1 00:00:07,970 --> 00:00:10,730 S1: It's a story we grew up hearing even as children 2 00:00:10,730 --> 00:00:14,330 S1: in Sunday school. I'm talking about lot's wife, the woman 3 00:00:14,330 --> 00:00:17,150 S1: who was turned into a pillar of salt. But there's 4 00:00:17,150 --> 00:00:19,640 S1: a whole lot more to the story of lot's wife 5 00:00:19,670 --> 00:00:22,790 S1: and lot's family than what we've typically engaged in. Let's 6 00:00:22,790 --> 00:00:26,120 S1: talk about lessons from lot's wife in this segment of 7 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,540 S1: the land and the book. Welcome. I'm John Gager, our host, 8 00:00:29,540 --> 00:00:34,130 S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer, noted Old Testament scholar, frequent traveler to Israel. 9 00:00:34,130 --> 00:00:36,589 S1: And you know, fall is here again, Charlie. And that 10 00:00:36,590 --> 00:00:40,220 S1: means that the Jewish high Holidays are just around the corner. Uh, 11 00:00:40,220 --> 00:00:43,610 S1: these biblical feasts have been celebrated for thousands of years, 12 00:00:43,610 --> 00:00:46,909 S1: but this year kind of has added weight, added significance 13 00:00:46,909 --> 00:00:50,330 S1: as Jewish people around the world mark one year since 14 00:00:50,330 --> 00:00:53,240 S1: the brutal attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists. 15 00:00:53,270 --> 00:00:55,940 S2: Yeah, sadly, John, that's true. And our friends at Life 16 00:00:55,940 --> 00:00:58,370 S2: and Messiah, though, want to help you learn more about 17 00:00:58,370 --> 00:01:01,040 S2: the fall feasts, the significance they have for us as 18 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,429 S2: believers in Jesus, and how to stand with Jewish people 19 00:01:04,430 --> 00:01:08,420 S2: during this time. They're offering a live zoom teaching session 20 00:01:08,420 --> 00:01:11,660 S2: where they're knowledgeable. Field staff will walk you through the 21 00:01:11,660 --> 00:01:15,200 S2: history and significance of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day 22 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,830 S2: of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. You'll also hear 23 00:01:18,830 --> 00:01:21,470 S2: how you can use these holidays as a point of 24 00:01:21,470 --> 00:01:25,280 S2: connection with your Jewish friends and neighbors, to show and 25 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,100 S2: share the love of Jesus with them. Now to sign 26 00:01:28,100 --> 00:01:30,440 S2: up for this free teaching, all you need to do 27 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,979 S2: is visit Life in Messiah org. Click on the Moody 28 00:01:34,010 --> 00:01:37,160 S2: Radio logo and sign up. Be sure to sign up 29 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:41,870 S2: today to discover the fascinating connections between these feasts and 30 00:01:41,870 --> 00:01:46,310 S2: Jesus at Life in messiah.org. All right. 31 00:01:46,310 --> 00:01:49,040 S1: Let's turn our focus toward current events here. Stories that 32 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,560 S1: have unfolded in the Middle East this past week. The 33 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,460 S1: war between Israel and Hamas continues, and all attempts to 34 00:01:55,490 --> 00:01:59,060 S1: reach a ceasefire and a hostage deal keep getting mired 35 00:01:59,060 --> 00:02:03,050 S1: in accusations, denials and charges of fake news. What is 36 00:02:03,050 --> 00:02:06,530 S1: really happening in the PR war here between these two? Charlie? 37 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:10,100 S2: Yeah. The details of what's been happening are as convoluted 38 00:02:10,100 --> 00:02:13,489 S2: as a Cold War spy novel, John. There have been charges, 39 00:02:13,490 --> 00:02:17,270 S2: counter charges and suggestions of manipulation. Let me give you 40 00:02:17,300 --> 00:02:20,810 S2: just two examples. First, a German newspaper reported on a 41 00:02:20,810 --> 00:02:25,970 S2: secret Hamas document supposedly approved by Sinwar, detailing how Hamas 42 00:02:25,970 --> 00:02:29,630 S2: would deliberately work to exert pressure on the hostage families 43 00:02:29,630 --> 00:02:32,840 S2: and shift blame for the lack of a deal on Israel, 44 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:37,340 S2: all the while delaying and stonewalling the negotiations. The second 45 00:02:37,340 --> 00:02:40,280 S2: example is a news item from a London based Jewish 46 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,730 S2: newspaper that reported on the discovery of plans by Sinwar 47 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,270 S2: to smuggle himself and other Hamas leaders, along with the 48 00:02:47,270 --> 00:02:51,320 S2: remaining Jewish hostages, out of Gaza, through the Philadelphia Corridor 49 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,489 S2: and eventually onto Iran. But here's the problem the materials 50 00:02:55,490 --> 00:02:59,090 S2: quoted by the German newspaper were discovered five months ago 51 00:02:59,090 --> 00:03:03,380 S2: and were written by a mid-level Hamas officer, not by Sinwar. 52 00:03:03,410 --> 00:03:06,110 S2: And the military forces say they're not aware of any 53 00:03:06,110 --> 00:03:11,360 S2: recovered documents outlining Sinwar's alleged escape plan. But that's not 54 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,000 S2: the full story, either. The first question that needs to 55 00:03:14,030 --> 00:03:16,970 S2: be answered is whether or not the two documents are real. 56 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,060 S2: In the case of the first, it appears to be genuine. 57 00:03:20,060 --> 00:03:23,180 S2: Sinwar might not have personally composed it, but it was 58 00:03:23,180 --> 00:03:26,269 S2: likely written for him, and it seems to mirror Hamas's 59 00:03:26,300 --> 00:03:29,810 S2: actions over the past six months. The second document that's 60 00:03:29,810 --> 00:03:34,100 S2: more problematic. Would Sinwar have an escape plan prepared? Well, 61 00:03:34,100 --> 00:03:37,760 S2: that would seem reasonable, though it's unclear why Israel wouldn't 62 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,970 S2: know of such a document if it had actually been discovered. 63 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,090 S2: Or is this a case where the information might be true, 64 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,130 S2: though it might have come from an interview with a 65 00:03:46,130 --> 00:03:49,580 S2: captured Hamas leader and not from a piece of paper? Well, 66 00:03:49,580 --> 00:03:52,970 S2: we just don't know. And were these leaks designed to 67 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:57,350 S2: cast Netanyahu or Hamas and Sinwar in a bad light. Again, 68 00:03:57,350 --> 00:04:00,200 S2: we just don't know. What we do know is that 69 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,280 S2: Israel has uncovered and destroyed more than 180 tunnels under 70 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,970 S2: the Philadelphia corridor linking Gaza to Egypt, and we know 71 00:04:07,970 --> 00:04:11,270 S2: Netanyahu wants to keep Israeli forces in that corridor to 72 00:04:11,300 --> 00:04:15,890 S2: prevent Hamas from rearming. Virtually all the weapons, ammunition and 73 00:04:15,890 --> 00:04:20,000 S2: rockets in Gaza were smuggled in through those tunnels. This 74 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,850 S2: PR war has many angles. So the point for us 75 00:04:22,850 --> 00:04:25,910 S2: is don't take all the headlines you read at face value. 76 00:04:25,940 --> 00:04:28,640 S2: Just like in a good spy novel, there are agents 77 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,850 S2: on all sides playing a deadly game of deception. 78 00:04:31,850 --> 00:04:34,700 S1: Well, Egypt has been a major part of the talks 79 00:04:34,700 --> 00:04:38,570 S1: between Israel and Hamas, but several reports suggest Egypt has 80 00:04:38,570 --> 00:04:41,690 S1: not been a reliable broker in the process. What are 81 00:04:41,690 --> 00:04:45,020 S1: some of the concerns being raised by Israel about Egypt's 82 00:04:45,050 --> 00:04:46,640 S1: role in the conflict? 83 00:04:46,730 --> 00:04:49,520 S2: Well, perhaps the main concern being raised is that Egypt 84 00:04:49,550 --> 00:04:52,010 S2: has been playing a double game and has actually helped 85 00:04:52,010 --> 00:04:56,670 S2: facilitate weapons smuggling to Hamas. Now, this hasn't always been true. 86 00:04:56,700 --> 00:05:00,420 S2: When Egyptian President al-Sisi overthrew the Muslim Brotherhood and came 87 00:05:00,420 --> 00:05:03,900 S2: to power ten years ago, Hamas helped the Muslim Brotherhood 88 00:05:03,900 --> 00:05:06,870 S2: in their attacks against Egypt since Hamas grew out of 89 00:05:06,870 --> 00:05:10,710 S2: the Muslim Brotherhood. But after gaining control, Egypt's new government 90 00:05:10,710 --> 00:05:14,130 S2: discovered the financial benefits from controlling the tunnels and the 91 00:05:14,130 --> 00:05:18,660 S2: above ground crossing into Gaza. Another concern over Egypt's role 92 00:05:18,660 --> 00:05:21,839 S2: in the negotiations is the apparent lack of interest on 93 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:24,720 S2: Egypt's part to actually build on the Camp David peace 94 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:28,680 S2: accords between the two countries. Egypt seemed to be interested 95 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:31,980 S2: in peace until it received back the Sinai. Then the 96 00:05:31,980 --> 00:05:36,210 S2: warming relations between the two countries froze back up. Egypt 97 00:05:36,210 --> 00:05:39,960 S2: is opposed to any Israeli presence along its border with Gaza, 98 00:05:39,990 --> 00:05:43,800 S2: citing terms in their peace treaty. And yet Israel flexed 99 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,260 S2: on the treaty when it allowed Egypt to bring in 100 00:05:46,260 --> 00:05:49,950 S2: additional forces to Sinai to contain the Muslim Brotherhood and 101 00:05:49,950 --> 00:05:55,290 S2: ISIS there. anti-Israel sentiment is still strong in Egypt, and 102 00:05:55,290 --> 00:05:59,339 S2: apparently religious antagonism against the State of Israel, coupled with 103 00:05:59,339 --> 00:06:04,110 S2: the financial incentives from resuming smuggling operations into Gaza, are 104 00:06:04,110 --> 00:06:07,020 S2: a major reason Israel needs to be very wary about 105 00:06:07,020 --> 00:06:09,659 S2: giving up control of the Philadelphi corridor. 106 00:06:09,690 --> 00:06:12,210 S1: This is the land in the book from Moody Radio 107 00:06:12,210 --> 00:06:14,730 S1: with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger. We're 108 00:06:14,730 --> 00:06:18,479 S1: looking at current events from the week. New archaeological research 109 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,960 S1: suggests the Roman siege of Masada might have only lasted 110 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:24,960 S1: for a few weeks rather than years. What led to 111 00:06:24,990 --> 00:06:28,230 S1: these conclusions, and what impact does all this have on 112 00:06:28,230 --> 00:06:30,780 S1: the historical narrative about Masada's fall? 113 00:06:30,810 --> 00:06:32,970 S2: Yeah, you know, I love this story, John. We know 114 00:06:32,970 --> 00:06:36,990 S2: from Josephus that Jerusalem fell in the fall of AD 70, 115 00:06:36,990 --> 00:06:40,710 S2: and that Masada fell in the spring of AD 73. 116 00:06:41,070 --> 00:06:44,130 S2: As a result, many assumed this meant the Roman siege 117 00:06:44,130 --> 00:06:48,000 S2: of Masada must have lasted for months or even years. Certainly, 118 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:49,979 S2: that's what a lot of the guides tell the people 119 00:06:50,010 --> 00:06:53,580 S2: who visit there. Well, this new research is fascinating because 120 00:06:53,580 --> 00:06:57,840 S2: it dispels that myth, but without destroying Josephus's account of 121 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:01,320 S2: the attack. The archaeologist approached the process by looking at 122 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,710 S2: the siege from a Roman perspective. Since this was a 123 00:07:04,710 --> 00:07:08,580 S2: typical Roman military operation, how would the Romans go about it? 124 00:07:08,580 --> 00:07:12,260 S2: And we have information on on their military. The 6000 125 00:07:12,260 --> 00:07:15,660 S2: to 8000 Roman soldiers who were there would have first 126 00:07:15,660 --> 00:07:19,200 S2: established their fortified camps and built the siege wall around 127 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:21,930 S2: the site. Those can still be seen from up on top. 128 00:07:21,930 --> 00:07:25,320 S2: They estimate this would have taken less than two weeks. 129 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:28,230 S2: They then calculated that the siege ramp built by the 130 00:07:28,230 --> 00:07:32,550 S2: Romans with Jewish slave labor would have taken another month, 131 00:07:32,550 --> 00:07:36,540 S2: so the entire operation could have been completed within six weeks. 132 00:07:36,570 --> 00:07:39,240 S2: The question then is why did the Romans wait a 133 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:43,170 S2: year and a half before attacking Masada? Well, Josephus describes 134 00:07:43,170 --> 00:07:45,690 S2: the other activities that took the Roman army to other 135 00:07:45,690 --> 00:07:50,160 S2: parts of the region, including the Herodium and Machaerus in Jordan. 136 00:07:50,250 --> 00:07:52,920 S2: They also took the army on a victory tour of sorts. 137 00:07:53,010 --> 00:07:57,810 S2: Josephus mentions they went to Caesarea, Caesarea, Philippi, Phoenicia, Syria 138 00:07:57,810 --> 00:08:01,260 S2: and Egypt. It was only when the defenders at Masada 139 00:08:01,290 --> 00:08:05,070 S2: attacked the balsam groves at Engedi, that the army decided 140 00:08:05,070 --> 00:08:07,710 S2: it was time to take Masada. Now, this is a 141 00:08:07,710 --> 00:08:10,080 S2: bit of conjecture on the part of the archaeologists, but 142 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:14,370 S2: not without some support. Balsam was a very lucrative commodity 143 00:08:14,370 --> 00:08:18,930 S2: to Rome. In fact, Josephus, Pliny, Strabo and Tacitus all 144 00:08:18,930 --> 00:08:21,390 S2: talk about its importance and the fact that it was 145 00:08:21,390 --> 00:08:25,680 S2: only grown in two key spots in Judea, Jericho and Engedi, 146 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:29,070 S2: and in Getty's, just ten miles away from Masada. Now, 147 00:08:29,070 --> 00:08:31,590 S2: this new study makes a lot of sense, but it 148 00:08:31,590 --> 00:08:35,400 S2: in no way changes Josephus account of what actually happened 149 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:37,410 S2: during and just after the siege. 150 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:42,120 S1: Fascinating. Well, an Israeli startup called Viaflo has developed a 151 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:46,199 S1: next generation vascular stent to help millions who suffer with 152 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:50,760 S1: painful brain pressure that can cause migraines, tinnitus, and even 153 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:54,720 S1: failing eyesight. Tell us about this life changing innovation from 154 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:56,309 S1: amazing Israel. Sure. 155 00:08:56,340 --> 00:09:00,809 S2: First the details. The disorder has several names, including idiopathic 156 00:09:00,809 --> 00:09:04,530 S2: intracranial hypertension, but it's caused by the narrowing of a 157 00:09:04,530 --> 00:09:07,650 S2: vein that causes the buildup of blood and spinal fluid 158 00:09:07,650 --> 00:09:11,730 S2: in the brain, creating this pressure. The ideal solution is 159 00:09:11,730 --> 00:09:14,580 S2: the insertion of a vascular stent at the point where 160 00:09:14,580 --> 00:09:18,089 S2: the vein narrows. The problem, however, is that the narrowing 161 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:21,929 S2: takes place just above a very sharp curve in the vein. 162 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:26,130 S2: Available stents and the delivery mechanisms for them just aren't 163 00:09:26,130 --> 00:09:30,030 S2: flexible enough to make that turn. V flow solved the 164 00:09:30,030 --> 00:09:34,080 S2: problem by developing a next generation vascular stent called the 165 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:38,459 S2: Veeva Stent that's 20% less rigid. They also developed a 166 00:09:38,460 --> 00:09:41,189 S2: new delivery mechanism that keeps the stent at the back 167 00:09:41,190 --> 00:09:44,310 S2: of the catheter until it is past the problem area 168 00:09:44,309 --> 00:09:47,910 S2: and reach the placement site. The procedure itself takes about 169 00:09:47,910 --> 00:09:51,329 S2: an hour and it's considered safe, minimally invasive and with 170 00:09:51,330 --> 00:09:54,540 S2: a short recovery time. The company is now beginning human 171 00:09:54,540 --> 00:09:57,240 S2: trials in Israel, and then plans to conduct studies in 172 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:00,900 S2: the US to obtain FDA approval. Imagine, John, a breakthrough 173 00:10:00,929 --> 00:10:05,550 S2: treatment that shows great promise in curing chronic headaches and tinnitus, 174 00:10:05,580 --> 00:10:08,790 S2: all developed by Vflo, which happens to be another start 175 00:10:08,790 --> 00:10:10,980 S2: up company in amazing Israel. 176 00:10:10,980 --> 00:10:14,400 S1: And that's a look at current events from the Middle East. Charlie, 177 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,280 S1: I want to circle back to our opening news story, 178 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,160 S1: of course, the war between Israel and Hamas. And you 179 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:24,360 S1: mentioned in that Philadelphi corridor right there at Egypt's border, 180 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:27,929 S1: they had destroyed 180 tunnels. Do they have any sense 181 00:10:27,929 --> 00:10:31,500 S1: of what percentage of the total number of tunnels there 182 00:10:31,530 --> 00:10:32,640 S1: that might be? 183 00:10:32,670 --> 00:10:35,550 S2: Well, one number that's been thrown around is 80%, but 184 00:10:35,550 --> 00:10:38,189 S2: in reality, they don't know what they don't know. That's 185 00:10:38,190 --> 00:10:41,460 S2: just an assumption. But they're still coming across additional tunnels. 186 00:10:41,670 --> 00:10:43,530 S1: Well, coming up on the land of the book of 187 00:10:43,530 --> 00:10:47,880 S1: fascinating conversation, it's lessons from Lot's Wife Life with Tammy Whitehurst. 188 00:10:47,910 --> 00:10:49,530 UU: Stick around for more. 189 00:11:03,630 --> 00:11:06,150 S1: It's one of the most sobering and frankly, one of 190 00:11:06,150 --> 00:11:09,449 S1: the most curious stories in all the Bible. It's the 191 00:11:09,450 --> 00:11:12,599 S1: story of lot and his wife. When commanded to leave 192 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:16,650 S1: their hometown, Sodom, and not turn back, the couple headed out. 193 00:11:16,650 --> 00:11:21,179 S1: But then lot's wife disobeyed. She glanced backward and was 194 00:11:21,179 --> 00:11:24,540 S1: instantly turned into a pillar of salt. Now, what is 195 00:11:24,540 --> 00:11:28,079 S1: it that God wants us to learn from this ancient tragedy? 196 00:11:28,110 --> 00:11:31,350 S1: Is it possible lot's wife has something to say to 197 00:11:31,380 --> 00:11:35,430 S1: us today? Welcome to the land and the book. I'm 198 00:11:35,429 --> 00:11:38,010 S1: John Gager. Before we get to today's guest, why don't 199 00:11:38,010 --> 00:11:39,450 S1: we check in with an idea on how you and 200 00:11:39,450 --> 00:11:42,660 S1: I can share our faith, our Jesus, more effectively with 201 00:11:42,660 --> 00:11:46,500 S1: somebody from a Jewish background. Helping you help your Jewish 202 00:11:46,500 --> 00:11:50,100 S1: friend find Yeshua in the Old Testament. That's our challenge. 203 00:11:50,100 --> 00:11:52,470 S1: As we sit down with Michael Riedel, general editor of 204 00:11:52,470 --> 00:11:55,140 S1: the Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. Where would you take us? 205 00:11:55,170 --> 00:11:57,630 S3: I would say, you know, so often people say Jesus 206 00:11:57,630 --> 00:12:01,200 S3: was some sort of victim. No, this was a choice 207 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:04,680 S3: that the Hebrew prophets said he would make to suffer 208 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:08,490 S3: for us. It says in Isaiah 50, when it talks 209 00:12:08,490 --> 00:12:11,790 S3: about the suffering servant, it's a first person kind of statement, 210 00:12:11,820 --> 00:12:14,040 S3: a poem written in the first person. He says. I 211 00:12:14,070 --> 00:12:16,800 S3: gave my back to those who beat me and my 212 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,680 S3: cheeks to those who tore out my beard. I did 213 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:24,510 S3: not hide my face from scorn and spitting. Isaiah 50, 214 00:12:24,540 --> 00:12:28,230 S3: verse six. What he is saying is, I willingly suffered. 215 00:12:28,230 --> 00:12:31,290 S3: I did not go to the cross as a victim. 216 00:12:31,290 --> 00:12:34,680 S3: It was my choice. That's what the Lord Jesus taught. 217 00:12:34,710 --> 00:12:37,770 S3: No man takes my life, but I lay it down willingly. 218 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,830 S3: He gave himself for us because it was his choice. 219 00:12:40,830 --> 00:12:43,290 S3: He was not a victim of oppression. He was one 220 00:12:43,290 --> 00:12:46,590 S3: who chose. He could have called those angels to deliver him, 221 00:12:46,590 --> 00:12:48,420 S3: but he chose to die for us. 222 00:12:48,450 --> 00:12:51,090 S1: Our thanks to Michael Riedel, professor of Jewish studies here 223 00:12:51,090 --> 00:12:53,520 S1: at the Moody Bible Institute, joining us on the land 224 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:58,230 S1: and the book. Tammy Whitehurst is a speaker and writer 225 00:12:58,230 --> 00:13:02,099 S1: who loves people, particularly women who laugh. She's one of 226 00:13:02,100 --> 00:13:06,540 S1: them herself. She describes herself as Texas raised, Jesus saved, 227 00:13:06,540 --> 00:13:10,650 S1: and loving all things Chita. Tammy speaks at events around 228 00:13:10,650 --> 00:13:13,770 S1: the country. She's no stranger to our broadcast, so it's 229 00:13:13,770 --> 00:13:15,930 S1: a pleasure to welcome you back, Tammy, to our studio 230 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:17,640 S1: here at The Land and the book. 231 00:13:17,670 --> 00:13:19,950 S4: John, it's so good to be here again. 232 00:13:19,950 --> 00:13:21,449 S1: And good to have your husband with you, too. 233 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:24,420 S4: Yes, yes. Thank you for letting us come back. 234 00:13:24,450 --> 00:13:26,640 S1: Well, for somebody who has never heard the story, I 235 00:13:26,670 --> 00:13:28,739 S1: summarized it a moment ago, but maybe they're just a 236 00:13:28,740 --> 00:13:32,429 S1: bit rusty on their Old Testament history. Give us the 237 00:13:32,429 --> 00:13:35,160 S1: outline of this rather unusual incident. 238 00:13:35,190 --> 00:13:39,390 S4: I like to say it's about looking forward. The struggle 239 00:13:39,390 --> 00:13:42,420 S4: is real, whether it's what we're doing today or what 240 00:13:42,450 --> 00:13:44,820 S4: Lot's wife. And by the way, we do not know 241 00:13:44,820 --> 00:13:48,270 S4: her name. John. Yeah, we know her as lot's wife. 242 00:13:48,270 --> 00:13:54,570 S4: And Jesus referenced her and said, remember lot's wife. So 243 00:13:54,570 --> 00:13:57,630 S4: there's something there that we probably need to think about, 244 00:13:57,660 --> 00:13:58,410 S4: don't you think? 245 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:00,900 S1: I think so, but I think, you know, you can't 246 00:14:00,900 --> 00:14:03,420 S1: help but have a little bit of pity on her 247 00:14:03,420 --> 00:14:06,360 S1: for all the drama that was going on behind her. 248 00:14:06,390 --> 00:14:10,050 S1: It seems to me natural human curiosity would be hard 249 00:14:10,050 --> 00:14:12,570 S1: to stifle. It would be hard to not look back. 250 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:14,579 S4: It would be hard to not look back. And how 251 00:14:14,580 --> 00:14:17,579 S4: many times do we even do it ourselves? Because when 252 00:14:17,580 --> 00:14:23,340 S4: those two angels came after them, essentially to rescue them 253 00:14:23,340 --> 00:14:28,860 S4: from what they were in instead, as they are running, 254 00:14:28,890 --> 00:14:31,470 S4: she turns to look back. And how many times do 255 00:14:31,470 --> 00:14:35,700 S4: we do that? Even today, when God comes to rescue 256 00:14:35,730 --> 00:14:41,010 S4: us from what we are in, that can be many things. 257 00:14:41,010 --> 00:14:44,110 S4: But whatever. We've got ourselves stuck in a rut with 258 00:14:44,110 --> 00:14:47,200 S4: and we've gotten too comfortable in, and he wants to 259 00:14:47,230 --> 00:14:51,640 S4: change our scenery to move us forward, but it requires 260 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:55,479 S4: that we have to leave one thing so that he 261 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,420 S4: can move us into another area. That's a hard thing 262 00:14:58,420 --> 00:15:00,730 S4: for people to do, you know, change is hard. And 263 00:15:00,730 --> 00:15:04,300 S4: I have gotten to where I stopped judging lot's wife 264 00:15:04,300 --> 00:15:07,810 S4: now because how often have I done the same thing? 265 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:10,600 S1: You know, the thing is, what she left may have 266 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:13,810 S1: been familiar, but it certainly wasn't holy. That was a 267 00:15:13,810 --> 00:15:16,630 S1: pretty nasty town, but it was comfortable. It's what she. 268 00:15:16,630 --> 00:15:17,590 S4: Knew. That's right. 269 00:15:17,590 --> 00:15:19,720 S1: And you know. So if I could play the other 270 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,510 S1: side of things, you know, why wouldn't she want to 271 00:15:22,510 --> 00:15:24,400 S1: be led by the hand? Why wouldn't she get out 272 00:15:24,430 --> 00:15:27,250 S1: of that? Does that speak to her character in some way? 273 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:28,570 S1: I mean, I want to be too harsh here. We 274 00:15:28,570 --> 00:15:30,910 S1: don't really know, but. But what about that? I mean, 275 00:15:30,940 --> 00:15:33,130 S1: shouldn't she have been glad to leave all that you. 276 00:15:33,130 --> 00:15:36,970 S4: Would think that she would have? But maybe she looked back, John, 277 00:15:36,970 --> 00:15:39,310 S4: because it doesn't really tell us why she looked back. 278 00:15:39,490 --> 00:15:43,330 S4: So maybe she looked back because she was yearning for 279 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:47,380 S4: a friend. Maybe that one friend who did support her 280 00:15:47,380 --> 00:15:49,900 S4: whenever they were talking about how bad that place was, 281 00:15:49,900 --> 00:15:52,090 S4: because that place was bad, where they were at. We're 282 00:15:52,090 --> 00:15:55,810 S4: talking about Sodom here. Yes. Or maybe she looked back 283 00:15:55,810 --> 00:16:00,010 S4: for what we often judge her for. For the wealth 284 00:16:00,010 --> 00:16:04,120 S4: that they had, for the stuff that she had, and 285 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,420 S4: she didn't know which direction she was going forward. Maybe 286 00:16:07,420 --> 00:16:12,400 S4: she looked back at the good memories that she had there, 287 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:16,270 S4: because oftentimes, even when we're in the midst of awful 288 00:16:16,270 --> 00:16:20,230 S4: and bad. The good memory that we have will make 289 00:16:20,260 --> 00:16:25,480 S4: us stay there, even though the bad memories are far worse. Yeah. 290 00:16:25,510 --> 00:16:28,900 S1: Well, they say this about children of abusive parents. You know, 291 00:16:28,930 --> 00:16:31,750 S1: that's still my mom. That's still my dad. Even though 292 00:16:31,750 --> 00:16:34,780 S1: the home, the situation, the circumstances are horrid. I want 293 00:16:34,810 --> 00:16:36,730 S1: to take you to a comment I've heard you make 294 00:16:36,730 --> 00:16:39,670 S1: before about the story of lot's wife. Jesus tells us 295 00:16:39,670 --> 00:16:43,780 S1: the name of one woman to remember, and he certainly 296 00:16:43,780 --> 00:16:48,340 S1: encountered his share of humans, men and women. Only one, though, 297 00:16:48,370 --> 00:16:50,710 S1: does he say you need to remember her. Lot's wife. 298 00:16:50,740 --> 00:16:52,780 S1: Why do you think, Tammy? He would single her out. 299 00:16:52,810 --> 00:16:55,810 S1: He could have mentioned many, but he only mentioned her. 300 00:16:55,870 --> 00:16:58,990 S4: That is such a good question. And I don't know 301 00:16:58,990 --> 00:17:01,359 S4: why he would only say her. Because there's a lot 302 00:17:01,390 --> 00:17:03,730 S4: of people in the Bible, women wise, that we don't 303 00:17:03,730 --> 00:17:06,550 S4: know their first name. We just know them as so-and-so's wife. 304 00:17:06,580 --> 00:17:09,280 S4: But he says, remember her. I'm going to use it 305 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,310 S4: in this. If we're making this relevant to today, I'm 306 00:17:12,310 --> 00:17:14,530 S4: going to use it in this standpoint as a woman. 307 00:17:14,530 --> 00:17:18,399 S4: Maybe I'm supposed to remember lot's wife. Maybe women in 308 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:21,700 S4: general are supposed to remember lot's wife, because let's use 309 00:17:21,700 --> 00:17:25,330 S4: it in the context of marriage. John, let me go there. 310 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,990 S4: When it comes to marriage, you know, forgiveness is something 311 00:17:28,990 --> 00:17:34,810 S4: that when we forgive, we leave it behind us. Correct? Yep. 312 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:37,750 S4: And we're supposed to go forward. We leave it behind. 313 00:17:37,810 --> 00:17:41,650 S4: What is buried should stay buried. It's gone. It's done. 314 00:17:41,650 --> 00:17:44,800 S4: And so often. And I hear this as a woman 315 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:48,490 S4: in ministry, so often everything's going good. There's been something 316 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:51,820 S4: terrible happen in a marriage, and they're marching forward. They're 317 00:17:51,820 --> 00:17:55,060 S4: going forward. Everything's good. And all of a sudden an 318 00:17:55,060 --> 00:18:00,220 S4: argument begins to happen, and suddenly that woman may go 319 00:18:00,220 --> 00:18:04,240 S4: back into the past. God says, don't turn back. Maybe 320 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:08,260 S4: that's why. Don't turn back. But she turns back. She 321 00:18:08,260 --> 00:18:11,500 S4: goes back. She digs something up from the past that 322 00:18:11,500 --> 00:18:15,850 S4: was supposedly forgotten, forgiven. And yet she takes her sand 323 00:18:15,850 --> 00:18:19,120 S4: pail and her little shovel. And she digs up that 324 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:22,990 S4: dirt all again. And just splats it in the face 325 00:18:22,990 --> 00:18:27,580 S4: of the husband and forces them to remember that spot again, 326 00:18:27,580 --> 00:18:31,480 S4: even though they were supposed to be moving forward in life. 327 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:34,149 S4: And so what happens there? All of a sudden? He 328 00:18:34,150 --> 00:18:40,419 S4: goes back, she goes back and everything becomes disastrous. That's 329 00:18:40,420 --> 00:18:44,350 S4: how I would put it relevant to today's world as well. 330 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:47,680 S1: Tammy Whitehurst is helping us look at lessons from lot's 331 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,440 S1: wife here on the land and the book. She speaks 332 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:53,320 S1: at events around the country. You know, the dark side 333 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:55,750 S1: of this story really is very much part of our 334 00:18:55,750 --> 00:18:58,480 S1: story as well, in some way. Disobedience. I mean, we 335 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:00,910 S1: all struggle with it. What is the story of lot's wife? 336 00:19:00,940 --> 00:19:04,720 S1: Tell us about the seriousness that God attaches to his 337 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:08,290 S1: commands and the certainty of consequences for us today. 338 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:12,190 S4: God tells us in Isaiah, forget the former things. Don't 339 00:19:12,190 --> 00:19:16,030 S4: dwell on the past, that he is doing a new thing. 340 00:19:16,060 --> 00:19:18,580 S4: Are we going to let him do a new thing? 341 00:19:18,580 --> 00:19:22,629 S4: The new thing is so much better than the old thing. 342 00:19:22,869 --> 00:19:26,260 S4: But do we have enough confidence to move forward with 343 00:19:26,260 --> 00:19:30,070 S4: the Lord? Because clinging to a familiar world is comfortable 344 00:19:30,070 --> 00:19:34,300 S4: clinging with bloody fingernails to what we know what we're 345 00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:39,610 S4: comfortable with is so much easier. But when we trust God, 346 00:19:39,609 --> 00:19:44,500 S4: we obey God. Obedience. Then we move forward. You know, 347 00:19:44,500 --> 00:19:47,800 S4: there's a song we've sung and it's also John, a scripture. 348 00:19:47,830 --> 00:19:51,609 S4: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days 349 00:19:51,609 --> 00:19:55,209 S4: of my life. The key word there, John, is follow. 350 00:19:55,450 --> 00:19:59,379 S4: How can goodness and mercy follow us if we don't 351 00:19:59,380 --> 00:20:02,500 S4: have the faith to move forward so that it can? 352 00:20:02,530 --> 00:20:03,040 S5: Yeah. 353 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:06,730 S1: Well said. The concept of surrender was at the heart 354 00:20:06,730 --> 00:20:09,910 S1: of God's call to lot and his wife. Surrender their towns, 355 00:20:09,940 --> 00:20:12,670 S1: surrender their possessions, surrender their attachment to that place, that 356 00:20:12,670 --> 00:20:15,460 S1: awful city. But at least it was home to them. 357 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,640 S1: What about us today? Our need to surrender. Any thoughts 358 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:19,210 S1: on that? 359 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:23,680 S4: Surrender is a hard word. And yes, what God was 360 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:26,649 S4: calling her to do was to surrender, to let it 361 00:20:26,650 --> 00:20:29,800 S4: all go. And so many of us, we get headed 362 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:32,979 S4: in the right direction. We surrender, we get headed in 363 00:20:32,980 --> 00:20:36,940 S4: the right direction, and then we turn back. And that's 364 00:20:36,940 --> 00:20:40,960 S4: where we mess up every single time. Even though so 365 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:45,969 S4: often we know that going back is not good for us. 366 00:20:46,180 --> 00:20:50,740 S4: That taking everything that we surrendered to the Lord is 367 00:20:50,740 --> 00:20:55,510 S4: taking on more problems. It's taking on everything that we 368 00:20:55,510 --> 00:20:59,110 S4: wanted to let go of. And I know that. What 369 00:20:59,109 --> 00:21:06,129 S4: causes that? Fear. Fear causes us to disobey. And pride 370 00:21:06,130 --> 00:21:09,970 S4: causes us to disobey. But fear will cause us to 371 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,960 S4: stay stuck in a rut. To stay stuck where we 372 00:21:13,990 --> 00:21:18,220 S4: don't need to be. Even though the Lord says to 373 00:21:18,250 --> 00:21:22,000 S4: go forward. You know, when he talks about running the race, 374 00:21:22,030 --> 00:21:25,750 S4: a race is running a forward motion. Lot's wife didn't 375 00:21:25,750 --> 00:21:27,909 S4: run forward. She looked back. Yeah. Just to. 376 00:21:27,940 --> 00:21:30,879 S1: Jump in on that very passage, forgetting that which. 377 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:33,490 S5: Lies behind. Pressing on Yes. Forward? 378 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:38,590 S4: Yes. So do we doubt, John, that God has something 379 00:21:38,590 --> 00:21:41,500 S4: bigger and better for us? Is that is that what 380 00:21:41,500 --> 00:21:43,960 S4: we do? Sometimes I think we do. I think. 381 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:46,510 S1: We do. Tammy Whitehurst is a speaker and writer who 382 00:21:46,510 --> 00:21:50,530 S1: loves people, describes herself as Texas raised, Jesus saved, and 383 00:21:50,530 --> 00:21:54,520 S1: loving all things cheetah. We're exploring the life and unusual 384 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:58,420 S1: end of Lot's Wife, a story that originates in Genesis 19. 385 00:21:58,420 --> 00:22:00,700 S1: Check it out for yourself. You know, Tammy, it seems 386 00:22:00,700 --> 00:22:03,609 S1: to me the tragedy of lot's wife. Her story is 387 00:22:03,609 --> 00:22:05,980 S1: that there didn't need to be a tragedy. I mean, 388 00:22:06,010 --> 00:22:08,710 S1: she was headed in the right direction. It's almost like 389 00:22:08,710 --> 00:22:12,129 S1: slo mo video, you know, you're watching the replay. No, no. 390 00:22:12,130 --> 00:22:14,140 S1: You want to shout at the screen, don't do that. 391 00:22:14,140 --> 00:22:17,140 S1: But she did do that. She disobeyed. What about us? 392 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:22,030 S4: God wants to deliver us from what we came from 393 00:22:22,030 --> 00:22:24,430 S4: to where he wants to take us to. And when 394 00:22:24,430 --> 00:22:28,090 S4: you look at lot's wife, she died without ever entering 395 00:22:28,090 --> 00:22:32,800 S4: her deliverance. The Israelite generation that complained in the wilderness, 396 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:37,120 S4: and they died shy of the promised land. They missed 397 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:42,370 S4: their deliverance. We don't want to miss the land that 398 00:22:42,369 --> 00:22:46,600 S4: God is trying to get us into, because we're so 399 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:53,379 S4: doubtful and defiant and stubborn and stuck in the world 400 00:22:53,380 --> 00:22:57,460 S4: that we're in right now. But most of all, when 401 00:22:57,460 --> 00:23:02,409 S4: I think about lot's wife keeping our eyes in a 402 00:23:02,410 --> 00:23:08,919 S4: forward direction, John requires faith, boldness. It requires strength, it 403 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:13,030 S4: requires courage. And in order to have all of those, 404 00:23:13,030 --> 00:23:16,660 S4: we have to stay in God's Word. Yeah. 405 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:17,350 S5: You know. 406 00:23:17,380 --> 00:23:20,260 S1: Here's an unusual question. If we could somehow find that 407 00:23:20,260 --> 00:23:24,280 S1: very pillar of salt that was once lot's wife, the 408 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:26,649 S1: one she turned into. And if God was somehow willing 409 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,649 S1: to give that pillar of salt, that is lot's wife 410 00:23:29,670 --> 00:23:32,280 S1: speech for just a minute. What do you think she 411 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:33,630 S1: would say to us today? 412 00:23:33,810 --> 00:23:37,770 S4: I think she would say, God cares more about where 413 00:23:37,770 --> 00:23:40,620 S4: he's taking you than where you've been. 414 00:23:40,980 --> 00:23:41,370 S5: That's well. 415 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:44,370 S1: Said. Stepping out, walking in faith. You know, all these 416 00:23:44,369 --> 00:23:47,910 S1: things sound good. It's what zillions of Christian books are 417 00:23:47,910 --> 00:23:51,180 S1: all about. But doing that is different than reading about 418 00:23:51,180 --> 00:23:53,550 S1: it or hearing about it from your lips or my lips. 419 00:23:53,550 --> 00:23:55,800 S1: Help us out here, Tammy. What's a practical handle we 420 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:56,730 S1: can put on this? 421 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,669 S4: Well, the thing is, whenever we stop and we ask ourselves, 422 00:23:59,670 --> 00:24:01,919 S4: how am I going to pay the bills? What am 423 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:05,969 S4: I going to do? I don't know how to start over. Mm. 424 00:24:06,300 --> 00:24:12,090 S4: The way that we start again is to first of all, 425 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,439 S4: we have to pray. As Christians, prayer is so important 426 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:19,710 S4: and we don't utilize it enough. So we have to pray. 427 00:24:19,740 --> 00:24:24,119 S4: We have to seek wise counsel. Now notice that I 428 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:28,470 S4: said wise counsel because there's a whole lot of counsel 429 00:24:28,470 --> 00:24:31,640 S4: out there, and some of it is far from wise. 430 00:24:32,030 --> 00:24:36,649 S4: And then we have to believe that God knows better 431 00:24:36,650 --> 00:24:40,250 S4: for us than we know for ourselves. And I know 432 00:24:40,250 --> 00:24:43,640 S4: for myself, in some times, whenever it was more comfortable 433 00:24:43,670 --> 00:24:46,129 S4: to stay stuck than it was to get out of 434 00:24:46,130 --> 00:24:49,010 S4: the rut. I know that there are days whenever I 435 00:24:49,010 --> 00:24:52,400 S4: would pray, God, I just need to see a glimmer 436 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:56,240 S4: of you today. I need to know that wherever I'm at, 437 00:24:56,240 --> 00:25:00,290 S4: you're near. I need to know that you hear all 438 00:25:00,290 --> 00:25:03,830 S4: of what I'm going through right now, Lord. And I'm 439 00:25:03,830 --> 00:25:05,449 S4: going to tell you when I reach out to the 440 00:25:05,450 --> 00:25:08,540 S4: Lord like that, John, either somebody's going to come up 441 00:25:08,540 --> 00:25:10,730 S4: to me and they're going to say something that was 442 00:25:10,730 --> 00:25:13,369 S4: spot on, or there's going to be a song on 443 00:25:13,369 --> 00:25:16,220 S4: the radio. That is exactly what I need to hear. 444 00:25:16,250 --> 00:25:19,070 S4: Or there's going to be an email. There's going to 445 00:25:19,070 --> 00:25:22,400 S4: be a text. The thing is, in this world that 446 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:26,270 S4: seems so discouraging, God is using a whole lot of 447 00:25:26,270 --> 00:25:30,650 S4: people to get our attention. But are we listening? Are 448 00:25:30,650 --> 00:25:34,610 S4: we watching? Are we hearing whenever he puts them right 449 00:25:34,609 --> 00:25:35,780 S4: in front of us? 450 00:25:35,810 --> 00:25:39,080 S1: That's Tammy Whitehurst and a link to her website at ours. 451 00:25:39,109 --> 00:25:43,010 S1: The land and the book.org. Maybe you'd like to share 452 00:25:43,010 --> 00:25:47,030 S1: this encouraging conversation with a friend about lessons from lot's wife. 453 00:25:47,030 --> 00:25:50,390 S1: It's there at the land and the book.org. Up next, 454 00:25:50,390 --> 00:25:52,730 S1: our friend Charlie Dyer with answers to more of your 455 00:25:52,730 --> 00:26:07,129 S1: questions right here on the land and the book. If 456 00:26:07,130 --> 00:26:10,430 S1: you're a regular, you know what's next. It's questions and answers. 457 00:26:10,460 --> 00:26:13,129 S1: They aren't our questions. They're yours. That's what makes it 458 00:26:13,130 --> 00:26:16,700 S1: so cool, I think, because everybody's wondering about something slightly 459 00:26:16,700 --> 00:26:18,950 S1: different from the person next to them as they open 460 00:26:18,950 --> 00:26:22,159 S1: their copy of the scriptures or ponder prophetic events. And 461 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:24,530 S1: this is where it all comes together here on the land. 462 00:26:24,530 --> 00:26:27,240 S1: And the book with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm 463 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,300 S1: John Gager and Charlie, I'm thinking fall is here again. 464 00:26:30,300 --> 00:26:33,600 S1: And that means the Jewish High Holidays are right around 465 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:37,350 S1: the corner. These biblical feasts have been celebrated for thousands 466 00:26:37,350 --> 00:26:40,830 S1: of years, but this year has added weight and significance 467 00:26:40,830 --> 00:26:44,070 S1: as Jewish people around the world mark one year since 468 00:26:44,070 --> 00:26:46,949 S1: the brutal attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists. 469 00:26:46,980 --> 00:26:48,989 S2: Yeah, John. And that's why our friends at Life and 470 00:26:48,990 --> 00:26:51,780 S2: Messiah want to help you learn more about the fall feasts, 471 00:26:51,780 --> 00:26:54,600 S2: the significance they have for us as believers in Jesus, 472 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,630 S2: and how to stand with Jewish people during this time. 473 00:26:57,630 --> 00:27:01,379 S2: They're offering a live zoom teaching session where their knowledgeable 474 00:27:01,380 --> 00:27:04,680 S2: field staff will walk you through the history and significance 475 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,410 S2: of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and 476 00:27:07,410 --> 00:27:10,380 S2: the Feast of Tabernacles. You'll also hear how you can 477 00:27:10,380 --> 00:27:13,110 S2: use these holidays as a point of connection with your 478 00:27:13,109 --> 00:27:16,050 S2: Jewish friends and neighbors, to show and share the love 479 00:27:16,050 --> 00:27:18,570 S2: of Jesus with them. Now to sign up for this 480 00:27:18,570 --> 00:27:21,030 S2: free teaching. All you have to do is visit Life 481 00:27:21,060 --> 00:27:24,120 S2: in Messiah. Org. Click on the Moody Radio logo and 482 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:27,139 S2: sign up. Be sure to sign up today to discover 483 00:27:27,140 --> 00:27:31,550 S2: the fascinating connections between these feasts and Jesus at Life 484 00:27:31,550 --> 00:27:33,140 S2: in messiah.org. 485 00:27:33,350 --> 00:27:36,500 S1: Lots of questions to get to today. We'll start with Brian's. 486 00:27:36,500 --> 00:27:39,680 S1: He says in Matthew 27, 52 and 53. We're told 487 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:42,740 S1: of saints who were raised at the time of Jesus 488 00:27:42,740 --> 00:27:46,879 S1: crucifixion and appeared to many following his resurrection. But we 489 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:49,730 S1: have no mention of these saints elsewhere in Scripture. So 490 00:27:49,730 --> 00:27:52,550 S1: who exactly were they and why were they raised? 491 00:27:52,580 --> 00:27:54,770 S2: Yeah, and you're right. Matthew is the only gospel who 492 00:27:54,770 --> 00:27:58,010 S2: records this event. Now, he was writing to a Jewish audience, 493 00:27:58,010 --> 00:28:00,050 S2: and he felt it was important to them to know 494 00:28:00,050 --> 00:28:02,810 S2: about this group of individuals. So I start by asking 495 00:28:02,810 --> 00:28:06,560 S2: myself two questions, though. First, was this a physical resuscitation? 496 00:28:06,770 --> 00:28:09,920 S2: Like Jairus daughter, the widow of Nain, son and Lazarus? 497 00:28:09,950 --> 00:28:13,340 S2: Or is Matthew saying these people were actually resurrected in 498 00:28:13,340 --> 00:28:17,300 S2: glorified bodies like Jesus? And second, the second question were 499 00:28:17,300 --> 00:28:19,790 S2: they raised at the time of Jesus's crucifixion on Good 500 00:28:19,790 --> 00:28:23,270 S2: Friday or at the time of his resurrection on Easter Sunday? 501 00:28:23,300 --> 00:28:26,210 S2: Now we know Jesus was the first truly to rise 502 00:28:26,210 --> 00:28:29,660 S2: from the dead in a glorified body. All other resurrections 503 00:28:29,660 --> 00:28:33,199 S2: prior to that were actually just resuscitations. And those people 504 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:36,590 S2: raised back to life like Lazarus eventually died again. That's 505 00:28:36,590 --> 00:28:40,010 S2: why I think Matthew is describing an actual resurrection. The 506 00:28:40,010 --> 00:28:43,370 S2: tombs were violently shaken open by an earthquake on Friday, 507 00:28:43,370 --> 00:28:46,940 S2: but those people inside didn't come out until Sunday. Now, 508 00:28:46,940 --> 00:28:50,360 S2: Matthew is expecting his readers to understand the relationship between 509 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:54,620 S2: Jesus and the Jewish spring feasts. Jesus was the Passover 510 00:28:54,620 --> 00:28:56,930 S2: lamb slain for the sins of the world, and that's 511 00:28:56,930 --> 00:29:00,320 S2: why he was crucified at Passover. His resurrection took place 512 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,050 S2: on Sunday because he was the fulfillment of the festival 513 00:29:03,050 --> 00:29:06,680 S2: of firstfruits. Leviticus 23 says that took place the day 514 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:10,430 S2: after the Sabbath of Passover. That is the Sunday after Passover. 515 00:29:10,430 --> 00:29:13,490 S2: And Paul says, Jesus was the first fruits of those 516 00:29:13,490 --> 00:29:16,730 S2: who fallen asleep in first Corinthians 15. So who were 517 00:29:16,730 --> 00:29:19,970 S2: these Old Testament saints who were resurrected that same day? 518 00:29:20,090 --> 00:29:22,280 S2: They must have been part of the firstfruits with Jesus 519 00:29:22,310 --> 00:29:25,490 S2: following him out of their graves in resurrected bodies. I 520 00:29:25,490 --> 00:29:28,370 S2: assume they then ascended to heaven, probably when Jesus did 521 00:29:28,370 --> 00:29:31,760 S2: 40 days later. They were additional witnesses during that 40 522 00:29:31,790 --> 00:29:34,940 S2: day period to the Jewish people in Jerusalem of the 523 00:29:34,940 --> 00:29:37,760 S2: resurrection of the Messiah. Now, there's no other reference in 524 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:41,150 S2: Scripture or historically to this event. That's another reason, I 525 00:29:41,150 --> 00:29:43,910 S2: think it was probably a local event that would have 526 00:29:43,910 --> 00:29:48,140 S2: been familiar to Matthew's Jewish audience, but not widely known otherwise. 527 00:29:48,140 --> 00:29:50,750 S1: Frederick says, thank you for the time and energy you 528 00:29:50,750 --> 00:29:54,020 S1: put into the land and the book radio broadcast. And 529 00:29:54,020 --> 00:29:56,360 S1: he asks, do you think they could date the Shroud 530 00:29:56,390 --> 00:29:58,820 S1: of Turin? That would be great to know the exact 531 00:29:58,820 --> 00:30:01,610 S1: time Yeshua went back to the father. Thoughts? 532 00:30:01,670 --> 00:30:04,640 S2: Yeah, well, the good news is that carbon 14 testing 533 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:07,730 S2: has been done on the shroud. Unfortunately, it didn't provide 534 00:30:07,730 --> 00:30:10,790 S2: a solid answer for a couple of reasons. First, two 535 00:30:10,790 --> 00:30:15,110 S2: alternative dates ended up being proposed back in 1988. Three 536 00:30:15,110 --> 00:30:18,110 S2: universities tested a small sample, and they dated it from 537 00:30:18,110 --> 00:30:22,020 S2: about A.D. 1260 to 1390. That's about a thousand years 538 00:30:22,020 --> 00:30:24,690 S2: or more after the time of Jesus. Now, if those 539 00:30:24,690 --> 00:30:27,210 S2: dates are correct, then the shroud would be a forgery 540 00:30:27,210 --> 00:30:30,900 S2: from the Middle Ages. However, another university tested the same 541 00:30:30,900 --> 00:30:33,930 S2: sample in 2013, and they came up with a date 542 00:30:33,930 --> 00:30:37,739 S2: between 300 B.C. and A.D. 400. And that places the 543 00:30:37,740 --> 00:30:40,590 S2: cloth somewhere in the general time period of Jesus. But 544 00:30:40,620 --> 00:30:43,380 S2: those two dates are pretty far apart. Now, the second problem, though, 545 00:30:43,380 --> 00:30:45,810 S2: is neither option is able to date the shroud to 546 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:49,170 S2: a precise year, let alone a specific day or month. 547 00:30:49,170 --> 00:30:52,200 S2: So even if that second test is correct, it still 548 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:56,160 S2: doesn't help date the exact time of the crucifixion or resurrection. 549 00:30:56,190 --> 00:30:59,790 S2: Carbon 14 dating just isn't that precise, but not all 550 00:30:59,790 --> 00:31:02,670 S2: is lost. We have solid information in the Bible that 551 00:31:02,670 --> 00:31:06,360 S2: I think can help us date very precisely the year, month, 552 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:09,150 S2: and day. Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead. 553 00:31:09,180 --> 00:31:12,000 S2: Now I had a seminary professor. His name was Harold Hoehner, 554 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,220 S2: who wrote a series of articles that became a book 555 00:31:14,250 --> 00:31:18,420 S2: titled Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ. And while 556 00:31:18,420 --> 00:31:20,460 S2: not everyone agrees with his work. I think he did 557 00:31:20,460 --> 00:31:24,030 S2: a masterful job in pulling everything together, and I believe 558 00:31:24,060 --> 00:31:29,250 S2: proves sufficiently that the crucifixion was Friday, April 3rd, A.D. 33. 559 00:31:29,250 --> 00:31:32,460 S2: And what I'd suggest is look online to find that book, 560 00:31:32,460 --> 00:31:35,880 S2: but its chronological aspects of the life of Christ. Harold 561 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:39,150 S2: Hoehner and you'll find some great information in there. 562 00:31:39,180 --> 00:31:42,690 S1: It's the land and the book from Moody Radio. Interesting question. 563 00:31:42,690 --> 00:31:46,770 S1: Now from Val, her comment I oppose circumcision, as far 564 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:51,630 S1: as I can tell. Circumcision was instituted about 2067 BC. 565 00:31:51,780 --> 00:31:54,510 S1: She says it's past time for God to speak again 566 00:31:54,510 --> 00:31:57,180 S1: on this subject. As far as I can tell, Jews 567 00:31:57,180 --> 00:31:59,700 S1: believed that it was okay to fight and argue with God. 568 00:31:59,730 --> 00:32:03,390 S1: Jacob wrestled with Abraham and so on, negotiating about how 569 00:32:03,390 --> 00:32:05,790 S1: many righteous people had to live in the city. There's 570 00:32:05,790 --> 00:32:09,030 S1: much ignorance, especially in the United States, on this subject. 571 00:32:09,030 --> 00:32:11,520 S1: And then she ends. I would have a higher opinion 572 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:16,110 S1: about the broadcast if you all took an anti-circumcision stance. Charlie. 573 00:32:16,140 --> 00:32:19,650 S2: Yeah. And she also sent some links to articles against circumcision, 574 00:32:19,650 --> 00:32:22,680 S2: but unfortunately I can't agree with the reasoning of Val 575 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:24,840 S2: or with the articles that she sent. Now, we do 576 00:32:24,870 --> 00:32:29,040 S2: know circumcision isn't required for believers in this age. Paul 577 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:32,460 S2: made that clear. First Corinthians chapter seven. He said, circumcision 578 00:32:32,460 --> 00:32:36,930 S2: is nothing. Uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. 579 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:39,570 S2: He also said the same thing in Galatians chapter five, 580 00:32:39,570 --> 00:32:43,830 S2: in Galatians chapter six. Clearly, circumcision is not a biblical 581 00:32:43,830 --> 00:32:46,229 S2: mandate for the church age. But now here's where I 582 00:32:46,230 --> 00:32:49,710 S2: believe that Val's arguments fail. First, you claimed it's past 583 00:32:49,740 --> 00:32:51,990 S2: time for God to speak. Well, actually, he did speak 584 00:32:51,990 --> 00:32:54,810 S2: quite clearly on the matter. He's the one who established 585 00:32:54,810 --> 00:32:58,110 S2: circumcision as a sign of his covenant with Abraham. Now, 586 00:32:58,110 --> 00:33:00,090 S2: I'm not going to argue with God and tell him 587 00:33:00,090 --> 00:33:02,610 S2: that he was wrong when he did that. But second, 588 00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:06,120 S2: apart from the religious significance of circumcision, I believe the 589 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,000 S2: medical arguments you provided in the article and those online 590 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:12,120 S2: links are rather weak. In fact, I'd encourage you to 591 00:33:12,150 --> 00:33:14,640 S2: go a couple of places first. There's a book called 592 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:18,330 S2: None of These Diseases by McMillan and find that book. 593 00:33:18,330 --> 00:33:20,040 S2: I remember I read that years ago, but go to 594 00:33:20,070 --> 00:33:23,610 S2: chapters eight and nine has some fascinating medical reasons on 595 00:33:23,610 --> 00:33:27,300 S2: why circumcision is so helpful. The benefits are also supported 596 00:33:27,300 --> 00:33:30,810 S2: by studies published by the National Library of Medicine by 597 00:33:30,810 --> 00:33:35,100 S2: Johns Hopkins Medicine. They're available online. Just Google benefits of 598 00:33:35,100 --> 00:33:39,660 S2: circumcision and you'll find these and other resources. Now, circumcision 599 00:33:39,660 --> 00:33:43,290 S2: is not required by God as a religious obligation during 600 00:33:43,290 --> 00:33:46,980 S2: the current age, certainly for the church. However, studies continue 601 00:33:47,010 --> 00:33:50,070 S2: to show there are medical benefits of circumcision that may 602 00:33:50,070 --> 00:33:52,230 S2: not have been fully understood in the past but are 603 00:33:52,230 --> 00:33:55,530 S2: clearly seen today. It's a good practice medically, even if 604 00:33:55,530 --> 00:33:58,500 S2: it's not a religious requirement for believers today. 605 00:33:58,740 --> 00:34:02,340 S1: Dan writes in Ephesians three one through 13. Why did 606 00:34:02,340 --> 00:34:05,820 S1: God choose to keep his plan of redemption a secret? 607 00:34:06,150 --> 00:34:07,830 S2: I think the answer is that it's not the plan 608 00:34:07,830 --> 00:34:10,500 S2: of redemption or salvation that was kept secret, but the 609 00:34:10,500 --> 00:34:14,040 S2: reality that the Jews and Gentiles would be joined together 610 00:34:14,100 --> 00:34:16,839 S2: in the sharing of that blessing of salvation in the 611 00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:19,330 S2: one body, the church. Now here's how I come to that. 612 00:34:19,330 --> 00:34:22,030 S2: In that Ephesians three passage in verse five, Paul says, 613 00:34:22,030 --> 00:34:25,270 S2: the mystery was not made known to men in other generations, 614 00:34:25,270 --> 00:34:27,610 S2: as it has now been revealed by the spirit to 615 00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:30,640 S2: God's holy apostles and prophets. Now there's a parallel passage 616 00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:34,390 S2: to this. It's Colossians chapter one. And there in verse 26, 617 00:34:34,390 --> 00:34:37,120 S2: Paul calls this the mystery that had been kept hidden 618 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:40,210 S2: for ages and generations, but that is now disclosed to 619 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:43,690 S2: the saints. Now he's saying the mystery was not known earlier. 620 00:34:43,690 --> 00:34:46,180 S2: And then in the Ephesians three passage, Paul goes on 621 00:34:46,180 --> 00:34:49,719 S2: by explaining what the mystery is. He says through the gospel, 622 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:53,140 S2: the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of 623 00:34:53,140 --> 00:34:56,740 S2: one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. 624 00:34:56,770 --> 00:34:59,739 S2: So the mystery there, he says, has three parts. Gentiles 625 00:34:59,739 --> 00:35:02,920 S2: and Jews are now heirs together, members of the same body. 626 00:35:02,950 --> 00:35:06,700 S2: We're sharing together in that same promise, God promised blessings 627 00:35:06,700 --> 00:35:09,160 S2: to Israel. They're clearly spelled out in the Old Testament, 628 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:11,830 S2: and so did God. Promise blessings to the Gentiles, like 629 00:35:11,830 --> 00:35:14,640 S2: in Genesis 12 three, where he said, all the nations 630 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:16,890 S2: of the earth would be blessed through Abraham. But the 631 00:35:16,890 --> 00:35:20,279 S2: hidden mystery in Ephesians was the relationship between the church 632 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:24,029 S2: and Israel, or between Gentiles and Jews in this current age, 633 00:35:24,030 --> 00:35:27,480 S2: as we share together God's blessings. That's the mystery that 634 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:29,400 S2: hadn't been previously revealed. 635 00:35:29,430 --> 00:35:32,670 S1: Last question of the day. At the end of Isaiah 53, 636 00:35:32,700 --> 00:35:36,090 S1: it says, yet he bore the sin of many and 637 00:35:36,090 --> 00:35:39,390 S1: made intercession for the transgressors. Would this mean that Christ 638 00:35:39,390 --> 00:35:42,030 S1: died for only the elect and not for all the 639 00:35:42,030 --> 00:35:43,230 S1: sins of mankind? 640 00:35:43,260 --> 00:35:45,989 S2: Yeah. And actually I interpret that statement in verses 11 641 00:35:46,020 --> 00:35:47,969 S2: and 12, in light of what was said earlier in 642 00:35:47,969 --> 00:35:51,060 S2: verse six. He said, we all, like sheep have gone astray. 643 00:35:51,090 --> 00:35:53,160 S2: Each of us has turned to his own way, and 644 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:56,009 S2: the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Well, 645 00:35:56,010 --> 00:35:58,770 S2: the word for all coal is used twice in that verse. 646 00:35:58,770 --> 00:36:01,469 S2: We've all gone astray, and God laid on him the 647 00:36:01,469 --> 00:36:05,549 S2: iniquity of us all. The universality of sin is matched 648 00:36:05,550 --> 00:36:09,390 S2: by the universal sacrifice of the substitute provided by God. 649 00:36:09,390 --> 00:36:11,790 S2: So in light of that clear statement, I think what 650 00:36:11,790 --> 00:36:14,370 S2: we need to do is recognize recognized that Christ's death 651 00:36:14,370 --> 00:36:17,700 S2: is sufficient for all. Christ died for every one who 652 00:36:17,730 --> 00:36:20,070 S2: went astray, meaning he died for all. 653 00:36:20,070 --> 00:36:21,719 S1: And that's a look at some of the questions that 654 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:24,569 S1: have come in to us via email. And yours is welcome. 655 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,779 S1: Of course, anytime you can connect with us at The 656 00:36:27,780 --> 00:36:35,370 S1: Land and the book@moody.edu, that's the land and the book@moody.edu. 657 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:36,989 S1: We'll get back to you with a personal answer and 658 00:36:36,989 --> 00:36:39,990 S1: a pretty short amount of time. Hey, Charlie's devotional is next. 659 00:36:39,989 --> 00:36:41,670 S1: I'm looking forward to that and hope you stick around 660 00:36:41,670 --> 00:36:57,450 S1: for more on the land and the book. Of life. 661 00:36:57,450 --> 00:37:01,469 S1: It's full of peaks and valleys. I bet you've noticed, right? 662 00:37:01,469 --> 00:37:04,380 S1: Welcome back to the land and the book. I'm John 663 00:37:04,380 --> 00:37:07,470 S1: Gager and some of those valleys and some of those peaks. 664 00:37:07,469 --> 00:37:10,680 S1: They're higher and lower than others. Right. But, Charlie, that 665 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:12,419 S1: has something to do with today's devotional. 666 00:37:12,450 --> 00:37:14,460 S2: It does, John. In fact, today we're going to head 667 00:37:14,460 --> 00:37:17,040 S2: to a rather obscure valley with an important role to 668 00:37:17,070 --> 00:37:18,000 S2: play in the Bible. 669 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:22,049 S1: That's Charlie's devotional. It's next after this Holy Land experience testimony. 670 00:37:22,050 --> 00:37:24,690 S1: I love listening to how people are impacted when they 671 00:37:24,690 --> 00:37:28,050 S1: go to the land that Jesus walked in. Check this out. 672 00:37:31,980 --> 00:37:34,500 S6: Hi, my name is Jamie. I went to Israel in 673 00:37:34,530 --> 00:37:38,819 S6: 2005 with Precepts International and it was an incredible trip. 674 00:37:38,820 --> 00:37:41,040 S6: As a lot of people have mentioned before, it really 675 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:44,280 S6: just puts your Bible into three dimensions. You can you 676 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:47,280 S6: will never read your Bible the same again. You have 677 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:50,280 S6: walked in these places. You can see the distances between 678 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:52,830 S6: these towns and cities that you read about all the time. 679 00:37:52,830 --> 00:37:55,560 S6: And it's really incredible. Um, a couple of my favorite 680 00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:58,589 S6: spots were Mount Carmel. I'm remembering the story of Elijah 681 00:37:58,590 --> 00:38:01,710 S6: and the prophets of Baal, as well as our time 682 00:38:01,710 --> 00:38:06,000 S6: spent in Jerusalem. Just so many significant places there. But, um, 683 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:09,390 S6: special significance of walking up the steps that would lead 684 00:38:09,420 --> 00:38:13,020 S6: to the high Priest Caiaphas house, and walking down the 685 00:38:13,020 --> 00:38:16,319 S6: Mount of Olives by the Garden of Gethsemane. So I'd 686 00:38:16,350 --> 00:38:20,430 S6: encourage anybody to go. It's an amazing place. It puts 687 00:38:20,430 --> 00:38:22,380 S6: the heart of God right in the heart of you. 688 00:38:22,410 --> 00:38:23,400 S6: Thank you. 689 00:38:25,290 --> 00:38:29,250 S1: An obscure valley that plays an important role in Bible history. 690 00:38:29,250 --> 00:38:32,100 S1: That's the focus of Charlie's devotional. Now, I'll let you 691 00:38:32,100 --> 00:38:32,969 S1: at it, Charlie. 692 00:38:33,180 --> 00:38:35,370 S2: Thanks, John. Yeah. Our journey today takes us to a 693 00:38:35,370 --> 00:38:39,450 S2: valley just to the east of Mount Tabor in northern Israel. Now, 694 00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:42,480 S2: unless you've been to Israel, that doesn't mean much. But 695 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:44,820 S2: hopefully by the end of today's journey, you'll come to 696 00:38:44,850 --> 00:38:48,750 S2: know and appreciate this obscure valley with an amazing history. 697 00:38:48,750 --> 00:38:51,420 S2: And if you've been to Israel, no, I'm not talking 698 00:38:51,420 --> 00:38:54,750 S2: about the Jezreel Valley that's in the same general area, 699 00:38:54,750 --> 00:38:57,960 S2: and it also has an amazing history. But the valley 700 00:38:57,989 --> 00:39:01,710 S2: we're going to visit today is the Yavne'el Valley. Okay, 701 00:39:01,739 --> 00:39:03,600 S2: I see all those blank looks on your faces, but 702 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:07,169 S2: trust me, this place is worth the visit. Even those 703 00:39:07,170 --> 00:39:10,020 S2: who've been to Israel probably don't remember it, and most 704 00:39:10,020 --> 00:39:12,089 S2: only see it when they're driving toward the Sea of 705 00:39:12,090 --> 00:39:15,750 S2: Galilee from the west as the bus gets close to Tiberius. 706 00:39:15,780 --> 00:39:18,030 S2: The guide will often point out the horns of a 707 00:39:18,030 --> 00:39:20,550 S2: team out to the left of the bus. This is 708 00:39:20,550 --> 00:39:23,310 S2: where a famous battle between Saladin and the Crusaders took 709 00:39:23,310 --> 00:39:27,719 S2: place on July 4th, 1187. But while everyone is now 710 00:39:27,750 --> 00:39:30,150 S2: looking out the windows on the left side of the bus, 711 00:39:30,150 --> 00:39:33,720 S2: the Yavne'el Valley is zipping by on the right. Some 712 00:39:33,719 --> 00:39:36,660 S2: groups do get the opportunity to drive through the valley. 713 00:39:36,660 --> 00:39:39,779 S2: If they leave the Sea of Galilee, heading south and 714 00:39:39,780 --> 00:39:43,110 S2: drive toward Mount Tabor on their way to the Jezreel Valley. 715 00:39:43,110 --> 00:39:46,020 S2: But if your trip south takes you first to Beit 716 00:39:46,020 --> 00:39:48,930 S2: She'an in the Jordan Valley, well, too bad you missed 717 00:39:48,930 --> 00:39:53,219 S2: it again. So what makes this valley so special? Well, 718 00:39:53,219 --> 00:39:56,280 S2: it's the reason the international highway that went from Egypt 719 00:39:56,280 --> 00:40:00,779 S2: to Mesopotamia continued north past Mount Tabor until it reached 720 00:40:00,780 --> 00:40:03,510 S2: another east west valley on the north side of Nazareth. 721 00:40:03,540 --> 00:40:06,120 S2: You see, if you tried to cut the corner and 722 00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:08,910 S2: head for Mount Tabor straight to the Sea of Galilee. 723 00:40:08,940 --> 00:40:11,580 S2: You would have to walk down into this valley and 724 00:40:11,580 --> 00:40:14,160 S2: then walk back out of it on the other side. 725 00:40:14,190 --> 00:40:16,980 S2: It's not that you couldn't do that, but after huffing 726 00:40:16,980 --> 00:40:20,220 S2: and puffing your way up the relatively steep incline, you 727 00:40:20,219 --> 00:40:23,250 S2: would be searching for an easier way to make that trip. 728 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:25,770 S2: Walking around the edge of the valley added a few 729 00:40:25,770 --> 00:40:28,320 S2: miles to your journey, but at least you were walking 730 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:32,340 S2: on level ground. So here's a beautiful valley that few 731 00:40:32,340 --> 00:40:35,580 S2: really wanted to travel through, but it's just perfect for 732 00:40:35,580 --> 00:40:39,359 S2: anyone with flocks and herds looking for pasture land. In 733 00:40:39,360 --> 00:40:43,290 S2: Joshua 19, the valley was allocated to the tribe of Naphtali, 734 00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:46,830 S2: with the tribe of Issachar skirting the southern rim. It's 735 00:40:46,830 --> 00:40:49,770 S2: called the Yavne'el Valley today, because one of the towns 736 00:40:49,770 --> 00:40:55,350 S2: mentioned in Joshua 1933 along Zebulon's border was Yavne'el or 737 00:40:55,380 --> 00:40:59,850 S2: Jabneel in our English Bibles. Two other boundary markers listed 738 00:40:59,850 --> 00:41:03,480 S2: in the same area in Joshua 19 were quote the 739 00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:08,350 S2: large tree and Tzanhanim, and a town named Kedesh Naphtali. 740 00:41:08,410 --> 00:41:12,549 S2: Now what makes the Yavne'el Valley so special? After all, 741 00:41:12,550 --> 00:41:15,580 S2: for most people, geography ranks right up there with, I 742 00:41:15,580 --> 00:41:19,810 S2: don't know, memorizing parts of speech, diagramming sentences, or having 743 00:41:19,810 --> 00:41:22,840 S2: a root canal. But to show its importance, let's head 744 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:26,050 S2: to judges four and the battle. Deborah and Barak fought 745 00:41:26,050 --> 00:41:29,140 S2: against Sisera and the forces of the King of Hatzor. 746 00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:32,230 S2: We know Deborah and Barak gathered on Mount Tabor with 747 00:41:32,230 --> 00:41:36,610 S2: 10,000 Israelites. In doing so, they blocked the international highway 748 00:41:36,640 --> 00:41:39,940 S2: separating the forces of Sisera in the Jezreel Valley to 749 00:41:39,969 --> 00:41:42,610 S2: the south from the king of Hatzor to the north. 750 00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:46,299 S2: This was a threat the enemy couldn't allow to remain unchallenged. 751 00:41:46,330 --> 00:41:49,240 S2: But just before the battle unfolds, the writer of the 752 00:41:49,239 --> 00:41:52,360 S2: Book of Judges pauses to share what seems to be 753 00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:56,230 S2: an unrelated piece of historical trivia. Now Heber the Kenite 754 00:41:56,260 --> 00:41:59,680 S2: had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses's 755 00:41:59,680 --> 00:42:02,710 S2: brother in law, and pitched his tent by the great 756 00:42:02,739 --> 00:42:05,259 S2: tree and Tzanhanim near Kadesh. 757 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:07,620 S7: Tzanhanim Kadosh. Why? 758 00:42:07,650 --> 00:42:11,400 S2: They're located in the Yavne'el Valley. And there are several 759 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:14,219 S2: details about this family that we tend to pass over 760 00:42:14,250 --> 00:42:18,630 S2: that help bring the story to light. Judges 116 says 761 00:42:18,630 --> 00:42:21,839 S2: the descendants of Moses's father in law, the Kenite, went 762 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:24,060 S2: up from the city of palms with the men of 763 00:42:24,060 --> 00:42:26,580 S2: Judah to live among the people of the desert of 764 00:42:26,580 --> 00:42:30,090 S2: Judah in the Negev near Arad. So the Kenites were 765 00:42:30,090 --> 00:42:33,330 S2: a nomadic tribe that were related to the family of Moses, 766 00:42:33,330 --> 00:42:36,029 S2: and their preference was to live a life similar to 767 00:42:36,060 --> 00:42:40,020 S2: that of the original patriarchs, intense in the south of 768 00:42:40,020 --> 00:42:42,839 S2: Israel and in an area where there was opportunity for 769 00:42:42,840 --> 00:42:46,980 S2: grazing their flocks and herds. But for whatever reason, Heber 770 00:42:47,010 --> 00:42:50,489 S2: the Kenite left the other Kenites and moved north to 771 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:53,759 S2: the Yavne'el valley. Was it the greater amount of rainfall 772 00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:57,090 S2: in the north that produced more abundant grass for grazing? 773 00:42:57,090 --> 00:43:00,300 S2: Or could it have been the solitude of this secluded valley? 774 00:43:00,300 --> 00:43:04,140 S2: For whatever reason, this one family from the clan pulled 775 00:43:04,150 --> 00:43:07,840 S2: up stakes and literally and went to live in the North. 776 00:43:07,870 --> 00:43:11,230 S2: There's one other connection, though this is less certain. The 777 00:43:11,230 --> 00:43:14,440 S2: name Kenite comes from a Hebrew noun that refers to 778 00:43:14,469 --> 00:43:17,470 S2: a spear, or from the related verb that means to 779 00:43:17,500 --> 00:43:21,580 S2: forge or put together. Perhaps Hebburn. His clan had mastered 780 00:43:21,580 --> 00:43:24,460 S2: the art of forging iron. Now such a skill would 781 00:43:24,460 --> 00:43:28,450 S2: be valuable to a ruler who had 900 chariots with 782 00:43:28,450 --> 00:43:32,170 S2: iron wheel rims. The compiler of judges does note that 783 00:43:32,170 --> 00:43:35,590 S2: there were friendly relations between Jabin, king of Hatzor, and 784 00:43:35,590 --> 00:43:38,799 S2: the clan of Heber the Kenite. Heber and his family 785 00:43:38,830 --> 00:43:41,980 S2: were located in the Nile Valley, a place of solitude 786 00:43:41,980 --> 00:43:45,219 S2: with good grazing for their herds and flocks, but they 787 00:43:45,219 --> 00:43:49,569 S2: also enjoyed the protection of General Sisera, who controlled the region. 788 00:43:49,570 --> 00:43:53,320 S2: And that's why, following the stunning defeat of Sisera by 789 00:43:53,320 --> 00:43:56,319 S2: Deborah and Barak, Sisera tries to make his way north 790 00:43:56,320 --> 00:43:59,320 S2: to Hatzor by way of the tent of Heber. The 791 00:43:59,350 --> 00:44:02,890 S2: Kenite God sent a sudden cloudburst that caused Sisera's serious 792 00:44:02,890 --> 00:44:06,190 S2: chariots to get stuck in the mud to get away. 793 00:44:06,219 --> 00:44:09,940 S2: Sisera jumped off his chariot and fled on foot. Barak's 794 00:44:09,940 --> 00:44:13,090 S2: forces controlled the main highway in the region, so Sisera 795 00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:15,730 S2: needed to work his way around the enemy and his 796 00:44:15,730 --> 00:44:20,080 S2: escape plan seemed brilliant. Sneak down into the Yavne'el valley, 797 00:44:20,110 --> 00:44:22,900 S2: stop for rest and refreshment at the tent of a 798 00:44:22,900 --> 00:44:25,600 S2: friendly ally, and then go by way of the western 799 00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:28,540 S2: shore of the Sea of Galilee toward Hatzor. It was 800 00:44:28,540 --> 00:44:32,620 S2: the perfect plan, with one tiny flaw, and her name 801 00:44:32,620 --> 00:44:36,790 S2: was Yael. Judges four recounts what happened next in gruesome 802 00:44:36,790 --> 00:44:40,120 S2: graphic detail. Yael went out to meet Sisera and said 803 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:43,480 S2: to him, come, my lord, come right in. Don't be afraid. 804 00:44:43,510 --> 00:44:45,969 S2: So he entered her tent and she put a covering 805 00:44:45,969 --> 00:44:50,320 S2: over him. I'm thirsty, he said. Please give me some water. 806 00:44:50,350 --> 00:44:52,239 S2: She opened a skin of milk and gave him a 807 00:44:52,239 --> 00:44:55,270 S2: drink and covered him up. Stand in the doorway of 808 00:44:55,270 --> 00:44:58,030 S2: the tent. He told her, if someone comes by and 809 00:44:58,030 --> 00:45:02,890 S2: asks you, is anyone here? Say no. But Yael Hebrew's 810 00:45:02,890 --> 00:45:05,620 S2: wife picked up a tent peg and a hammer and 811 00:45:05,620 --> 00:45:09,070 S2: went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep. Exhausted, 812 00:45:09,070 --> 00:45:12,430 S2: she drove the peg through his temple into the ground, 813 00:45:12,430 --> 00:45:16,210 S2: and he died. Now, as the story ends, Barak pursues 814 00:45:16,210 --> 00:45:19,240 S2: Sisera down into the Avnillah valley. He doesn't want this 815 00:45:19,239 --> 00:45:22,300 S2: wily general to escape. Yael comes out to meet him 816 00:45:22,300 --> 00:45:24,640 S2: and says, come, I will show you the man you're 817 00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:28,690 S2: looking for. Ultimately, it's Yael who gets credit for the 818 00:45:28,690 --> 00:45:32,350 S2: victory over Sisera. So what lessons can we learn from 819 00:45:32,350 --> 00:45:37,090 S2: this beautiful, isolated valley with a rather gruesome storyline? I 820 00:45:37,090 --> 00:45:39,850 S2: think the lesson is this. Yael is married to a 821 00:45:39,850 --> 00:45:42,910 S2: man who decided to leave his family and ultimately form 822 00:45:42,910 --> 00:45:46,480 S2: a friendship with a king who opposed and oppressed Israel. 823 00:45:46,510 --> 00:45:49,630 S2: Heber the Kenite doesn't come off well in this story. 824 00:45:49,660 --> 00:45:53,440 S2: His wife, Yael might have been obedient in following him physically, 825 00:45:53,440 --> 00:45:57,250 S2: but she never lost her spiritual bearings. She remained aligned 826 00:45:57,280 --> 00:46:00,790 S2: with Moses and the Israelites, and when an opportunity arose. 827 00:46:00,790 --> 00:46:05,230 S2: She displayed incredible courage and helped deliver Israel. As Deborah 828 00:46:05,260 --> 00:46:08,080 S2: had said earlier to Barak, because of the way you 829 00:46:08,080 --> 00:46:10,360 S2: were going about this, the honor will not be yours, 830 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:13,180 S2: for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman. 831 00:46:13,210 --> 00:46:15,460 S2: And we talk about Deborah and Barak, but we should 832 00:46:15,460 --> 00:46:19,030 S2: really talk about Deborah, Barak, and Yael and the moral 833 00:46:19,030 --> 00:46:22,210 S2: of the story. Stay committed to the Lord, because you 834 00:46:22,210 --> 00:46:25,149 S2: never know when God might call on you to act 835 00:46:25,150 --> 00:46:28,239 S2: with boldness for him. Just be ready. 836 00:46:28,270 --> 00:46:31,899 S1: Just be ready and be ready to act boldly. Great advice. 837 00:46:31,900 --> 00:46:34,600 S1: Thank you, Charlie, for those insights. You can hear today's 838 00:46:34,600 --> 00:46:37,239 S1: program again in its entirety at our web site, The 839 00:46:37,239 --> 00:46:39,880 S1: Land and the book. Org. If you've never checked out 840 00:46:39,880 --> 00:46:42,820 S1: our podcast, it's there. Thank you for taking advantage of 841 00:46:42,850 --> 00:46:45,370 S1: that and for sharing it with a friend. The land 842 00:46:45,370 --> 00:46:48,910 S1: and the book org. Our time is gone. Thank you 843 00:46:48,910 --> 00:46:51,549 S1: for listening to the Land and the book. A presentation 844 00:46:51,550 --> 00:46:55,210 S1: of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.