S1: Hello friends. It's time for the second hour of Open
S1: Line with me. Michael, this is Moody Radio's Bible Study
S1: Across America, where we're talking about your questions about the Bible, God,
S1: and the spiritual life. I'm, uh, my name is Michael.
S1: I don't like, as I said, and I'm also the
S1: academic dean and professor of Jewish studies and Bible at
S1: Moody Bible Institute. And we're live here today sitting around
S1: the radio kitchen table taking your questions. So give me
S1: a call. The phone number is (877) 548-3675. That's (877) 548-3675. If
S1: you can't call, you can always go to our website
S1: Open Line radio.org. And you can click on the link
S1: that says ask Michael a question and post your question there.
S1: I hope you have your Bibles open. I hope you
S1: have a second cup of coffee, because we're going to
S1: talk about the scriptures, and we're going to start by
S1: talking with Cheryl in Monticello, Indiana. Listen, we're welcome to
S1: Open line, Cheryl. How can I help you today?
S2: Thank you doctor. I recently heard a messianic rabbi teach
S2: that the Messiah would have to perform four specific miracles, um,
S2: to identify himself as Messiah, and that the religious leaders
S2: at the time were looking for that. But when he
S2: performed those miracles, they gave the credit to Beelzebub rather
S2: than him and the Holy Spirit. I was wondering what
S2: your thoughts were on that.
S1: Was it was it the messianic congregation in Indianapolis that
S1: you heard that?
S2: Um, no, I heard it online.
S1: Oh, online. Okay.
S3: Well, I'm not sure who he's from.
S1: Uh, a friend of mine leads a messianic congregation in Indy.
S1: And you're there in Indianapolis or Indiana, I should say.
S1: But anyway, I'll tell you this I've only ever heard
S1: it as three messianic miracles. Miracles. The three are the
S1: healing of a leper. The second, the casting out of
S1: a demon, uh, that causes mute muteness, causes a person
S1: to be mute. And the third is healing someone who
S1: is born blind.
S3: Okay.
S1: Uh. And that these were the three messianic miracles that
S1: the Lord Jesus fulfilled. Now, I'm going to tell you my.
S1: I've heard this taught by a lot of people. And
S1: if you typed in three messianic miracles into Google, you'd
S1: find a ton of stuff. What I haven't been able
S1: to find is any rabbinic source that actually says that.
S3: Okay.
S1: Do you what I mean. Like, no one has ever
S1: I hear people say this, but what I always look,
S1: I say, okay, can you show me the the Mishnah
S1: or the Talmudic passage or the something from rabbinic writings
S1: that would lead would lead to that? I've never been
S1: able to see that. So I've heard many messianic teachers
S1: say this, but I'm still looking for the substantiation for
S1: it from rabbinic writings.
S3: Okay, okay. All right. Well, thank.
S2: You, doctor. I appreciate your.
S3: Help.
S1: Sure. Thanks for your call. Appreciate it. We're going to
S1: talk to Tom in New Lenox, Illinois, listening on Wmbi.
S1: Welcome to Open Line, Tom. How can I help you?
S4: Good morning, doctor. How are you?
S1: I'm well. Thank you for asking.
S4: Great. My daughter is a cardiac ward at a hospital,
S4: and she came home last night with a great question,
S4: and I thought I pretty much answered it, but I
S4: wanted to get your take on it. She had mentioned
S4: when a patient codes when a basically no heartbeat, no
S4: nothing like that does there. So at that moment go
S4: to be with God or because sometimes they get them back,
S4: you know they'll be able to bring them back, shock
S4: them back. So she had a great question and I
S4: was like, my opinion is, you know, once you're once
S4: you're dead, you're dead. And that's it. You go to
S4: be with the Lord. But she she threw a good
S4: one at me last night.
S1: Well, I don't know. I don't know if a person
S1: goes to be with the Lord and he sends him back.
S1: I don't believe that necessarily. Right. You know, we've have
S1: the stories about the white light walking towards the white light, right?
S1: You've heard that, haven't you? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. It's
S1: such a bizarre, uh, you know, we do. See, uh,
S1: this is kind of interesting that people do see frequently
S1: when they're on their deathbed, just before they die. They
S1: see loved ones and they talk to them. Uh, that's
S1: that's pretty common. Uh, I, you know, I just don't
S1: know really what's going on there. Here's what I believe.
S1: That when a person is really dead. I'm not talking
S1: about coded, but, uh, actually dead, uh, their their destiny
S1: is set. Uh, but, uh, I don't know. You know,
S1: I'm not going to be the one to say if
S1: they got him back. Was that person dead? And when
S1: their heart wasn't beating? I don't know, so. Right. I'm just.
S1: Here's the thing. I know when someone dies, they need
S1: to be ready to. To deal with God. Uh, because
S1: some people say, well, I'll talk to God and he'll.
S1: He'll accept me as he is. God has given us
S1: all sorts of opportunities now to enter into a relationship
S1: with him. And negotiating before the throne is not the
S1: time to do it. Now is the time. Today is
S1: the day of salvation. So I would always encourage everyone
S1: today to be ready, because you never know when we're
S1: going to go be with the Lord. So when he's
S1: going to take us and so we we just need
S1: to be ready. Uh, trust in Jesus. Put your trust
S1: in him. Uh, believe that he died for us and
S1: rose again. And our sins are forgiven and we're ready
S1: to face God. So that's what I would say. Okay.
S4: Thank you, doctor. I appreciate it.
S1: Yeah. Thanks, Tom. Thanks for accepting that, I don't know.
S1: There's things that I just don't know, you know.
S4: Oh, no. No, that's just a hard question.
S1: That's just. Yeah, I don't know.
S4: It's just.
S3: Hard.
S1: Uh, when I go to be with the Lord, I
S1: might ask him. I don't know. I don't know if
S1: I'll care.
S4: So I'll hopefully I'll be standing next to you and saying, hey,
S4: remember that question, doc?
S1: Okay, Tom, you'll remind me.
S4: Thanks.
S1: Thank you. Okay. Bye bye. Uh, we're going to talk
S1: to Ronald in Elmwood Park, Illinois, listening on Wmbi. Welcome
S1: to Open Line. Ron, how can I help you?
S5: Uh, good morning, sir. How are you?
S1: I'm well, thank you.
S5: Yeah. Glad to hear that. Uh, and I have a dilemma,
S5: which I'm going to make your problem now. Okay. Okay.
S5: In the Bible in Genesis, Adam and Eve are deceived
S5: by the serpent and caused them to sin. And then
S5: God came and came into the garden, confronted the serpent
S5: and told him, uh, I shall put enmity between the
S5: woman's seed. And you. You shall eat dust, dirt the
S5: rest of your life, and you shall kick at my heels,
S5: or something similar to that, am I close?
S1: And then what's your what's your question? You know. Okay.
S1: Just go ahead and go ahead with your question.
S5: Okay. Well, then later on, um, when Moses is leading
S5: the Israelites, um, to the Promised Land, they are they're
S5: attacked at one point in time by certain serpents that
S5: bit a lot of the people, and they died. Moses
S5: had a pole and he made a replica somehow of
S5: a serpent, put it on a pole and held it up.
S5: Now to me, when you hold something up like that,
S5: it's to honor or look up to. But that seems
S5: to be what the serpent did. Why are they looking
S5: up to the serpent?
S1: Let's see if I can. You want to know? Okay.
S1: How can the serpent be a mark of healing when
S1: it was? Obviously, the serpent is the instrument of temptation
S1: and accursed in Genesis three. Yes, sir. Am I? That's.
S1: That's the question. That's so.
S5: Yes.
S1: So here's what I would say about Genesis three before
S1: we get to Genesis three. You need to know that
S1: the animals were created on the sixth day before Genesis three.
S1: And it says on the sixth day, when God created
S1: all kinds of animals, let the earth produce living creatures
S1: according to their kinds livestock creatures that crawl, and wildlife
S1: of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so.
S1: So God made the wildlife of the earth according to
S1: their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and creatures
S1: that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And
S1: God saw that it was good. So intrinsically, serpents are
S1: part of God's good creation. Genesis three. The judgment is
S1: that he would be more cursed than all the other creation.
S1: The whole creation was cursed when Satan used the serpent
S1: to talk to Adam and Eve and they sinned. Wasn't
S1: the talking, it was the sinning that did it. The
S1: whole creation was cursed. And what I, what I noticed
S1: is in Isaiah 65, it talks about how all the
S1: animals like, for example, the predatory animals will no longer
S1: be predatory in the messianic kingdom, but the serpent will
S1: still crawl on its belly. Meaning that there it's more cursed.
S1: It will be a perpetual sign of Satan's defeat. Uh,
S1: so that's how it's more cursed. But it is not intrinsically,
S1: though it was used by Satan, that didn't mean it
S1: was always intrinsically bad. In numbers 21, where you have
S1: the story of the fiery snakes, that's what happens. There
S1: were fiery snakes and, uh, those fiery snakes, uh, are
S1: there in numbers 21 and and what they are saying
S1: is the people were complaining, they became impatient because of
S1: the journey. And so the Lord sent my version says poisonous,
S1: but it literally in Hebrew is fiery snakes among the people.
S1: And they said they repented. We've sinned by speaking against
S1: the Lord and against you. Intercede for us. And Moses interceded.
S1: And so, because it was through the judgment of fiery
S1: snakes that the Lord said, uh, he to build a
S1: snake image mounted on a pole. Uh, and anyone who
S1: is bitten looks at it, he will recover. The point
S1: of that is, I believe that snakes were were the
S1: instrument by God to discipline. But the people would think
S1: that somehow the snakes were intrinsically the cause. And so
S1: by giving them an opportunity to look with faith at
S1: a snake as God directed, it would help them to
S1: see that it's not a snake that was disciplining them.
S1: But God was through fiery snakes, and it was not
S1: a snake that was healing them, but it was God
S1: who was healing them through a look of faith that
S1: the snake was just merely an instrument of God. And
S1: that's why it was okay to use a snake for that.
S1: So that's my understanding. It's God who is the one
S1: who is acting here. But don't think that snakes are
S1: just intrinsically evil because Satan used one. Anyway, we're going
S1: to come back with more of your questions in just
S1: a bit. This is Michael. Nick, you're listening to Moody
S1: Radio's Open Line. Stay with us. Many more questions coming
S1: up straight ahead. Welcome back to Open Line. So glad
S1: that you're listening today. I was just on the break
S1: talking to Omar, our engineer, and pointing out our last
S1: caller was asking about the Brass serpent. The Brazen serpent.
S1: And we were talking about what became of that serpent,
S1: the one that Moses lifted up on a pole. I
S1: should probably mention two things about it that I didn't
S1: mention before. And I was talking about it with Omar.
S1: One is that Israel preserved that snake. And when Hezekiah
S1: removed the high places in Second Kings 18, he shattered
S1: the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. And
S1: then it says he broke into pieces the bronze snake
S1: that Moses made for the Israelites burned incense to it
S1: up to that time. And he called it the iron
S1: or a bronze thing. And what that's saying is that
S1: they took something that was really good and made it
S1: into an idol. They were offering incense to the snake.
S1: The very point that I said that they were supposed
S1: to avoid, that it was God that that was healing them,
S1: and not the snake. They treated like it was a god,
S1: the snake, and they offered incense to it. And so
S1: it was destroyed because even a good thing that God
S1: used could be, could result in something kind of bad.
S1: But there was a pattern in the snake, and I
S1: think this is really important. Just as that snake was
S1: lifted on a pole and people had to have the
S1: look of faith. In John three, the Lord Jesus looks
S1: at that pattern and he says, just as Moses lifted
S1: up the snake in the wilderness. This is verse 14,
S1: So the Son of Man must be lifted up, that
S1: everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. Just
S1: as the people look to the serpent to be cured
S1: of those fiery snakes snake bites. So when we look
S1: to the Messiah who's lifted up for us, when we
S1: look up at him and trust in him in his
S1: death and his resurrection, then we're forgiven. And that's the
S1: great reminder. It became a pattern of how of how
S1: we look to the Messiah. So anyway, uh, more more
S1: about snakes and brass serpents than you ever wanted to hear,
S1: but that's all in there. And I thought it was
S1: kind of interesting. So. Okay. Mark in Moline, Illinois, listening
S1: on Wwdm. Welcome to Open Line. Mark, how can I
S1: help you today?
S6: Well thank you. Um, I came upon, uh, Harry Ironside's
S6: lectures on the revelation. He, uh, was associated with Moody
S6: Bible Institute, apparently 90 or so years ago. And he's
S6: he was the at the.
S1: He he was the pastor of Moody Church.
S6: I see, not the Bible Institute. Okay.
S1: Right.
S6: Um, and he's looking at the, uh, seven churches in
S6: revelation as the church history. Um, and I asked a
S6: preacher friend of mine about this, and this. And he
S6: said that somehow tied up in dispensational theology and covenant theology.
S6: But I can't sort out dispensational and covenant theology. Can
S6: you shed any light on that?
S1: Yeah. There. Uh, there are, uh, dispensational, uh, teachers and, uh,
S1: who hold to that the seven churches representing seven ages
S1: of the church. And there are dispensational teachers who don't
S1: hold to that. Uh.
S6: Just saying.
S1: I know, I know, I just wanted to make it
S1: clear that just because Ironside held to that, that does
S1: not indicate that all dispensational, uh, people hold to that view.
S1: For example, I would categorize myself as dispensational, but I
S1: think that those are seven churches from the first century
S1: that the Lord Jesus was addressing. Obviously applicable to all
S1: churches for all ages, but not seven ages of church history.
S1: And yet I'm dispensational. Okay, so now what dispensationalism is.
S1: It basically reads the Bible progressively. So you don't read
S1: the New Testament without understanding and believing the Old Testament.
S1: You read the New Testament through the old. You start
S1: with the old and work your way to the new.
S1: In terms of interpretation, uh, covenant theology tends to take
S1: the new and read it back into the old doesn't
S1: have the old. It reads back and its meanings into
S1: the Old Testament. So I would say that's one major difference. Uh.
S1: Another difference that I would say is that dispensationalism tends
S1: to be much more consistently, uh, literal or normal in
S1: its interpretation. I think covenant is also normal or literal,
S1: but less consistently so when it comes to prophetic matters,
S1: they tend to be much more symbolic and figurative. And
S1: that would be another thing that leads this. That approach
S1: leads to a difference between what is the church and
S1: what is God's plan for Israel. And, uh, the covenant
S1: would unite the Church and Israel as one, whereas a
S1: dispensation would see God's plan for Israel and God's plan
S1: for the church are distinct. Okay. Does that help, Mark?
S6: Uh, no it doesn't.
S1: Well, what is it? I thought you wanted to know
S1: the difference. You want to know the difference? That's the difference, right?
S6: And so the difference is how they look at it.
S6: But I don't see how that gives me a difference
S6: in understanding God or my position with God or anything
S6: like that.
S1: Well, it would change your view of prophecy is what
S1: it would do. It would change your view of Israel. Uh,
S1: that those are those are the areas where it would
S1: be different. Okay.
S6: Okay.
S1: Good. Okay. Thanks, Mark. Appreciate it. Okay. Uh, you know, uh,
S1: sometimes you need a road map to go someplace. I
S1: remember going on big trips and getting the road map
S1: out and, uh, sketching out. My son and I did
S1: this big road trip, and we got out our Rand
S1: McNally atlas, and we sketched out everywhere we were going.
S1: And every day, we knew exactly where we were going
S1: to stop and, uh, where what we were going to do.
S1: It was a lot of fun. And now we just
S1: put on the GPS and it, you know, Google Maps
S1: or something. And and it tells us turn left here
S1: or go straight or whatever. But I think knowing in
S1: advance where we're going on that map was always a
S1: lot of fun. And I think that's what we need
S1: to when we come to the New Testament, uh, that, uh,
S1: when we read the Bible, it would be really good
S1: if we had a good road map to tell us
S1: where we're going. And that's what our current resource is. It's, uh,
S1: been a survey of the New Testament, and, uh, that
S1: book gives us a comprehensive road map of where the Bible,
S1: how the New Testament fits together and where we're going
S1: as we read from Matthew to Revelation, how the whole
S1: thing fits together about God's plan for us. If you
S1: are a regular listener and you've never given a gift
S1: to open line before, this is the one you want
S1: to start giving with. Because this is a great little book,
S1: I use it all the time. Uh, Paul Benware is
S1: a friend and also was a teacher of mine. And, uh,
S1: he was, uh, he's the guy that prayed with me
S1: my very first day of teaching at Moody, before I
S1: taught my very first class. Uh, he's a dear friend,
S1: but it's a great little book, and we want to
S1: send it to you and to anyone who gives a
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S1: open line. And so if you'd like to give a gift,
S1: all you have to do is call (888) 644-7122 or go
S1: to open line radio.org. And uh, we're going to take
S1: a call now from Kevin in Mississippi who is on
S1: the road. Uh, we're going to have some music in
S1: the background there. Omar. No, I guess not. On the
S1: road again. There we go. Hey, Kevin, how can I
S1: help you today?
S7: Yes. Um, I am Kevin from Macomb, Mississippi, and I'm
S7: traveling on the road. But I have a question, um,
S7: from a question that I heard in the first segment. It's, uh,
S7: it's kind of a response as well as a question,
S7: a response to the answer that you gave about the
S7: the wedding feast. Um, there was a one that Jesus
S7: used in the parable, um, that says that, um, yeah.
S1: Well, just just go ahead. Just don't repeat the whole thing.
S1: Just go ahead.
S7: Okay. Well, my question was, um, the response that you
S7: gave to the question was that, um, that person chose
S7: to enter to be to call himself being invited by
S7: his own works or, you know, by his own, um.
S1: His own.
S7: Clothes. Yes, with his own clothes. So that was you
S7: symbolize that as him choosing his own way as far as, like,
S7: using works to, uh, to be, um, to enter the
S7: enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And so in Exodus 2020, um,
S7: God commanded that we be holy as he is holy.
S7: And a command always stands. So, um, it takes an
S7: effort to be holy. You don't just be holy. You
S7: have to. It takes works to be holy.
S1: Are you saying, Kevin, that I've got to be good
S1: enough to be saved?
S7: Yes. You have to be good enough to be holy.
S7: And if you're commanded to be holy, you have to
S7: be good enough to be saved.
S1: Okay, well, let me just read to you what the
S1: Apostle Paul has to say. Okay. It says in Ephesians
S1: two eight. Uh, here's what it says. I'm going to
S1: read it. For you are saved by grace. Grace means
S1: God's undeserved kindness towards us. You are saved by grace
S1: through faith. And this is not from yourselves. It is
S1: God's gift, not from works so that no one can boast.
S1: So it's really clear that there's not enough. I mean,
S1: you can go to Romans. See that? Romans three, for example, uh,
S1: where God is both just and justifier of men. In
S1: other words, that God is holy and he justifies us.
S1: He is the one that declares us righteous. It's not us. Now.
S7: What that doctor may say. So I think that when
S7: Paul made that statement, he was making a very concerted
S7: effort to move the people from the idea that it
S7: was only by works by. And I think he put
S7: extra emphasis on faith to move them from the position
S7: of works. But he did not exclude the concept of works. See,
S7: I think faith.
S1: Wait, wait, Kevin. I'm not Kevin. Kevin, Kevin. We are
S1: saved by God's kindness Is that we don't deserve through
S1: trust in Jesus. It's Jesus and Jesus alone. There's nothing
S1: we can do to earn our way with God. Uh,
S1: and now there is a place for works. If you
S1: look at Ephesians two, it says, once we know him,
S1: we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
S1: which God prepared ahead of time so that we should
S1: walk in them. The root of our forgiveness is grace
S1: through faith. But the fruit of being forgiven is that
S1: God has prepared good works for us to walk in.
S1: But I want to be really cautious, Kevin, if you
S1: think that we can be in any way, if it's
S1: faith plus works, if it's both, uh, then it's all works. Uh,
S1: we we cannot trust in any of any of our
S1: own works at all. That's that's what I, I would
S1: caution you about. And if you're listening and think I
S1: can be good enough. No. We can't. All we have
S1: to do is trust in the who. The one who
S1: is good, the Lord Jesus. And we need to put
S1: our trust in him. We're going to we're going to
S1: come back with the mailbag in just a moment. So
S1: stay with us. This is open line with Michael Wright.
S1: I'll be right back. Welcome back to Open Line. So
S1: glad to be with you this Saturday morning talking about
S1: your questions about the Bible, God and the spiritual life.
S1: My name is Michael Wright. And joining me right now
S1: for the Febc mailbag will be Tricia McMillan. We're so
S1: grateful that Far Eastern Broadcasting Company partners with Open Line
S1: to bring you the weekly Febc mailbag. It's a wonderful organization,
S1: and they really bring the good news that Jesus is
S1: our only way by faith in him. And they bring
S1: that via media. They bring that message, uh, through personal
S1: engagement with people. Check out their podcast, Febc's podcast called
S1: Until all I've Heard, Until All I've Heard by going
S1: to Febc. Org you'll find it there. And here comes Tricia,
S1: my other partner in crime. I talked last hour about, uh,
S1: William Washington being my partner in crime at Moody. But everyone,
S1: when they think Open Line, they think Tricia. Tricia, she's
S1: the other person here. Yes.
S8: Hopefully not for crime, though.
S1: No, no. When I go out, though, I will tell
S1: you this, uh, when I go out, people and I'm
S1: speaking someplace, they say we want to meet Tricia or.
S1: Or they want to meet Eva when Eva's on, they
S1: always talk about that. They could care less about meeting me.
S1: It's just you and Eva that everyone wants to meet.
S1: I don't want to. I don't want to be ungrateful here.
S1: But come on. Why do they want to meet you guys?
S8: I don't know.
S1: Yeah, well, anyway, I appreciate you being, uh, working with
S1: me all these many years. And for Tara being here
S1: and Omar and Titus. And what a great team we
S1: have here. And I'm really grateful for all of you.
S1: And I will say this, that there's, uh, other members
S1: of the team that we don't ever, uh, see in
S1: the studio, but we we see them all the time
S1: because they are our kitchen table partners. They're partnering with
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S1: And we appreciate them so much. They give monthly so
S1: we can be on the air weekly. And when they give,
S1: what we try to do to say thanks is besides
S1: giving them our our current resource, which is what? It's
S1: part of the the things we like to do. But
S1: also every other week we send them a Bible study moment.
S1: And that Bible study moment is an audio Bible study,
S1: about 5 or 10 minutes that they can click on
S1: and listen to and be encouraged by. And so thankful
S1: that we have these great kitchen table partners. If you're
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S1: to become one, all you have to do is call
S1: (800) 864-4712 two or go to open line radio.org. And boy
S1: do we appreciate it. We'd really like to see that number.
S1: Like Doctor Washington says we want to get it to
S1: a thousand. That'd be great. Yeah. Okay, Tricia, that's your job.
S8: What's my job? To encourage people. Please support the program.
S1: No, I'm not going to. I'm not. That's my job.
S1: Not your job. So. But anyway, I do appreciate you
S1: joining me in this all the time. Okay, let's let's
S1: let's go to the mailbag.
S8: What have we got? Our first question is from Sharon
S8: in Baltimore. Uh, listens to WBZ. Um, she says, I
S8: thought that when people followed Jesus that Christians are supposed
S8: to go out, preach the gospel, and help one another.
S8: Is that in the Bible? And then when is that
S8: supposed to happen? Does that pertain to now times, or
S8: is that just like a future end times thing when
S8: people are supposed to be doing that?
S1: No. We're supposed to be sharing the good news. You know, if, uh,
S1: if everywhere we go, we make Christ known. That's that's
S1: something that Paul gave as a model for us in
S1: the book of Colossians chapter four. Uh, he says, devote
S1: yourselves to prayer. Stay alert in it with thanksgiving. At
S1: the same time, pray also for us that God may
S1: open a door for us for the message to speak.
S1: The mystery of the Messiah for which I am in prison,
S1: so that I may reveal it as I am required
S1: to speak. And then he says, act wisely toward outsiders,
S1: making the most of the time. Your speech should always
S1: be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know
S1: how you should answer each person. In other words, Paul said,
S1: I'm pray for me. I'm out there. I'm in prison.
S1: Wherever I am, I'm sharing the good news. And, uh,
S1: you too. You should, uh, your your speech should be gracious, appealing, uh,
S1: desire when you when you season with salt, uh, flavorful
S1: is what it's talking about there. Uh, and and seeking
S1: to know how to answer each person about the good news.
S1: That's really what that's talking about. So, no, we should
S1: be doing that. We should be helping each other. We
S1: should be kind to each other. Uh, the problem is
S1: that we don't always do that, to be frank. We're
S1: just still sinful. And first, John talks about how if
S1: anyone thinks that they don't sin or don't have a
S1: sin nature once they come to know Jesus. Uh, they're
S1: they're making God a liar. We have to keep confessing
S1: our sins. Uh, you know, so often I quote first
S1: John one nine which says, confess or agree with God
S1: about our sins so that it restores so that he
S1: can restore fellowship with us. But here's why. It says, uh,
S1: if we say we. Verse eight, if we say we
S1: have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth
S1: is not in us. Verse ten, if we say we
S1: don't have any sin, we make him a liar and
S1: His word is not in us. So the reason people
S1: aren't always doing that now is we. We continue to
S1: be sinful and we need to confess it and move
S1: on and be transformed and share the good news and
S1: help each other as as Sharon says.
S8: Okay. All right. Thank you. Thanks for that question, Sharon.
S8: Next question is from Kimberly on Facebook. She says, I
S8: was reading Genesis 12. When God gives Abraham the Abrahamic covenant, um,
S8: and he says, I will bless those who bless you
S8: and curse those who curse you. Was he referring to
S8: Abraham specifically, or was he referring to the nation of Israel?
S1: Well, it seems that what happens is he. This idea
S1: of blessing for blessing is not just for Abraham. Because
S1: when you come to Genesis 2729, uh, speaking to his
S1: descendant who receives the promise, do you remember Abraham has
S1: two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac receives the promise. And then, uh,
S1: Isaac has two sons, Jacob and Esau. And this is
S1: what Isaac says to Esau. He says, uh, those who
S1: curse you will be cursed, and those who bless you
S1: will be blessed. Uh, Genesis In 29. And then, uh,
S1: in a seeming passage that I think continues on and on, uh,
S1: in numbers 24. And, uh, this is speaking to the
S1: Messiah as the head of Israel. So I think it
S1: really pertains to all of Israel. Uh, it says, uh,
S1: let's see if I can find it. Uh, those who
S1: bless you, verse 924 nine, those who bless you will
S1: be blessed. And those who curse you will be cursed.
S1: And so, uh, I think what we have is a,
S1: a promise that goes from Abraham all the way down
S1: to Jacob, and then it's passed down to all of
S1: Israel and ultimately to the Messiah of Israel. Uh, as
S1: the king of Israel, that that is true. Uh, that
S1: God will bless those who bless Israel and curse those
S1: who curse Israel.
S8: Okay. Can I ask a follow up question? Because I,
S8: in Galatians 316, um, says that the promises were spoken
S8: to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say
S8: and to seeds as referring to many, but rather to
S8: one and to your seed. That is Christ. So how
S8: how does that fit into this? That it goes to
S8: the the all of the descendants?
S1: Well, the background on Genesis, uh, on, uh, Galatians 316,
S1: I believe is from Genesis 22, where, uh, in verses
S1: 16 and following it says, uh, because you have done
S1: this one thing and not withheld your son. When Abraham offers. Isaac. Mhm.
S1: I will indeed bless you and make your seed your offspring.
S1: My version says, but it's the word seed as numerous
S1: as the stars of the sky and the sand on
S1: the seashore. Uh, and so they're obviously the word seed
S1: refers to the collective people of Israel because of all the,
S1: you know, multiple stars and sand. Right.
S8: Right. The the vast number. Yes.
S1: Yeah. And then, uh, verse 17, in the middle, there's
S1: a new sentence in the, in the Hebrew it indicates, uh,
S1: a clear break with a new thought. Okay. Hebrew grammar does. Yes.
S1: And it says your seed will possess the gate gates.
S1: And my version says of their enemies. But the Hebrew
S1: doesn't say that. It says your seed will possess the
S1: gates of his enemies. It's an individual seed.
S8: Okay.
S1: And so it's talking about you're going to have many seed,
S1: but you're going to have one, two and he will
S1: possess the gates of his enemies. He'll be a leader,
S1: he'll be a be a ruler, and all nations of
S1: the earth will be blessed by your seed. Because you've
S1: obeyed my command. And so who will bless all the
S1: nations of the earth, that individual seed, that one. So
S1: here's what I'm saying. Uh, that there Abraham has many offspring.
S8: Mhm.
S1: Abraham. Isaac and Jacob.
S8: Yes.
S1: And that's the people of Israel, the Jewish people. And
S1: then that there's one in particular that's promised to bless
S1: the nations, and that's the Messiah of Israel, an individual
S1: who will be the ruler over the gates of his enemies.
S1: And then when you come to Galatians chapter three, this
S1: is a kind of a what we're that's the background.
S1: And Paul now, the word seed is always singular, like sheep.
S1: Did you know that?
S8: Okay.
S1: The word's the word seed is always singular. And yet
S1: Paul doesn't seem to understand grammar because in Galatians three,
S1: What does he say? He says, uh, in verse 16.
S1: Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and his seed.
S1: He does not say and to seeds plural, as though
S1: referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed.
S1: Who is the Messiah? What is he talking about there?
S1: He's talking about Genesis 22. He says, the thing I'm
S1: quoting here about, uh, about the seed. The promises were
S1: made to Abraham and his seed. I'm not talking about
S1: the collective one that was used in verse 16, in
S1: the first half of verse 17. I'm talking about the
S1: individual seed, the Messiah there. So it's he's not ruling
S1: out the nation, what he's doing. He's saying both and
S1: and in this case, I'm only referring to the individual one.
S8: This extra sentence that's thrown in that that was an
S8: extra is a is a standalone thought. That's the one
S8: that he's referring to. Yeah. Okay.
S1: And and he's not negating the other. He's just saying
S1: in this case I'm referring to that.
S8: And so so therefore it is still the nation of
S8: Israel that yes, being blessed or cursed and and the
S8: reciprocal happening. Yep. That's it. Okay. Thank you. That took
S8: us a little deeper.
S1: That's a pretty involved answer.
S8: It was. But I appreciate that because I think that
S8: causes extra confusion. So thank you.
S3: Yeah.
S1: Yeah I'm really glad for that. Uh, someday I'm going
S1: to write a journal article about that.
S8: It'll be.
S9: Good.
S1: So when we come back, we'll take more of your
S1: questions right here on Open Line. That was Tricia McMillan.
S1: I'm Michael Melnick. You're listening to Moody Radio. Glad you're
S1: with us today. We'll be right back. Welcome back to
S1: Open Line. I did want to mention a couple of things. One, uh,
S1: I'll be, uh, doing a Bible study on a boat.
S1: A Bible conference on a boat, uh, next December, if
S1: you can join me in the Caribbean on a tall
S1: ship as we make our way. And I hope you'll
S1: consider joining me for this great Bible conference on a cruise.
S1: And to find out more about it, just go to
S1: Openline radio.org and scroll down to where it has a
S1: link to my, uh, web page. Or you can just
S1: go to npr.org and click on the ship. Uh, also
S1: Chosen People Ministries, uh, is offering a really phenomenal book.
S1: There's so many people that would have liked to have
S1: seen Israel, but they can't get there right now because
S1: of the war that Hamas started. And they are now
S1: chosen people ministries. One of our ministry partners is offering
S1: Israel the land and the people. It's a coffee table
S1: book with some of the best photos of Israel anywhere.
S1: Not only does it show the beauty and history and
S1: the culture of the land from the north to the south,
S1: from Mount Hermon down to Masada. It shows ancient Jerusalem,
S1: modern Tel Aviv. It's really a remarkable book. And it's
S1: yours free. All you have to do is go to
S1: Openline radio.org. Scroll down till you see the link that
S1: says A Free gift from Chosen People Ministries. When you
S1: click on that link, it will take you to a
S1: page where you can sign up for your very own
S1: copy of the book. The photo book, Israel, the land
S1: and the people. And we're going to talk to Kirk
S1: right now listening in Indiana on WNBA. Welcome to Open Line, Kirk.
S1: How can I help you?
S10: Hi. How are you doing?
S1: I'm well, thank you.
S10: Hey. Good. Thanks for taking my call. I was I
S10: had a question on the book of Revelation. Normally, I
S10: just read through the Bible once a year, and I
S10: come to revelation, and, you know, I know it's a
S10: confusing book, but right in the beginning, it starts out
S10: right in chapter one, he says, I hold the seven
S10: angels in one hand. The seven lampstands in the other hand.
S10: And there's seven spirits before him. And then it says,
S10: I write to the angels, the I know the lampstands
S10: are supposed to represent the churches, but why would you
S10: write to angels? That's the one question. And then who's
S10: the seven spirits? And are we supposed to, like, apply
S10: all this to ourselves today?
S1: Well, first of all, the seven spirits is just a
S1: way of talking about the seven. Uh, it's talking about
S1: the Holy Spirit. If you look at Isaiah 11, when
S1: it talks about the Messiah, he's endowed by the Holy Spirit.
S1: And it has seven different aspects of the Holy Spirit.
S1: And I think that's what he's referring to in Isaiah 11, uh,
S1: with the seven spirits, uh, the seven endowments of the spirit.
S3: Uh, okay.
S1: As for as for the angels, the word angel we
S1: always think of as, uh, heavenly, uh, being. But, uh,
S1: the word angel can mean messenger. And there are some
S1: people that think that the seven stars are the messengers
S1: of the seven churches, that the Messiah is sending a
S1: messenger with his message to these churches. Some people think
S1: it refers that they're the messengers who preach in those
S1: seven churches, like the pastors, so to speak. Uh, so
S1: they're either messengers of the churches who are bringing them
S1: this message from Jesus, or they're messengers who bring the
S1: Word of God on a weekly basis to those churches,
S1: but they are not probably heavenly beings. I don't, I
S1: don't think.
S3: Okay. Okay.
S10: Can I ask another question?
S1: Sure.
S3: Okay.
S10: Um, when it says in the right, in the beginning
S10: of it, it says that an angel appeared to John
S10: and gave him this message. But then when it starts
S10: talking to the churches, Is, it seems like it's Jesus
S10: because it says, you know, he's got the fiery eyes
S10: and the sword out of his mouth and the burning
S10: feet and all of that. So is it Jesus that's
S10: giving John the message, or is it an angel?
S1: Well, at first it's mediated, uh, by an angel that
S1: he's got a message or a messenger of some sort. Um,
S1: but then what he says is, uh, who was grace
S1: to you from? The one who is, who was and
S1: who is coming from the seven spirits before his throne
S1: and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness. Uh, so it
S1: seems to me what he's doing over there is saying
S1: that the message now, uh, is coming directly from the
S1: Lord Jesus.
S10: Okay.
S3: Okay. Okay.
S10: Yeah.
S3: Well, thank.
S10: You for taking the question, I appreciate it.
S1: Yeah. Thank you so much, Kirk. Really appreciate it. Uh,
S1: we're going to talk to Greg in Minnesota listening on Ktag.
S1: Welcome to Open Line, Greg. How can I help you today?
S11: Uh. Good morning. Um, uh, I'm hoping that maybe you
S11: can help me. Uh, my wife has, uh, we we
S11: were both previously married. Uh, and, uh, she has gotten
S11: into a Bible study with the lady out of Florida.
S11: And that lady has got her convinced that God does
S11: not recognize our marriage, that she is still married to
S11: her husband, that she divorced, and I'm still married to
S11: the wife that I divorced. And, uh, um, I know
S11: it's something to laugh about, but it's really not anything
S11: to laugh.
S1: I'm not laughing. I'm wondering, how long have you guys
S1: been married?
S11: Uh, almost 20 years. And this just started. She started
S11: this Bible study, uh, a little over a year ago.
S3: Okay, so.
S11: It was it was to. So that she could become
S11: a better wife when she started this Bible study. But
S11: it's not.
S3: Working.
S11: Out that way.
S1: Greg, I only have about a minute, so I'm going
S1: to this. Whenever it comes to issues of divorce, I
S1: like to take more time. I think you need to
S1: talk to a pastor. That's really important that you do
S1: go to your church. Talk to your pastor about this.
S1: But here's yes, there are some times where there's divorce
S1: that's illegitimate. I don't know if you're divorced or your
S1: wife's divorce was legitimate or illegitimate. Uh, but even if
S1: it was illegitimate, you can't undo the illegitimate divorce by
S1: creating a newer, illegitimate divorce and undoing that. What you
S1: have to do is you have to be married to
S1: whom you are married. Now. Receive forgiveness from the Lord
S1: if you did something wrong in divorcing before. But, uh,
S1: what you need to do is you and your wife
S1: need to build your marriage as good as you can,
S1: as well as you can to make it as good
S1: as it can be at this point. Do you understand
S1: what I'm saying? Uh, you can't undo the damage of
S1: the of the divorces. What you have to do is
S1: make this work. Now, uh, Greg, why don't you call
S1: back another time? Uh, we'll talk more. Okay. Uh, but
S1: that's the program for this week. Thanks for listening, everyone.
S1: Especially thanks for all of you who called or wrote in, uh,
S1: for asking your questions. Thanks for today's team. Uh, Tricia. Omar. Uh, Tahira. Also, Titus,
S1: thanks for all that you guys do keep in touch
S1: with us during the week by going to our web page,
S1: Open Line radio.org. That page is everything you need.
S3: Uh.
S1: That you're looking for, including links to our current resource
S1: and other things like that. Becoming a kitchen table partner.
S1: Also to my personal webpage. Keep reading the Bible. We'll
S1: talk about it next week. Open line with Doctor Michael
S1: Melnick is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of
S1: Moody Bible Institute.