34:50,529 S6: offering is not treated with the same respect. 646 00:34:50,530 --> 00:34:52,810 S1: Okay, you use that word heart. And that takes me 647 00:34:52,810 --> 00:34:57,370 S1: to first John, which says, do not be like Cain, 648 00:34:57,770 --> 00:35:01,049 S1: who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. 649 00:35:01,050 --> 00:35:04,450 S1: And why did he murder him? Because his own actions 650 00:35:04,450 --> 00:35:08,450 S1: were evil and his brother's were righteous. I suspect from 651 00:35:08,450 --> 00:35:10,689 S1: the beginning Cain had an evil heart. 652 00:35:10,730 --> 00:35:11,770 S7: Cain had an evil heart. 653 00:35:11,770 --> 00:35:13,969 S6: That is. It's hard. 654 00:35:14,550 --> 00:35:15,270 S7: It's hard for. 655 00:35:15,270 --> 00:35:17,910 S6: Us to give God the best part. But when we 656 00:35:17,910 --> 00:35:20,670 S6: do it, it reflects his work in us. 657 00:35:20,710 --> 00:35:24,710 S1: John takes us to Genesis chapter 22, where three times 658 00:35:24,710 --> 00:35:28,469 S1: God said that Isaac was Abraham's only son. But in 659 00:35:28,469 --> 00:35:32,149 S1: Genesis chapter 25, when Abraham died, it says that his 660 00:35:32,150 --> 00:35:36,350 S1: sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him. Can you reconcile these 661 00:35:36,350 --> 00:35:37,830 S1: two apparent discrepancies? 662 00:35:37,870 --> 00:35:41,630 S6: MM, yes. Thanks for catching that, John. I really appreciate it. 663 00:35:41,630 --> 00:35:46,430 S6: Let's go back to Genesis 1615. So Hagar bore Abraham 664 00:35:46,469 --> 00:35:48,590 S6: a son, and Abraham called the name of his son, 665 00:35:48,590 --> 00:35:53,230 S6: whom Hagar born to him. Ishmael. Abraham was 86 years 666 00:35:53,230 --> 00:35:57,430 S6: old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abraham. Now who is Hagar? 667 00:35:57,469 --> 00:36:05,310 S6: Hagar was Sarah's Egyptian maidservant. This is not Abraham's wife. Well, 668 00:36:05,310 --> 00:36:09,270 S6: then later, God promises to Abraham a son through Sarah. 669 00:36:09,270 --> 00:36:12,989 S6: And then what does Abraham say? He says, oh, oh, 670 00:36:13,100 --> 00:36:15,299 S6: that Ishmael would be the one you choose. Oh, that 671 00:36:15,340 --> 00:36:18,060 S6: Ishmael would stand before you. And the Lord says, no, 672 00:36:18,100 --> 00:36:21,459 S6: your wife will bear you a son. And so then 673 00:36:21,460 --> 00:36:25,339 S6: we get a son, Isaac, who's the covenant son, the 674 00:36:25,340 --> 00:36:28,299 S6: son of the covenant wife. So this is what the 675 00:36:28,300 --> 00:36:32,380 S6: term only means. Not only is in one, but only 676 00:36:32,380 --> 00:36:37,580 S6: as in unique, only as in covenant. Son. So, Abraham, 677 00:36:37,940 --> 00:36:41,660 S6: take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love. 678 00:36:41,700 --> 00:36:46,380 S6: That's the covenant, son. That explains the unique language there. 679 00:36:46,739 --> 00:36:49,219 S1: Well, those are those are important distinctions. And I want 680 00:36:49,219 --> 00:36:51,620 S1: to say thank you so much to everybody who emailed 681 00:36:51,620 --> 00:36:55,500 S1: us today. Dana, Carlene, Mark, Eric and John. I trust 682 00:36:55,540 --> 00:36:58,660 S1: you found those answers satisfying. And maybe one of those 683 00:36:58,660 --> 00:37:01,100 S1: questions has raised one in your own mind. What do 684 00:37:01,100 --> 00:37:03,779 S1: you do with it? Easy. Email it to us at 685 00:37:03,820 --> 00:37:08,740 S1: the land and the book@moody.edu. Give us a few days 686 00:37:08,900 --> 00:37:10,900 S1: and just know that an answer is coming your way. 687 00:37:11,300 --> 00:37:14,530 S1: Charlie Dyer's devotional is next on the land and the book. 688 00:37:27,530 --> 00:37:30,330 S1: Welcome back to the land. And the book I'm John 689 00:37:30,330 --> 00:37:33,850 S1: Gager with Charlie Dyer asking, are you a late night person? 690 00:37:33,890 --> 00:37:35,890 S1: You know, a lot of jobs have to be done 691 00:37:35,890 --> 00:37:38,370 S1: around the clock. And, you know, that actually goes back 692 00:37:38,370 --> 00:37:41,610 S1: to Bible times. Charlie. We're looking forward to joining you 693 00:37:41,610 --> 00:37:44,330 S1: on the night shift. What's our Bible passage here? 694 00:37:44,570 --> 00:37:46,610 S2: It's going to be Psalm 134. 695 00:37:46,650 --> 00:37:51,010 S1: Sounds intriguing. Let's pause first though, for this Holy Land experience. 696 00:37:55,170 --> 00:37:57,450 S8: Hi, my name is Marianne and this is my Holy 697 00:37:57,450 --> 00:38:01,129 S8: Land experience. I was sleeping the first morning there, and 698 00:38:01,130 --> 00:38:04,049 S8: we were in a hotel that overlooked the city, and 699 00:38:04,050 --> 00:38:06,250 S8: the call to prayer for the Muslims came out and 700 00:38:06,250 --> 00:38:09,170 S8: I thought, I can pray in Indiana. And even though 701 00:38:09,170 --> 00:38:11,080 S8: I was tired, I'm going to go out and pray 702 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:13,000 S8: in Israel, and I sit out in front of the 703 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:17,040 S8: dome and was praying as the sun came up and 704 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:21,720 S8: the cock crowed at that time, and I remembered Peter 705 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:25,000 S8: denying the Lord. And I remember thinking how many times 706 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:27,640 S8: I had thought of him as not being faithful. But 707 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:30,160 S8: here I was, sitting in his land, and I knew 708 00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:33,120 S8: that he was faithful. And I still remember this day 709 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:35,880 S8: the faithfulness of God because of that experience. 710 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:41,200 S1: The night shift. Charlie. I have no idea where we're going, 711 00:38:41,200 --> 00:38:42,600 S1: but I'm looking forward to the journey. 712 00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:45,680 S2: Well, thanks, John. Well, when I was in high school, 713 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:47,399 S2: I had a friend who worked for a while as 714 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,719 S2: a night watchman at a local textile company. One night 715 00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:52,640 S2: I drove down to the mill to visit Danny and 716 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:54,960 S2: walked with him as he made one of his hourly 717 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:57,480 S2: rounds through the factory. That was the first time I 718 00:38:57,480 --> 00:39:00,759 S2: ever saw a night watchman's clock, a round clock with 719 00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:03,360 S2: a leather case and a key slot at one end. 720 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:06,400 S2: As we walked the floors, Danny would stop at different 721 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:08,960 S2: spots and insert a key that was hanging there into 722 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:11,989 S2: the clock, which would then record the time he visited 723 00:39:11,989 --> 00:39:15,910 S2: that location. Now, that clock served a very useful purpose. 724 00:39:16,070 --> 00:39:18,069 S2: The job of the night watchman was to guard and 725 00:39:18,070 --> 00:39:21,190 S2: protect the building when nobody else was around. But who 726 00:39:21,190 --> 00:39:23,350 S2: was there to make sure the night watchman didn't take 727 00:39:23,350 --> 00:39:26,989 S2: a little siesta himself? Well, the Night watchman's clock was 728 00:39:26,989 --> 00:39:30,310 S2: really designed to make sure the night watchman was awake 729 00:39:30,310 --> 00:39:33,670 S2: and patrolling the factory on a regular schedule. It helped 730 00:39:33,670 --> 00:39:36,149 S2: keep him faithful at a time when no one else 731 00:39:36,150 --> 00:39:38,669 S2: was around to check up on him. And that got 732 00:39:38,670 --> 00:39:40,910 S2: me thinking. What would it have been like to work 733 00:39:40,910 --> 00:39:44,149 S2: the night shift at the temple in Jerusalem? In his 734 00:39:44,150 --> 00:39:48,070 S2: book The Temple, Its Ministry and Services, Alfred Edersheim helps 735 00:39:48,070 --> 00:39:51,350 S2: provide the answer. He described the many activities that took 736 00:39:51,350 --> 00:39:54,830 S2: place during the evening in the temple. The worshippers were gone. 737 00:39:54,870 --> 00:39:58,390 S2: The massive doors were closed, but the work continued. The 738 00:39:58,390 --> 00:40:01,150 S2: entire complex had to be guarded. The menorah had to 739 00:40:01,150 --> 00:40:03,950 S2: be kept lit, its bowls filled with olive oil and 740 00:40:03,950 --> 00:40:07,270 S2: its wicks trimmed. The courtyards needed to be cleaned and 741 00:40:07,270 --> 00:40:10,259 S2: all the funds collected the previous day had to be counted. 742 00:40:10,380 --> 00:40:13,460 S2: The wood for the altar of sacrifice had to be replenished, 743 00:40:13,460 --> 00:40:15,739 S2: and the animals for the next day's sacrifice had to 744 00:40:15,739 --> 00:40:19,180 S2: be selected. There was much to do and the work 745 00:40:19,180 --> 00:40:21,500 S2: couldn't be outsourced. It had to be done by the 746 00:40:21,500 --> 00:40:25,140 S2: priests and Levites. So imagine you're a priest assigned to 747 00:40:25,180 --> 00:40:27,819 S2: the night shift at the temple. You report to work 748 00:40:27,820 --> 00:40:31,060 S2: just as the evening sacrifice is being offered, and as 749 00:40:31,060 --> 00:40:34,060 S2: the final worshippers are getting ready to leave and head home. 750 00:40:34,340 --> 00:40:36,860 S2: It might be exciting the first day or two, but 751 00:40:36,860 --> 00:40:40,180 S2: then reality sets in. It's dark at night and it 752 00:40:40,180 --> 00:40:42,940 S2: gets cold. It's hard to work all night and then 753 00:40:42,940 --> 00:40:45,780 S2: try to sleep during the day. And all the excitement 754 00:40:45,780 --> 00:40:49,020 S2: of ministering before the mass of visitors is missing. Who 755 00:40:49,020 --> 00:40:51,580 S2: really cares if you're in charge of filling the oil 756 00:40:51,580 --> 00:40:55,740 S2: lamps on the menorah at midnight in Exodus 28? God 757 00:40:55,739 --> 00:40:58,219 S2: may have commanded Aaron and his sons to keep the 758 00:40:58,219 --> 00:41:01,819 S2: lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning. But 759 00:41:01,820 --> 00:41:04,940 S2: it wasn't a glamorous job. And that's why I love 760 00:41:04,940 --> 00:41:08,810 S2: Psalm 134, the final Psalm of the 15 that are 761 00:41:08,810 --> 00:41:12,210 S2: arranged together into the songs of ascents. These Psalms were 762 00:41:12,210 --> 00:41:15,089 S2: grouped together to be sung by the pilgrims ascending or 763 00:41:15,090 --> 00:41:18,410 S2: coming up to Jerusalem to celebrate the three great feasts 764 00:41:18,410 --> 00:41:21,330 S2: of the Lord, when all Israel was to gather together. 765 00:41:21,570 --> 00:41:24,690 S2: And Psalm 134 is the last Psalm in the group, 766 00:41:24,690 --> 00:41:27,169 S2: the one that concludes the time. As the pilgrims get 767 00:41:27,210 --> 00:41:30,530 S2: ready to head back to their homes. The psalm itself 768 00:41:30,530 --> 00:41:33,890 S2: is very short, a mere three verses. Yet it has 769 00:41:33,890 --> 00:41:36,969 S2: much to say to those working the night shift. The 770 00:41:36,969 --> 00:41:39,650 S2: Psalm is a psalm of blessing, and it divides into 771 00:41:39,650 --> 00:41:43,050 S2: two parts, each of which has a different speaker and 772 00:41:43,050 --> 00:41:46,410 S2: a different audience. In verses one and two, the people 773 00:41:46,410 --> 00:41:49,089 S2: of Israel are the ones speaking, and their words are 774 00:41:49,130 --> 00:41:53,250 S2: addressed to the priests, specifically to the priests going on 775 00:41:53,250 --> 00:41:56,250 S2: night duty. These two verses begin and end with the 776 00:41:56,250 --> 00:41:59,930 S2: people calling on these priests to bless the Lord. Now, 777 00:41:59,930 --> 00:42:02,130 S2: it's not that the priests were being asked to somehow 778 00:42:02,170 --> 00:42:06,120 S2: impart a special blessing to God. God's already perfect and 779 00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:09,280 S2: we can't add to his perfection. When the word bless 780 00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:12,280 S2: is used with reference to God, it's referring to our 781 00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:15,880 S2: act of worship or adoration. The word can also mean 782 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:18,920 S2: to kneel, and it's with that sense we bless God 783 00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:21,520 S2: as we adore him on bended knees. So to speak, 784 00:42:21,719 --> 00:42:26,359 S2: acknowledging his supreme glory and greatness. The people identified these 785 00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:29,759 S2: priests as servants of the Lord, and as those who 786 00:42:29,800 --> 00:42:32,880 S2: literally stand by night in the house of the Lord, 787 00:42:33,200 --> 00:42:35,719 S2: as the crowds leave to go home. The priests on 788 00:42:35,719 --> 00:42:38,200 S2: the night shift begin their work. That's out of the 789 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:42,000 S2: public eye. And that might not seem that glamorous, but 790 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:45,400 S2: the crowd's parting words remind these priests that their ministry 791 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:48,839 S2: is to the God of the universe. That's who they're serving. 792 00:42:48,840 --> 00:42:51,640 S2: That's who they're standing before all night, and that's who 793 00:42:51,680 --> 00:42:55,520 S2: they're seeking to worship and adore through their actions. It's 794 00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:58,600 S2: almost as if the crowd is foreshadowing Paul's words to 795 00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:01,880 S2: the believing slaves in the city of Ephesus, where Paul 796 00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:04,859 S2: called to them in the sincerity of your heart as 797 00:43:04,860 --> 00:43:07,140 S2: to Christ, and not by way of eye service as 798 00:43:07,140 --> 00:43:10,060 S2: men pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will 799 00:43:10,100 --> 00:43:13,620 S2: of God from the heart with goodwill, render service as 800 00:43:13,620 --> 00:43:16,460 S2: to the Lord, and not to men. In the same 801 00:43:16,460 --> 00:43:20,020 S2: way the people now leaving Jerusalem call on the priests 802 00:43:20,020 --> 00:43:23,220 S2: to continue serving God, even at night, when others aren't 803 00:43:23,219 --> 00:43:26,860 S2: gathered around to see or voice appreciation for what they're doing. 804 00:43:27,620 --> 00:43:30,300 S2: Then in the final verse of the psalm, the priests 805 00:43:30,340 --> 00:43:34,500 S2: return the favor, calling on God to bless the departing crowd. 806 00:43:34,820 --> 00:43:37,420 S2: May the Lord bless you from Zion. He who made 807 00:43:37,420 --> 00:43:40,779 S2: heaven and earth. The priest used the same word for bless. 808 00:43:40,980 --> 00:43:44,299 S2: But now as the mediators between God and the people, 809 00:43:44,300 --> 00:43:47,660 S2: they're asking God to extend his blessing to the people. 810 00:43:47,980 --> 00:43:50,899 S2: The crowds might be heading home from Mount Zion, but 811 00:43:50,900 --> 00:43:54,380 S2: the priests are asking God to bless them on their journey. 812 00:43:55,260 --> 00:43:59,180 S2: So what lessons can we learn from this short Psalm? 813 00:43:59,580 --> 00:44:04,210 S2: I'd like to suggest two. First, No task is menial 814 00:44:04,210 --> 00:44:07,330 S2: if it's done to serve God. Whether it's filling lamps 815 00:44:07,330 --> 00:44:09,810 S2: with oil in the middle of the night or changing 816 00:44:09,810 --> 00:44:13,850 S2: diapers in the church nursery. If we're serving God, then 817 00:44:13,850 --> 00:44:17,610 S2: our work has significance. And even if others don't see 818 00:44:17,650 --> 00:44:22,410 S2: or appreciate what we're doing, God does. Second, we also 819 00:44:22,410 --> 00:44:25,570 S2: need to pause and show appreciation to those around us 820 00:44:25,570 --> 00:44:28,690 S2: who are serving on the spiritual night shifts of life. 821 00:44:29,130 --> 00:44:32,009 S2: Just as the people acknowledge the importance of the priests 822 00:44:32,010 --> 00:44:34,250 S2: who served by night in the house of the Lord. 823 00:44:34,530 --> 00:44:37,370 S2: So we need to show appreciation for those who serve 824 00:44:37,370 --> 00:44:41,330 S2: in less public ways. This coming Sunday. Stop by the 825 00:44:41,330 --> 00:44:44,049 S2: church nursery and tell all the workers how much you 826 00:44:44,050 --> 00:44:48,450 S2: appreciate them. Or walk up to the custodian or parking attendant, 827 00:44:48,450 --> 00:44:51,450 S2: or greeter or usher and tell them how much you 828 00:44:51,450 --> 00:44:55,930 S2: appreciate their service for Christ. Remember this truth. The gift 829 00:44:55,930 --> 00:44:59,770 S2: of gratitude is the one gift you give that enriches 830 00:44:59,770 --> 00:45:03,399 S2: others without ever impoverishing you. Let me repeat that as 831 00:45:03,400 --> 00:45:06,880 S2: I close. The gift of gratitude is the one gift 832 00:45:06,880 --> 00:45:12,160 S2: you can give that enriches others without ever impoverishing you. 833 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:15,480 S1: Thank you Charlie. Appreciated your letting us accompany you on 834 00:45:15,480 --> 00:45:18,000 S1: the night shift there. Well, you talked about the importance 835 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:22,080 S1: of sharing appreciation, and I think that's also true in 836 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:26,000 S1: in the world of broadcasting. Uh, lots of folks would 837 00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:28,759 S1: love to be on this station. Lots of folks would 838 00:45:28,760 --> 00:45:32,120 S1: like to have the airtime that we enjoy. And it's 839 00:45:32,120 --> 00:45:34,880 S1: not by accident that it happens. It's through the kindness, 840 00:45:34,880 --> 00:45:37,440 S1: the generosity of this station. All of that to say, 841 00:45:37,440 --> 00:45:40,240 S1: it's important that we let them know if you appreciate 842 00:45:40,239 --> 00:45:42,880 S1: the program, that you step up your thoughts. Charlie. 843 00:45:43,000 --> 00:45:46,040 S2: I agree, absolutely. You know, when somebody's behind a microphone, 844 00:45:46,040 --> 00:45:48,400 S2: they have no idea whether someone's listening, what they're thinking 845 00:45:48,400 --> 00:45:50,759 S2: at all. And the same thing with the station to 846 00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:53,399 S2: be able to write back to a station and say, hey, 847 00:45:53,440 --> 00:45:55,560 S2: we appreciate what you do. We appreciate what you put 848 00:45:55,560 --> 00:45:59,960 S2: on there. We appreciate this program. You're encouraging them. And 849 00:45:59,960 --> 00:46:03,069 S2: by extension, you're encouraging us because that allows us to 850 00:46:03,110 --> 00:46:05,989 S2: continue doing what we're doing, knowing that we're serving the Lord. 851 00:46:05,989 --> 00:46:08,350 S1: So whether it's a comment at this station's website, whether 852 00:46:08,350 --> 00:46:11,750 S1: it's a text, an email, maybe an old fashioned postcard 853 00:46:11,750 --> 00:46:14,430 S1: or a note of appreciation, thank you for sharing that 854 00:46:14,430 --> 00:46:17,510 S1: appreciation with the management at this station for their carrying 855 00:46:17,510 --> 00:46:19,630 S1: the land and the book. By the way, we've got 856 00:46:19,630 --> 00:46:22,070 S1: a podcast we would love for you to take advantage of. 857 00:46:22,230 --> 00:46:25,350 S1: It's at our website. The land and the books are 858 00:46:25,950 --> 00:46:28,350 S1: a great way for you to hear it all again, 859 00:46:28,350 --> 00:46:30,430 S1: or to share us with a friend who doesn't live 860 00:46:30,430 --> 00:46:33,190 S1: anywhere near a station that carries the land and the book. 861 00:46:33,430 --> 00:46:36,109 S1: Thanks for doing that. The podcast. Share it with a friend, 862 00:46:36,110 --> 00:46:38,590 S1: will you? Our website again is the land and the 863 00:46:38,630 --> 00:46:42,630 S1: book dot o r g the land and the book.org. 864 00:46:43,390 --> 00:46:45,150 S1: With that, we're going to say thanks for hanging out 865 00:46:45,150 --> 00:46:47,989 S1: with us today. I'm John Gieger for our host, Charlie Dyer, 866 00:46:48,030 --> 00:46:50,989 S1: our producer Dan Anderson. The land and the book is 867 00:46:50,989 --> 00:46:54,870 S1: a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.