S1: It's a story we grew up hearing even as children
S1: in Sunday school. I'm talking about lot's wife, the woman
S1: who was turned into a pillar of salt. But there's
S1: a whole lot more to the story of lot's wife
S1: and lot's family than what we've typically engaged in. Let's
S1: talk about lessons from lot's wife in this segment of
S1: the land and the book. Welcome. I'm John Gager, our host,
S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer, noted Old Testament scholar, frequent traveler to Israel.
S1: And you know, fall is here again, Charlie. And that
S1: means that the Jewish high Holidays are just around the corner. Uh,
S1: these biblical feasts have been celebrated for thousands of years,
S1: but this year kind of has added weight, added significance
S1: as Jewish people around the world mark one year since
S1: the brutal attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists.
S2: Yeah, sadly, John, that's true. And our friends at Life
S2: and Messiah, though, want to help you learn more about
S2: the fall feasts, the significance they have for us as
S2: believers in Jesus, and how to stand with Jewish people
S2: during this time. They're offering a live zoom teaching session
S2: where they're knowledgeable. Field staff will walk you through the
S2: history and significance of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day
S2: of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. You'll also hear
S2: how you can use these holidays as a point of
S2: connection with your Jewish friends and neighbors, to show and
S2: share the love of Jesus with them. Now to sign
S2: up for this free teaching, all you need to do
S2: is visit Life in Messiah org. Click on the Moody
S2: Radio logo and sign up. Be sure to sign up
S2: today to discover the fascinating connections between these feasts and
S2: Jesus at Life in messiah.org. All right.
S1: Let's turn our focus toward current events here. Stories that
S1: have unfolded in the Middle East this past week. The
S1: war between Israel and Hamas continues, and all attempts to
S1: reach a ceasefire and a hostage deal keep getting mired
S1: in accusations, denials and charges of fake news. What is
S1: really happening in the PR war here between these two? Charlie?
S2: Yeah. The details of what's been happening are as convoluted
S2: as a Cold War spy novel, John. There have been charges,
S2: counter charges and suggestions of manipulation. Let me give you
S2: just two examples. First, a German newspaper reported on a
S2: secret Hamas document supposedly approved by Sinwar, detailing how Hamas
S2: would deliberately work to exert pressure on the hostage families
S2: and shift blame for the lack of a deal on Israel,
S2: all the while delaying and stonewalling the negotiations. The second
S2: example is a news item from a London based Jewish
S2: newspaper that reported on the discovery of plans by Sinwar
S2: to smuggle himself and other Hamas leaders, along with the
S2: remaining Jewish hostages, out of Gaza, through the Philadelphia Corridor
S2: and eventually onto Iran. But here's the problem the materials
S2: quoted by the German newspaper were discovered five months ago
S2: and were written by a mid-level Hamas officer, not by Sinwar.
S2: And the military forces say they're not aware of any
S2: recovered documents outlining Sinwar's alleged escape plan. But that's not
S2: the full story, either. The first question that needs to
S2: be answered is whether or not the two documents are real.
S2: In the case of the first, it appears to be genuine.
S2: Sinwar might not have personally composed it, but it was
S2: likely written for him, and it seems to mirror Hamas's
S2: actions over the past six months. The second document that's
S2: more problematic. Would Sinwar have an escape plan prepared? Well,
S2: that would seem reasonable, though it's unclear why Israel wouldn't
S2: know of such a document if it had actually been discovered.
S2: Or is this a case where the information might be true,
S2: though it might have come from an interview with a
S2: captured Hamas leader and not from a piece of paper? Well,
S2: we just don't know. And were these leaks designed to
S2: cast Netanyahu or Hamas and Sinwar in a bad light. Again,
S2: we just don't know. What we do know is that
S2: Israel has uncovered and destroyed more than 180 tunnels under
S2: the Philadelphia corridor linking Gaza to Egypt, and we know
S2: Netanyahu wants to keep Israeli forces in that corridor to
S2: prevent Hamas from rearming. Virtually all the weapons, ammunition and
S2: rockets in Gaza were smuggled in through those tunnels. This
S2: PR war has many angles. So the point for us
S2: is don't take all the headlines you read at face value.
S2: Just like in a good spy novel, there are agents
S2: on all sides playing a deadly game of deception.
S1: Well, Egypt has been a major part of the talks
S1: between Israel and Hamas, but several reports suggest Egypt has
S1: not been a reliable broker in the process. What are
S1: some of the concerns being raised by Israel about Egypt's
S1: role in the conflict?
S2: Well, perhaps the main concern being raised is that Egypt
S2: has been playing a double game and has actually helped
S2: facilitate weapons smuggling to Hamas. Now, this hasn't always been true.
S2: When Egyptian President al-Sisi overthrew the Muslim Brotherhood and came
S2: to power ten years ago, Hamas helped the Muslim Brotherhood
S2: in their attacks against Egypt since Hamas grew out of
S2: the Muslim Brotherhood. But after gaining control, Egypt's new government
S2: discovered the financial benefits from controlling the tunnels and the
S2: above ground crossing into Gaza. Another concern over Egypt's role
S2: in the negotiations is the apparent lack of interest on
S2: Egypt's part to actually build on the Camp David peace
S2: accords between the two countries. Egypt seemed to be interested
S2: in peace until it received back the Sinai. Then the
S2: warming relations between the two countries froze back up. Egypt
S2: is opposed to any Israeli presence along its border with Gaza,
S2: citing terms in their peace treaty. And yet Israel flexed
S2: on the treaty when it allowed Egypt to bring in
S2: additional forces to Sinai to contain the Muslim Brotherhood and
S2: ISIS there. anti-Israel sentiment is still strong in Egypt, and
S2: apparently religious antagonism against the State of Israel, coupled with
S2: the financial incentives from resuming smuggling operations into Gaza, are
S2: a major reason Israel needs to be very wary about
S2: giving up control of the Philadelphi corridor.
S1: This is the land in the book from Moody Radio
S1: with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger. We're
S1: looking at current events from the week. New archaeological research
S1: suggests the Roman siege of Masada might have only lasted
S1: for a few weeks rather than years. What led to
S1: these conclusions, and what impact does all this have on
S1: the historical narrative about Masada's fall?
S2: Yeah, you know, I love this story, John. We know
S2: from Josephus that Jerusalem fell in the fall of AD 70,
S2: and that Masada fell in the spring of AD 73.
S2: As a result, many assumed this meant the Roman siege
S2: of Masada must have lasted for months or even years. Certainly,
S2: that's what a lot of the guides tell the people
S2: who visit there. Well, this new research is fascinating because
S2: it dispels that myth, but without destroying Josephus's account of
S2: the attack. The archaeologist approached the process by looking at
S2: the siege from a Roman perspective. Since this was a
S2: typical Roman military operation, how would the Romans go about it?
S2: And we have information on on their military. The 6000
S2: to 8000 Roman soldiers who were there would have first
S2: established their fortified camps and built the siege wall around
S2: the site. Those can still be seen from up on top.
S2: They estimate this would have taken less than two weeks.
S2: They then calculated that the siege ramp built by the
S2: Romans with Jewish slave labor would have taken another month,
S2: so the entire operation could have been completed within six weeks.
S2: The question then is why did the Romans wait a
S2: year and a half before attacking Masada? Well, Josephus describes
S2: the other activities that took the Roman army to other
S2: parts of the region, including the Herodium and Machaerus in Jordan.
S2: They also took the army on a victory tour of sorts.
S2: Josephus mentions they went to Caesarea, Caesarea, Philippi, Phoenicia, Syria
S2: and Egypt. It was only when the defenders at Masada
S2: attacked the balsam groves at Engedi, that the army decided
S2: it was time to take Masada. Now, this is a
S2: bit of conjecture on the part of the archaeologists, but
S2: not without some support. Balsam was a very lucrative commodity
S2: to Rome. In fact, Josephus, Pliny, Strabo and Tacitus all
S2: talk about its importance and the fact that it was
S2: only grown in two key spots in Judea, Jericho and Engedi,
S2: and in Getty's, just ten miles away from Masada. Now,
S2: this new study makes a lot of sense, but it
S2: in no way changes Josephus account of what actually happened
S2: during and just after the siege.
S1: Fascinating. Well, an Israeli startup called Viaflo has developed a
S1: next generation vascular stent to help millions who suffer with
S1: painful brain pressure that can cause migraines, tinnitus, and even
S1: failing eyesight. Tell us about this life changing innovation from
S1: amazing Israel. Sure.
S2: First the details. The disorder has several names, including idiopathic
S2: intracranial hypertension, but it's caused by the narrowing of a
S2: vein that causes the buildup of blood and spinal fluid
S2: in the brain, creating this pressure. The ideal solution is
S2: the insertion of a vascular stent at the point where
S2: the vein narrows. The problem, however, is that the narrowing
S2: takes place just above a very sharp curve in the vein.
S2: Available stents and the delivery mechanisms for them just aren't
S2: flexible enough to make that turn. V flow solved the
S2: problem by developing a next generation vascular stent called the
S2: Veeva Stent that's 20% less rigid. They also developed a
S2: new delivery mechanism that keeps the stent at the back
S2: of the catheter until it is past the problem area
S2: and reach the placement site. The procedure itself takes about
S2: an hour and it's considered safe, minimally invasive and with
S2: a short recovery time. The company is now beginning human
S2: trials in Israel, and then plans to conduct studies in
S2: the US to obtain FDA approval. Imagine, John, a breakthrough
S2: treatment that shows great promise in curing chronic headaches and tinnitus,
S2: all developed by Vflo, which happens to be another start
S2: up company in amazing Israel.
S1: And that's a look at current events from the Middle East. Charlie,
S1: I want to circle back to our opening news story,
S1: of course, the war between Israel and Hamas. And you
S1: mentioned in that Philadelphi corridor right there at Egypt's border,
S1: they had destroyed 180 tunnels. Do they have any sense
S1: of what percentage of the total number of tunnels there
S1: that might be?
S2: Well, one number that's been thrown around is 80%, but
S2: in reality, they don't know what they don't know. That's
S2: just an assumption. But they're still coming across additional tunnels.
S1: Well, coming up on the land of the book of
S1: fascinating conversation, it's lessons from Lot's Wife Life with Tammy Whitehurst.
UU: Stick around for more.
S1: It's one of the most sobering and frankly, one of
S1: the most curious stories in all the Bible. It's the
S1: story of lot and his wife. When commanded to leave
S1: their hometown, Sodom, and not turn back, the couple headed out.
S1: But then lot's wife disobeyed. She glanced backward and was
S1: instantly turned into a pillar of salt. Now, what is
S1: it that God wants us to learn from this ancient tragedy?
S1: Is it possible lot's wife has something to say to
S1: us today? Welcome to the land and the book. I'm
S1: John Gager. Before we get to today's guest, why don't
S1: we check in with an idea on how you and
S1: I can share our faith, our Jesus, more effectively with
S1: somebody from a Jewish background. Helping you help your Jewish
S1: friend find Yeshua in the Old Testament. That's our challenge.
S1: As we sit down with Michael Riedel, general editor of
S1: the Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. Where would you take us?
S3: I would say, you know, so often people say Jesus
S3: was some sort of victim. No, this was a choice
S3: that the Hebrew prophets said he would make to suffer
S3: for us. It says in Isaiah 50, when it talks
S3: about the suffering servant, it's a first person kind of statement,
S3: a poem written in the first person. He says. I
S3: gave my back to those who beat me and my
S3: cheeks to those who tore out my beard. I did
S3: not hide my face from scorn and spitting. Isaiah 50,
S3: verse six. What he is saying is, I willingly suffered.
S3: I did not go to the cross as a victim.
S3: It was my choice. That's what the Lord Jesus taught.
S3: No man takes my life, but I lay it down willingly.
S3: He gave himself for us because it was his choice.
S3: He was not a victim of oppression. He was one
S3: who chose. He could have called those angels to deliver him,
S3: but he chose to die for us.
S1: Our thanks to Michael Riedel, professor of Jewish studies here
S1: at the Moody Bible Institute, joining us on the land
S1: and the book. Tammy Whitehurst is a speaker and writer
S1: who loves people, particularly women who laugh. She's one of
S1: them herself. She describes herself as Texas raised, Jesus saved,
S1: and loving all things Chita. Tammy speaks at events around
S1: the country. She's no stranger to our broadcast, so it's
S1: a pleasure to welcome you back, Tammy, to our studio
S1: here at The Land and the book.
S4: John, it's so good to be here again.
S1: And good to have your husband with you, too.
S4: Yes, yes. Thank you for letting us come back.
S1: Well, for somebody who has never heard the story, I
S1: summarized it a moment ago, but maybe they're just a
S1: bit rusty on their Old Testament history. Give us the
S1: outline of this rather unusual incident.
S4: I like to say it's about looking forward. The struggle
S4: is real, whether it's what we're doing today or what
S4: Lot's wife. And by the way, we do not know
S4: her name. John. Yeah, we know her as lot's wife.
S4: And Jesus referenced her and said, remember lot's wife. So
S4: there's something there that we probably need to think about,
S4: don't you think?
S1: I think so, but I think, you know, you can't
S1: help but have a little bit of pity on her
S1: for all the drama that was going on behind her.
S1: It seems to me natural human curiosity would be hard
S1: to stifle. It would be hard to not look back.
S4: It would be hard to not look back. And how
S4: many times do we even do it ourselves? Because when
S4: those two angels came after them, essentially to rescue them
S4: from what they were in instead, as they are running,
S4: she turns to look back. And how many times do
S4: we do that? Even today, when God comes to rescue
S4: us from what we are in, that can be many things.
S4: But whatever. We've got ourselves stuck in a rut with
S4: and we've gotten too comfortable in, and he wants to
S4: change our scenery to move us forward, but it requires
S4: that we have to leave one thing so that he
S4: can move us into another area. That's a hard thing
S4: for people to do, you know, change is hard. And
S4: I have gotten to where I stopped judging lot's wife
S4: now because how often have I done the same thing?
S1: You know, the thing is, what she left may have
S1: been familiar, but it certainly wasn't holy. That was a
S1: pretty nasty town, but it was comfortable. It's what she.
S4: Knew. That's right.
S1: And you know. So if I could play the other
S1: side of things, you know, why wouldn't she want to
S1: be led by the hand? Why wouldn't she get out
S1: of that? Does that speak to her character in some way?
S1: I mean, I want to be too harsh here. We
S1: don't really know, but. But what about that? I mean,
S1: shouldn't she have been glad to leave all that you.
S4: Would think that she would have? But maybe she looked back, John,
S4: because it doesn't really tell us why she looked back.
S4: So maybe she looked back because she was yearning for
S4: a friend. Maybe that one friend who did support her
S4: whenever they were talking about how bad that place was,
S4: because that place was bad, where they were at. We're
S4: talking about Sodom here. Yes. Or maybe she looked back
S4: for what we often judge her for. For the wealth
S4: that they had, for the stuff that she had, and
S4: she didn't know which direction she was going forward. Maybe
S4: she looked back at the good memories that she had there,
S4: because oftentimes, even when we're in the midst of awful
S4: and bad. The good memory that we have will make
S4: us stay there, even though the bad memories are far worse. Yeah.
S1: Well, they say this about children of abusive parents. You know,
S1: that's still my mom. That's still my dad. Even though
S1: the home, the situation, the circumstances are horrid. I want
S1: to take you to a comment I've heard you make
S1: before about the story of lot's wife. Jesus tells us
S1: the name of one woman to remember, and he certainly
S1: encountered his share of humans, men and women. Only one, though,
S1: does he say you need to remember her. Lot's wife.
S1: Why do you think, Tammy? He would single her out.
S1: He could have mentioned many, but he only mentioned her.
S4: That is such a good question. And I don't know
S4: why he would only say her. Because there's a lot
S4: of people in the Bible, women wise, that we don't
S4: know their first name. We just know them as so-and-so's wife.
S4: But he says, remember her. I'm going to use it
S4: in this. If we're making this relevant to today, I'm
S4: going to use it in this standpoint as a woman.
S4: Maybe I'm supposed to remember lot's wife. Maybe women in
S4: general are supposed to remember lot's wife, because let's use
S4: it in the context of marriage. John, let me go there.
S4: When it comes to marriage, you know, forgiveness is something
S4: that when we forgive, we leave it behind us. Correct? Yep.
S4: And we're supposed to go forward. We leave it behind.
S4: What is buried should stay buried. It's gone. It's done.
S4: And so often. And I hear this as a woman
S4: in ministry, so often everything's going good. There's been something
S4: terrible happen in a marriage, and they're marching forward. They're
S4: going forward. Everything's good. And all of a sudden an
S4: argument begins to happen, and suddenly that woman may go
S4: back into the past. God says, don't turn back. Maybe
S4: that's why. Don't turn back. But she turns back. She
S4: goes back. She digs something up from the past that
S4: was supposedly forgotten, forgiven. And yet she takes her sand
S4: pail and her little shovel. And she digs up that
S4: dirt all again. And just splats it in the face
S4: of the husband and forces them to remember that spot again,
S4: even though they were supposed to be moving forward in life.
S4: And so what happens there? All of a sudden? He
S4: goes back, she goes back and everything becomes disastrous. That's
S4: how I would put it relevant to today's world as well.
S1: Tammy Whitehurst is helping us look at lessons from lot's
S1: wife here on the land and the book. She speaks
S1: at events around the country. You know, the dark side
S1: of this story really is very much part of our
S1: story as well, in some way. Disobedience. I mean, we
S1: all struggle with it. What is the story of lot's wife?
S1: Tell us about the seriousness that God attaches to his
S1: commands and the certainty of consequences for us today.
S4: God tells us in Isaiah, forget the former things. Don't
S4: dwell on the past, that he is doing a new thing.
S4: Are we going to let him do a new thing?
S4: The new thing is so much better than the old thing.
S4: But do we have enough confidence to move forward with
S4: the Lord? Because clinging to a familiar world is comfortable
S4: clinging with bloody fingernails to what we know what we're
S4: comfortable with is so much easier. But when we trust God,
S4: we obey God. Obedience. Then we move forward. You know,
S4: there's a song we've sung and it's also John, a scripture.
S4: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
S4: of my life. The key word there, John, is follow.
S4: How can goodness and mercy follow us if we don't
S4: have the faith to move forward so that it can?
S5: Yeah.
S1: Well said. The concept of surrender was at the heart
S1: of God's call to lot and his wife. Surrender their towns,
S1: surrender their possessions, surrender their attachment to that place, that
S1: awful city. But at least it was home to them.
S1: What about us today? Our need to surrender. Any thoughts
S1: on that?
S4: Surrender is a hard word. And yes, what God was
S4: calling her to do was to surrender, to let it
S4: all go. And so many of us, we get headed
S4: in the right direction. We surrender, we get headed in
S4: the right direction, and then we turn back. And that's
S4: where we mess up every single time. Even though so
S4: often we know that going back is not good for us.
S4: That taking everything that we surrendered to the Lord is
S4: taking on more problems. It's taking on everything that we
S4: wanted to let go of. And I know that. What
S4: causes that? Fear. Fear causes us to disobey. And pride
S4: causes us to disobey. But fear will cause us to
S4: stay stuck in a rut. To stay stuck where we
S4: don't need to be. Even though the Lord says to
S4: go forward. You know, when he talks about running the race,
S4: a race is running a forward motion. Lot's wife didn't
S4: run forward. She looked back. Yeah. Just to.
S1: Jump in on that very passage, forgetting that which.
S5: Lies behind. Pressing on Yes. Forward?
S4: Yes. So do we doubt, John, that God has something
S4: bigger and better for us? Is that is that what
S4: we do? Sometimes I think we do. I think.
S1: We do. Tammy Whitehurst is a speaker and writer who
S1: loves people, describes herself as Texas raised, Jesus saved, and
S1: loving all things cheetah. We're exploring the life and unusual
S1: end of Lot's Wife, a story that originates in Genesis 19.
S1: Check it out for yourself. You know, Tammy, it seems
S1: to me the tragedy of lot's wife. Her story is
S1: that there didn't need to be a tragedy. I mean,
S1: she was headed in the right direction. It's almost like
S1: slo mo video, you know, you're watching the replay. No, no.
S1: You want to shout at the screen, don't do that.
S1: But she did do that. She disobeyed. What about us?
S4: God wants to deliver us from what we came from
S4: to where he wants to take us to. And when
S4: you look at lot's wife, she died without ever entering
S4: her deliverance. The Israelite generation that complained in the wilderness,
S4: and they died shy of the promised land. They missed
S4: their deliverance. We don't want to miss the land that
S4: God is trying to get us into, because we're so
S4: doubtful and defiant and stubborn and stuck in the world
S4: that we're in right now. But most of all, when
S4: I think about lot's wife keeping our eyes in a
S4: forward direction, John requires faith, boldness. It requires strength, it
S4: requires courage. And in order to have all of those,
S4: we have to stay in God's Word. Yeah.
S5: You know.
S1: Here's an unusual question. If we could somehow find that
S1: very pillar of salt that was once lot's wife, the
S1: one she turned into. And if God was somehow willing
S1: to give that pillar of salt, that is lot's wife
S1: speech for just a minute. What do you think she
S1: would say to us today?
S4: I think she would say, God cares more about where
S4: he's taking you than where you've been.
S5: That's well.
S1: Said. Stepping out, walking in faith. You know, all these
S1: things sound good. It's what zillions of Christian books are
S1: all about. But doing that is different than reading about
S1: it or hearing about it from your lips or my lips.
S1: Help us out here, Tammy. What's a practical handle we
S1: can put on this?
S4: Well, the thing is, whenever we stop and we ask ourselves,
S4: how am I going to pay the bills? What am
S4: I going to do? I don't know how to start over. Mm.
S4: The way that we start again is to first of all,
S4: we have to pray. As Christians, prayer is so important
S4: and we don't utilize it enough. So we have to pray.
S4: We have to seek wise counsel. Now notice that I
S4: said wise counsel because there's a whole lot of counsel
S4: out there, and some of it is far from wise.
S4: And then we have to believe that God knows better
S4: for us than we know for ourselves. And I know
S4: for myself, in some times, whenever it was more comfortable
S4: to stay stuck than it was to get out of
S4: the rut. I know that there are days whenever I
S4: would pray, God, I just need to see a glimmer
S4: of you today. I need to know that wherever I'm at,
S4: you're near. I need to know that you hear all
S4: of what I'm going through right now, Lord. And I'm
S4: going to tell you when I reach out to the
S4: Lord like that, John, either somebody's going to come up
S4: to me and they're going to say something that was
S4: spot on, or there's going to be a song on
S4: the radio. That is exactly what I need to hear.
S4: Or there's going to be an email. There's going to
S4: be a text. The thing is, in this world that
S4: seems so discouraging, God is using a whole lot of
S4: people to get our attention. But are we listening? Are
S4: we watching? Are we hearing whenever he puts them right
S4: in front of us?
S1: That's Tammy Whitehurst and a link to her website at ours.
S1: The land and the book.org. Maybe you'd like to share
S1: this encouraging conversation with a friend about lessons from lot's wife.
S1: It's there at the land and the book.org. Up next,
S1: our friend Charlie Dyer with answers to more of your
S1: questions right here on the land and the book. If
S1: you're a regular, you know what's next. It's questions and answers.
S1: They aren't our questions. They're yours. That's what makes it
S1: so cool, I think, because everybody's wondering about something slightly
S1: different from the person next to them as they open
S1: their copy of the scriptures or ponder prophetic events. And
S1: this is where it all comes together here on the land.
S1: And the book with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm
S1: John Gager and Charlie, I'm thinking fall is here again.
S1: And that means the Jewish High Holidays are right around
S1: the corner. These biblical feasts have been celebrated for thousands
S1: of years, but this year has added weight and significance
S1: as Jewish people around the world mark one year since
S1: the brutal attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists.
S2: Yeah, John. And that's why our friends at Life and
S2: Messiah want to help you learn more about the fall feasts,
S2: the significance they have for us as believers in Jesus,
S2: and how to stand with Jewish people during this time.
S2: They're offering a live zoom teaching session where their knowledgeable
S2: field staff will walk you through the history and significance
S2: of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and
S2: the Feast of Tabernacles. You'll also hear how you can
S2: use these holidays as a point of connection with your
S2: Jewish friends and neighbors, to show and share the love
S2: of Jesus with them. Now to sign up for this
S2: free teaching. All you have to do is visit Life
S2: in Messiah. Org. Click on the Moody Radio logo and
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S2: the fascinating connections between these feasts and Jesus at Life
S2: in messiah.org.
S1: Lots of questions to get to today. We'll start with Brian's.
S1: He says in Matthew 27, 52 and 53. We're told
S1: of saints who were raised at the time of Jesus
S1: crucifixion and appeared to many following his resurrection. But we
S1: have no mention of these saints elsewhere in Scripture. So
S1: who exactly were they and why were they raised?
S2: Yeah, and you're right. Matthew is the only gospel who
S2: records this event. Now, he was writing to a Jewish audience,
S2: and he felt it was important to them to know
S2: about this group of individuals. So I start by asking
S2: myself two questions, though. First, was this a physical resuscitation?
S2: Like Jairus daughter, the widow of Nain, son and Lazarus?
S2: Or is Matthew saying these people were actually resurrected in
S2: glorified bodies like Jesus? And second, the second question were
S2: they raised at the time of Jesus's crucifixion on Good
S2: Friday or at the time of his resurrection on Easter Sunday?
S2: Now we know Jesus was the first truly to rise
S2: from the dead in a glorified body. All other resurrections
S2: prior to that were actually just resuscitations. And those people
S2: raised back to life like Lazarus eventually died again. That's
S2: why I think Matthew is describing an actual resurrection. The
S2: tombs were violently shaken open by an earthquake on Friday,
S2: but those people inside didn't come out until Sunday. Now,
S2: Matthew is expecting his readers to understand the relationship between
S2: Jesus and the Jewish spring feasts. Jesus was the Passover
S2: lamb slain for the sins of the world, and that's
S2: why he was crucified at Passover. His resurrection took place
S2: on Sunday because he was the fulfillment of the festival
S2: of firstfruits. Leviticus 23 says that took place the day
S2: after the Sabbath of Passover. That is the Sunday after Passover.
S2: And Paul says, Jesus was the first fruits of those
S2: who fallen asleep in first Corinthians 15. So who were
S2: these Old Testament saints who were resurrected that same day?
S2: They must have been part of the firstfruits with Jesus
S2: following him out of their graves in resurrected bodies. I
S2: assume they then ascended to heaven, probably when Jesus did
S2: 40 days later. They were additional witnesses during that 40
S2: day period to the Jewish people in Jerusalem of the
S2: resurrection of the Messiah. Now, there's no other reference in
S2: Scripture or historically to this event. That's another reason, I
S2: think it was probably a local event that would have
S2: been familiar to Matthew's Jewish audience, but not widely known otherwise.
S1: Frederick says, thank you for the time and energy you
S1: put into the land and the book radio broadcast. And
S1: he asks, do you think they could date the Shroud
S1: of Turin? That would be great to know the exact
S1: time Yeshua went back to the father. Thoughts?
S2: Yeah, well, the good news is that carbon 14 testing
S2: has been done on the shroud. Unfortunately, it didn't provide
S2: a solid answer for a couple of reasons. First, two
S2: alternative dates ended up being proposed back in 1988. Three
S2: universities tested a small sample, and they dated it from
S2: about A.D. 1260 to 1390. That's about a thousand years
S2: or more after the time of Jesus. Now, if those
S2: dates are correct, then the shroud would be a forgery
S2: from the Middle Ages. However, another university tested the same
S2: sample in 2013, and they came up with a date
S2: between 300 B.C. and A.D. 400. And that places the
S2: cloth somewhere in the general time period of Jesus. But
S2: those two dates are pretty far apart. Now, the second problem, though,
S2: is neither option is able to date the shroud to
S2: a precise year, let alone a specific day or month.
S2: So even if that second test is correct, it still
S2: doesn't help date the exact time of the crucifixion or resurrection.
S2: Carbon 14 dating just isn't that precise, but not all
S2: is lost. We have solid information in the Bible that
S2: I think can help us date very precisely the year, month,
S2: and day. Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead.
S2: Now I had a seminary professor. His name was Harold Hoehner,
S2: who wrote a series of articles that became a book
S2: titled Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ. And while
S2: not everyone agrees with his work. I think he did
S2: a masterful job in pulling everything together, and I believe
S2: proves sufficiently that the crucifixion was Friday, April 3rd, A.D. 33.
S2: And what I'd suggest is look online to find that book,
S2: but its chronological aspects of the life of Christ. Harold
S2: Hoehner and you'll find some great information in there.
S1: It's the land and the book from Moody Radio. Interesting question.
S1: Now from Val, her comment I oppose circumcision, as far
S1: as I can tell. Circumcision was instituted about 2067 BC.
S1: She says it's past time for God to speak again
S1: on this subject. As far as I can tell, Jews
S1: believed that it was okay to fight and argue with God.
S1: Jacob wrestled with Abraham and so on, negotiating about how
S1: many righteous people had to live in the city. There's
S1: much ignorance, especially in the United States, on this subject.
S1: And then she ends. I would have a higher opinion
S1: about the broadcast if you all took an anti-circumcision stance. Charlie.
S2: Yeah. And she also sent some links to articles against circumcision,
S2: but unfortunately I can't agree with the reasoning of Val
S2: or with the articles that she sent. Now, we do
S2: know circumcision isn't required for believers in this age. Paul
S2: made that clear. First Corinthians chapter seven. He said, circumcision
S2: is nothing. Uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts.
S2: He also said the same thing in Galatians chapter five,
S2: in Galatians chapter six. Clearly, circumcision is not a biblical
S2: mandate for the church age. But now here's where I
S2: believe that Val's arguments fail. First, you claimed it's past
S2: time for God to speak. Well, actually, he did speak
S2: quite clearly on the matter. He's the one who established
S2: circumcision as a sign of his covenant with Abraham. Now,
S2: I'm not going to argue with God and tell him
S2: that he was wrong when he did that. But second,
S2: apart from the religious significance of circumcision, I believe the
S2: medical arguments you provided in the article and those online
S2: links are rather weak. In fact, I'd encourage you to
S2: go a couple of places first. There's a book called
S2: None of These Diseases by McMillan and find that book.
S2: I remember I read that years ago, but go to
S2: chapters eight and nine has some fascinating medical reasons on
S2: why circumcision is so helpful. The benefits are also supported
S2: by studies published by the National Library of Medicine by
S2: Johns Hopkins Medicine. They're available online. Just Google benefits of
S2: circumcision and you'll find these and other resources. Now, circumcision
S2: is not required by God as a religious obligation during
S2: the current age, certainly for the church. However, studies continue
S2: to show there are medical benefits of circumcision that may
S2: not have been fully understood in the past but are
S2: clearly seen today. It's a good practice medically, even if
S2: it's not a religious requirement for believers today.
S1: Dan writes in Ephesians three one through 13. Why did
S1: God choose to keep his plan of redemption a secret?
S2: I think the answer is that it's not the plan
S2: of redemption or salvation that was kept secret, but the
S2: reality that the Jews and Gentiles would be joined together
S2: in the sharing of that blessing of salvation in the
S2: one body, the church. Now here's how I come to that.
S2: In that Ephesians three passage in verse five, Paul says,
S2: the mystery was not made known to men in other generations,
S2: as it has now been revealed by the spirit to
S2: God's holy apostles and prophets. Now there's a parallel passage
S2: to this. It's Colossians chapter one. And there in verse 26,
S2: Paul calls this the mystery that had been kept hidden
S2: for ages and generations, but that is now disclosed to
S2: the saints. Now he's saying the mystery was not known earlier.
S2: And then in the Ephesians three passage, Paul goes on
S2: by explaining what the mystery is. He says through the gospel,
S2: the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of
S2: one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
S2: So the mystery there, he says, has three parts. Gentiles
S2: and Jews are now heirs together, members of the same body.
S2: We're sharing together in that same promise, God promised blessings
S2: to Israel. They're clearly spelled out in the Old Testament,
S2: and so did God. Promise blessings to the Gentiles, like
S2: in Genesis 12 three, where he said, all the nations
S2: of the earth would be blessed through Abraham. But the
S2: hidden mystery in Ephesians was the relationship between the church
S2: and Israel, or between Gentiles and Jews in this current age,
S2: as we share together God's blessings. That's the mystery that
S2: hadn't been previously revealed.
S1: Last question of the day. At the end of Isaiah 53,
S1: it says, yet he bore the sin of many and
S1: made intercession for the transgressors. Would this mean that Christ
S1: died for only the elect and not for all the
S1: sins of mankind?
S2: Yeah. And actually I interpret that statement in verses 11
S2: and 12, in light of what was said earlier in
S2: verse six. He said, we all, like sheep have gone astray.
S2: Each of us has turned to his own way, and
S2: the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Well,
S2: the word for all coal is used twice in that verse.
S2: We've all gone astray, and God laid on him the
S2: iniquity of us all. The universality of sin is matched
S2: by the universal sacrifice of the substitute provided by God.
S2: So in light of that clear statement, I think what
S2: we need to do is recognize recognized that Christ's death
S2: is sufficient for all. Christ died for every one who
S2: went astray, meaning he died for all.
S1: And that's a look at some of the questions that
S1: have come in to us via email. And yours is welcome.
S1: Of course, anytime you can connect with us at The
S1: Land and the book@moody.edu, that's the land and the book@moody.edu.
S1: We'll get back to you with a personal answer and
S1: a pretty short amount of time. Hey, Charlie's devotional is next.
S1: I'm looking forward to that and hope you stick around
S1: for more on the land and the book. Of life.
S1: It's full of peaks and valleys. I bet you've noticed, right?
S1: Welcome back to the land and the book. I'm John
S1: Gager and some of those valleys and some of those peaks.
S1: They're higher and lower than others. Right. But, Charlie, that
S1: has something to do with today's devotional.
S2: It does, John. In fact, today we're going to head
S2: to a rather obscure valley with an important role to
S2: play in the Bible.
S1: That's Charlie's devotional. It's next after this Holy Land experience testimony.
S1: I love listening to how people are impacted when they
S1: go to the land that Jesus walked in. Check this out.
S6: Hi, my name is Jamie. I went to Israel in
S6: 2005 with Precepts International and it was an incredible trip.
S6: As a lot of people have mentioned before, it really
S6: just puts your Bible into three dimensions. You can you
S6: will never read your Bible the same again. You have
S6: walked in these places. You can see the distances between
S6: these towns and cities that you read about all the time.
S6: And it's really incredible. Um, a couple of my favorite
S6: spots were Mount Carmel. I'm remembering the story of Elijah
S6: and the prophets of Baal, as well as our time
S6: spent in Jerusalem. Just so many significant places there. But, um,
S6: special significance of walking up the steps that would lead
S6: to the high Priest Caiaphas house, and walking down the
S6: Mount of Olives by the Garden of Gethsemane. So I'd
S6: encourage anybody to go. It's an amazing place. It puts
S6: the heart of God right in the heart of you.
S6: Thank you.
S1: An obscure valley that plays an important role in Bible history.
S1: That's the focus of Charlie's devotional. Now, I'll let you
S1: at it, Charlie.
S2: Thanks, John. Yeah. Our journey today takes us to a
S2: valley just to the east of Mount Tabor in northern Israel. Now,
S2: unless you've been to Israel, that doesn't mean much. But
S2: hopefully by the end of today's journey, you'll come to
S2: know and appreciate this obscure valley with an amazing history.
S2: And if you've been to Israel, no, I'm not talking
S2: about the Jezreel Valley that's in the same general area,
S2: and it also has an amazing history. But the valley
S2: we're going to visit today is the Yavne'el Valley. Okay,
S2: I see all those blank looks on your faces, but
S2: trust me, this place is worth the visit. Even those
S2: who've been to Israel probably don't remember it, and most
S2: only see it when they're driving toward the Sea of
S2: Galilee from the west as the bus gets close to Tiberius.
S2: The guide will often point out the horns of a
S2: team out to the left of the bus. This is
S2: where a famous battle between Saladin and the Crusaders took
S2: place on July 4th, 1187. But while everyone is now
S2: looking out the windows on the left side of the bus,
S2: the Yavne'el Valley is zipping by on the right. Some
S2: groups do get the opportunity to drive through the valley.
S2: If they leave the Sea of Galilee, heading south and
S2: drive toward Mount Tabor on their way to the Jezreel Valley.
S2: But if your trip south takes you first to Beit
S2: She'an in the Jordan Valley, well, too bad you missed
S2: it again. So what makes this valley so special? Well,
S2: it's the reason the international highway that went from Egypt
S2: to Mesopotamia continued north past Mount Tabor until it reached
S2: another east west valley on the north side of Nazareth.
S2: You see, if you tried to cut the corner and
S2: head for Mount Tabor straight to the Sea of Galilee.
S2: You would have to walk down into this valley and
S2: then walk back out of it on the other side.
S2: It's not that you couldn't do that, but after huffing
S2: and puffing your way up the relatively steep incline, you
S2: would be searching for an easier way to make that trip.
S2: Walking around the edge of the valley added a few
S2: miles to your journey, but at least you were walking
S2: on level ground. So here's a beautiful valley that few
S2: really wanted to travel through, but it's just perfect for
S2: anyone with flocks and herds looking for pasture land. In
S2: Joshua 19, the valley was allocated to the tribe of Naphtali,
S2: with the tribe of Issachar skirting the southern rim. It's
S2: called the Yavne'el Valley today, because one of the towns
S2: mentioned in Joshua 1933 along Zebulon's border was Yavne'el or
S2: Jabneel in our English Bibles. Two other boundary markers listed
S2: in the same area in Joshua 19 were quote the
S2: large tree and Tzanhanim, and a town named Kedesh Naphtali.
S2: Now what makes the Yavne'el Valley so special? After all,
S2: for most people, geography ranks right up there with, I
S2: don't know, memorizing parts of speech, diagramming sentences, or having
S2: a root canal. But to show its importance, let's head
S2: to judges four and the battle. Deborah and Barak fought
S2: against Sisera and the forces of the King of Hatzor.
S2: We know Deborah and Barak gathered on Mount Tabor with
S2: 10,000 Israelites. In doing so, they blocked the international highway
S2: separating the forces of Sisera in the Jezreel Valley to
S2: the south from the king of Hatzor to the north.
S2: This was a threat the enemy couldn't allow to remain unchallenged.
S2: But just before the battle unfolds, the writer of the
S2: Book of Judges pauses to share what seems to be
S2: an unrelated piece of historical trivia. Now Heber the Kenite
S2: had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses's
S2: brother in law, and pitched his tent by the great
S2: tree and Tzanhanim near Kadesh.
S7: Tzanhanim Kadosh. Why?
S2: They're located in the Yavne'el Valley. And there are several
S2: details about this family that we tend to pass over
S2: that help bring the story to light. Judges 116 says
S2: the descendants of Moses's father in law, the Kenite, went
S2: up from the city of palms with the men of
S2: Judah to live among the people of the desert of
S2: Judah in the Negev near Arad. So the Kenites were
S2: a nomadic tribe that were related to the family of Moses,
S2: and their preference was to live a life similar to
S2: that of the original patriarchs, intense in the south of
S2: Israel and in an area where there was opportunity for
S2: grazing their flocks and herds. But for whatever reason, Heber
S2: the Kenite left the other Kenites and moved north to
S2: the Yavne'el valley. Was it the greater amount of rainfall
S2: in the north that produced more abundant grass for grazing?
S2: Or could it have been the solitude of this secluded valley?
S2: For whatever reason, this one family from the clan pulled
S2: up stakes and literally and went to live in the North.
S2: There's one other connection, though this is less certain. The
S2: name Kenite comes from a Hebrew noun that refers to
S2: a spear, or from the related verb that means to
S2: forge or put together. Perhaps Hebburn. His clan had mastered
S2: the art of forging iron. Now such a skill would
S2: be valuable to a ruler who had 900 chariots with
S2: iron wheel rims. The compiler of judges does note that
S2: there were friendly relations between Jabin, king of Hatzor, and
S2: the clan of Heber the Kenite. Heber and his family
S2: were located in the Nile Valley, a place of solitude
S2: with good grazing for their herds and flocks, but they
S2: also enjoyed the protection of General Sisera, who controlled the region.
S2: And that's why, following the stunning defeat of Sisera by
S2: Deborah and Barak, Sisera tries to make his way north
S2: to Hatzor by way of the tent of Heber. The
S2: Kenite God sent a sudden cloudburst that caused Sisera's serious
S2: chariots to get stuck in the mud to get away.
S2: Sisera jumped off his chariot and fled on foot. Barak's
S2: forces controlled the main highway in the region, so Sisera
S2: needed to work his way around the enemy and his
S2: escape plan seemed brilliant. Sneak down into the Yavne'el valley,
S2: stop for rest and refreshment at the tent of a
S2: friendly ally, and then go by way of the western
S2: shore of the Sea of Galilee toward Hatzor. It was
S2: the perfect plan, with one tiny flaw, and her name
S2: was Yael. Judges four recounts what happened next in gruesome
S2: graphic detail. Yael went out to meet Sisera and said
S2: to him, come, my lord, come right in. Don't be afraid.
S2: So he entered her tent and she put a covering
S2: over him. I'm thirsty, he said. Please give me some water.
S2: She opened a skin of milk and gave him a
S2: drink and covered him up. Stand in the doorway of
S2: the tent. He told her, if someone comes by and
S2: asks you, is anyone here? Say no. But Yael Hebrew's
S2: wife picked up a tent peg and a hammer and
S2: went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep. Exhausted,
S2: she drove the peg through his temple into the ground,
S2: and he died. Now, as the story ends, Barak pursues
S2: Sisera down into the Avnillah valley. He doesn't want this
S2: wily general to escape. Yael comes out to meet him
S2: and says, come, I will show you the man you're
S2: looking for. Ultimately, it's Yael who gets credit for the
S2: victory over Sisera. So what lessons can we learn from
S2: this beautiful, isolated valley with a rather gruesome storyline? I
S2: think the lesson is this. Yael is married to a
S2: man who decided to leave his family and ultimately form
S2: a friendship with a king who opposed and oppressed Israel.
S2: Heber the Kenite doesn't come off well in this story.
S2: His wife, Yael might have been obedient in following him physically,
S2: but she never lost her spiritual bearings. She remained aligned
S2: with Moses and the Israelites, and when an opportunity arose.
S2: She displayed incredible courage and helped deliver Israel. As Deborah
S2: had said earlier to Barak, because of the way you
S2: were going about this, the honor will not be yours,
S2: for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman.
S2: And we talk about Deborah and Barak, but we should
S2: really talk about Deborah, Barak, and Yael and the moral
S2: of the story. Stay committed to the Lord, because you
S2: never know when God might call on you to act
S2: with boldness for him. Just be ready.
S1: Just be ready and be ready to act boldly. Great advice.
S1: Thank you, Charlie, for those insights. You can hear today's
S1: program again in its entirety at our web site, The
S1: Land and the book. Org. If you've never checked out
S1: our podcast, it's there. Thank you for taking advantage of
S1: that and for sharing it with a friend. The land
S1: and the book org. Our time is gone. Thank you
S1: for listening to the Land and the book. A presentation
S1: of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.