1 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,959 S1: Throughout scripture we encounter lots of different covenants. These are 2 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:15,280 S1: promises and agreements that God has made. Why are they 3 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:18,480 S1: so central to understanding Scripture and the heart of God himself? 4 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,120 S1: And why don't we talk more about them? Coming up, 5 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:24,720 S1: we'll discover why biblical covenants are still a big deal. 6 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,320 S1: And of course, we'll cover all the major news stories 7 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,080 S1: in the Middle East and answer your Bible questions. And 8 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:33,599 S1: enjoy Charlie Dyer's devotional. That and more on the land 9 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,680 S1: and the book. Hey, welcome. I'm John Gager, and speaking 10 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,440 S1: of Charlie Dyer. Charlie, how's your day been going so far? 11 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,000 S2: John, it's going great. Of course, every day seems to 12 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,080 S2: be going great when we know the Lord's in charge 13 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:45,240 S2: and we're following him. 14 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,080 S1: Amen. Well, here's a question. As we kick things off today, 15 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:51,800 S1: what does Passover mean for us as believers in Jesus? 16 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:54,280 S1: Some might remember the story from the book of Exodus, 17 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,840 S1: but there's so much more to it. Did you know 18 00:00:56,840 --> 00:01:00,230 S1: that the Last Supper was actually a Passover meal? Not 19 00:01:00,230 --> 00:01:03,670 S1: only did Jesus and his disciples celebrate Passover, it also 20 00:01:03,670 --> 00:01:06,150 S1: foreshadowed his death on the cross for our redemption. 21 00:01:06,430 --> 00:01:08,790 S2: The Jewish people have been keeping the feast of Passover 22 00:01:08,790 --> 00:01:12,550 S2: for thousands of years. Understanding the history and importance of 23 00:01:12,550 --> 00:01:15,470 S2: this holiday will help you better connect with your Jewish 24 00:01:15,470 --> 00:01:18,030 S2: friends and neighbors. And what better way is there to 25 00:01:18,069 --> 00:01:21,950 S2: learn about Passover than to experience a Passover Seder yourself? 26 00:01:22,230 --> 00:01:25,630 S2: If you've never celebrated Passover, our friends at Life in 27 00:01:25,630 --> 00:01:28,470 S2: Messiah would love to partner with you in hosting a 28 00:01:28,510 --> 00:01:32,389 S2: Seder experience. Every year, their staff engage churches and small 29 00:01:32,390 --> 00:01:36,630 S2: groups in an interactive Messiah in the Passover Seder, allowing 30 00:01:36,630 --> 00:01:40,190 S2: participants to taste and see the redemption story. If you're 31 00:01:40,190 --> 00:01:43,550 S2: interested in having someone come lead a Seder in your area, 32 00:01:43,750 --> 00:01:47,270 S2: visit Life in Messiah org and click on the radio 33 00:01:47,270 --> 00:01:50,230 S2: button there to learn more. That's life in Messiah. 34 00:01:51,710 --> 00:01:53,990 S1: And now let's swing our focus toward current events in 35 00:01:53,990 --> 00:01:57,110 S1: the Middle East. As the hostage deal between Hamas and 36 00:01:57,110 --> 00:02:01,340 S1: Israel continues to continues to unfold. It raises two crucial issues. First, 37 00:02:01,340 --> 00:02:05,700 S1: why is Israel willing to release so many terrorists guilty 38 00:02:05,700 --> 00:02:08,900 S1: of murder to gain the freedom of the remaining hostages? 39 00:02:09,340 --> 00:02:12,260 S1: It just seems so imbalanced. And won't those being released 40 00:02:12,260 --> 00:02:15,500 S1: by Israel just go back to being terrorists like Yahya 41 00:02:15,540 --> 00:02:16,700 S1: Sinwar himself did? 42 00:02:16,980 --> 00:02:19,380 S2: Yeah, some might not realize that Sinwar was serving a 43 00:02:19,380 --> 00:02:23,419 S2: life sentence for terrorism when he was released in 2011, 44 00:02:23,419 --> 00:02:26,220 S2: in a major prisoner swap that saw Israel give up 45 00:02:26,220 --> 00:02:30,220 S2: over a thousand prisoners in exchange for a single Israeli soldier. 46 00:02:30,660 --> 00:02:33,480 S2: Sinwar became the head of Hamas and planned the October 47 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:38,019 S2: 7th invasion that resulted in the death of 1200 Israeli civilians. 48 00:02:38,380 --> 00:02:42,020 S2: So the reality is that releasing terrorists will almost certainly 49 00:02:42,020 --> 00:02:46,020 S2: result in those terrorists participating in future attacks. But the 50 00:02:46,020 --> 00:02:48,700 S2: logic behind this for Israel begins with an expression from 51 00:02:48,700 --> 00:02:52,060 S2: the Talmud whoever saves a single life is considered by 52 00:02:52,060 --> 00:02:54,780 S2: Scripture to have saved the whole world. And that's true 53 00:02:54,780 --> 00:02:58,530 S2: because we're created in God's image. Now, that lesson was 54 00:02:58,530 --> 00:03:01,770 S2: reinforced during the Holocaust, when so many lives were taken 55 00:03:01,770 --> 00:03:04,930 S2: by the Nazis. Most Israelis view the life of every 56 00:03:04,930 --> 00:03:09,010 S2: single hostage held by Hamas, significant and worth the price 57 00:03:09,010 --> 00:03:11,810 S2: being paid. John, I think we sense this. When we 58 00:03:11,810 --> 00:03:15,490 S2: interviewed Ayelet Levy Sarkar back in March. A medical doctor 59 00:03:15,490 --> 00:03:18,090 S2: with other children, she was torn between taking care of 60 00:03:18,090 --> 00:03:21,330 S2: her family and helping those who depend on her medical skill, 61 00:03:21,450 --> 00:03:23,889 S2: while never giving up on her daughter, who had been 62 00:03:23,889 --> 00:03:27,970 S2: captured by Hamas. And when Naama was released last weekend, 63 00:03:27,970 --> 00:03:30,050 S2: I found it difficult to hold back tears as I 64 00:03:30,090 --> 00:03:34,290 S2: watched Ayellet embrace her daughter and weep with joy and thanksgiving. 65 00:03:34,730 --> 00:03:37,650 S2: Israel really is more like an extended family than a country, 66 00:03:37,690 --> 00:03:40,290 S2: you know in the US. People can empathize with news 67 00:03:40,290 --> 00:03:43,170 S2: reports on the kidnapping or death of someone caught in 68 00:03:43,170 --> 00:03:46,290 S2: a tragic situation, but those feelings are tempered by the 69 00:03:46,290 --> 00:03:49,370 S2: reality that we usually don't have a personal connection to 70 00:03:49,370 --> 00:03:52,970 S2: that person or family. But virtually everyone in Israel has 71 00:03:52,970 --> 00:03:56,560 S2: a personal connection to the events of October 7th. It 72 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,160 S2: bonded them to the hostages as if they were part 73 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,720 S2: of their own family. And that's why Israel's willing to 74 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,640 S2: release so many terrorists in exchange for the hostages, even 75 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:09,520 S2: knowing that most will likely return to terrorism. Now, Israel 76 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:12,920 S2: isn't being totally naive here. When Hamas changed the terms 77 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,760 S2: of the deal by not releasing specific hostages, Israel refused 78 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,839 S2: to allow the return of citizens to northern Gaza until 79 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:23,800 S2: Hamas complied with the agreement, with two additional phases of 80 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,120 S2: the cease fire agreement still remaining to be ironed out. 81 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:31,640 S2: The entire process remains fragile. So more conflict could be 82 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:33,080 S2: just over the horizon. 83 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,599 S1: And if I read correctly, Hamas has released a list 84 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:38,599 S1: of the names, and there are not all that many 85 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,039 S1: who are still alive. I found that discouraging. 86 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:43,920 S2: That's sad. And when the remainder of these 33 come, 87 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:46,159 S2: it's going to be amazing how many are not alive. 88 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,640 S2: And sadly, that looks like it could include those two 89 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:50,240 S2: young children who were abducted. 90 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,000 S1: Well, the second crucial issue that needs to be addressed 91 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:57,300 S1: is what happens next in Gaza. Once the hostages are released, 92 00:04:57,700 --> 00:05:00,260 S1: watching all the celebration taking place there, it almost seems 93 00:05:00,260 --> 00:05:03,219 S1: like Hamas is claiming to have won the war there cheering. 94 00:05:03,220 --> 00:05:05,540 S1: You see them on television. I mean, what's going on? 95 00:05:05,580 --> 00:05:07,740 S2: Yeah. You know, as they parade those hostages in front 96 00:05:07,740 --> 00:05:10,620 S2: of crowds prior to their being released, they really are 97 00:05:10,620 --> 00:05:13,900 S2: trying to give the impression that they had won the war. 98 00:05:13,980 --> 00:05:17,620 S2: But impressions can be deceiving. You know, on October 7th, 99 00:05:17,620 --> 00:05:21,300 S2: 6000 terrorists took part in the invasion and massacre. They 100 00:05:21,300 --> 00:05:27,660 S2: breached Israel's border at 114 different places. They used boats, drones, missiles, paragliders, 101 00:05:27,700 --> 00:05:32,180 S2: trucks and motorcycles. They killed 1200 Israelis and took an 102 00:05:32,180 --> 00:05:36,539 S2: additional almost 250 back into Gaza as hostages. Now that's 103 00:05:36,540 --> 00:05:39,860 S2: the version of a glorious surprise attack, an invasion that 104 00:05:39,900 --> 00:05:43,900 S2: Hamas is trying to present. But the reality is less impressive. 105 00:05:44,140 --> 00:05:47,820 S2: In the first two days, Israel killed 1400 militants and 106 00:05:47,820 --> 00:05:51,859 S2: captured 200 others. Once Israel regained its footing, it pressed 107 00:05:51,860 --> 00:05:55,409 S2: the attack against Hamas. The final numbers aren't known, but 108 00:05:55,410 --> 00:05:59,930 S2: Israel believes it killed upwards of 17,000 Hamas militants in Gaza. 109 00:06:00,290 --> 00:06:03,810 S2: They also eliminated much of Hamas's key infrastructure and leadership, 110 00:06:03,970 --> 00:06:07,570 S2: both in Gaza and in Iran. They destroyed large portions 111 00:06:07,570 --> 00:06:11,289 S2: of the tunnel system in Gaza, eliminated rocket launching sites, 112 00:06:11,450 --> 00:06:16,450 S2: military hardware command centers, manufacturing sites where those rockets were prepared. 113 00:06:16,850 --> 00:06:20,650 S2: The thousands of refugees streaming back to northern Gaza are 114 00:06:20,650 --> 00:06:24,290 S2: now discovering a moonscape of blown up buildings and piles 115 00:06:24,290 --> 00:06:28,529 S2: of rubble where houses, apartments and shops once stood. Hamas 116 00:06:28,529 --> 00:06:31,250 S2: fighters used them as cover when they were fighting Israel, 117 00:06:31,250 --> 00:06:34,250 S2: and they were destroyed during the war. The only victory 118 00:06:34,250 --> 00:06:37,770 S2: Hamas can claim is the surprise attack on October 7th, 119 00:06:37,770 --> 00:06:41,330 S2: and the reality that outside pressure from the west, along 120 00:06:41,330 --> 00:06:44,450 S2: with the hostages they held, kept Israel from attacking with 121 00:06:44,450 --> 00:06:48,650 S2: greater ferocity. That's a Pyrrhic victory at best. The real 122 00:06:48,650 --> 00:06:51,610 S2: losers in this battle were the people of Gaza and 123 00:06:51,610 --> 00:06:55,320 S2: the Israeli communities along the border. Israel is already preparing 124 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,159 S2: to rebuild its communities, but it will take years for 125 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,440 S2: Gaza to clear away the rubble and begin to do 126 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:04,680 S2: the same. And sadly, unless Hamas is removed from leadership, 127 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,200 S2: the prospects for Gaza's future will remain dim. I'm sure 128 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:10,360 S2: this is all going to be part of the discussion 129 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:14,200 S2: later this week between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, 130 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:15,120 S2: when he visits. 131 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:17,680 S1: Charlie without asking you to be too specific. Do you 132 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,400 S1: think it's likely that Hamas will assume a less larger 133 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:23,960 S1: role in the running of things in Gaza, or do 134 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:25,520 S1: you think it's going to be business as usual for 135 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:26,640 S1: the foreseeable future? 136 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:29,840 S2: My optimism would say, I hope that they're going to 137 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,240 S2: have less of a role or no role. Certainly, that's 138 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,760 S2: Israel's bottom line. The sad part is it depends on 139 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,880 S2: what other nations around are willing to do, including Europe 140 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:42,160 S2: and the United States. And right now, we don't know. 141 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:44,400 S2: I think many would be willing to let Hamas stay 142 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:45,000 S2: in power. 143 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,320 S1: You're listening to The Land in the book from Moody 144 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,200 S1: Radio with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, a noted Middle 145 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:54,510 S1: East Scholar. The images of the California wildfires that devastated 146 00:07:54,510 --> 00:07:58,110 S1: parts of Los Angeles shocked us all, while an Israeli 147 00:07:58,110 --> 00:08:00,550 S1: start up company hopes to make scenes like that a 148 00:08:00,550 --> 00:08:03,630 S1: thing of the past. How? Well, by deploying an iron 149 00:08:03,670 --> 00:08:07,950 S1: dome for wildfires. How does this new fire dome system work, 150 00:08:07,950 --> 00:08:10,070 S1: and when would it become operational? 151 00:08:10,390 --> 00:08:13,190 S2: Yeah, in the current battle against wildfires, boots on the 152 00:08:13,190 --> 00:08:15,550 S2: ground and support from the air are the main lines 153 00:08:15,550 --> 00:08:18,750 S2: of defense. But using a military analogy, what's missing is 154 00:08:18,750 --> 00:08:22,150 S2: artillery support. And that's what Tel Aviv based fire Dome 155 00:08:22,150 --> 00:08:25,710 S2: seeks to add to the firefighters arsenal. The company's technology 156 00:08:25,710 --> 00:08:29,710 S2: resembles the Iron Dome missile defense system, which identifies, tracks 157 00:08:29,710 --> 00:08:34,670 S2: and destroys incoming rockets using artificial intelligence. Fire dome includes 158 00:08:34,670 --> 00:08:38,069 S2: a tracking system comprised of cameras, coupled with a computer 159 00:08:38,070 --> 00:08:41,350 S2: that keeps watch for embers or small fires. It also 160 00:08:41,350 --> 00:08:46,429 S2: includes a mechanical launcher that hurls fire retardant, biodegradable capsules 161 00:08:46,429 --> 00:08:50,660 S2: which open before impact to disperse fire retardant chemicals, creating 162 00:08:50,780 --> 00:08:54,620 S2: a protective barrier. The initial system can launch these capsules 163 00:08:54,620 --> 00:08:57,230 S2: up to a quarter mile, enabling it to cover 50 164 00:08:57,230 --> 00:09:00,220 S2: to 100 acres of land. In later versions, they plan 165 00:09:00,220 --> 00:09:03,460 S2: to expand coverage to a one mile radius, and the 166 00:09:03,460 --> 00:09:06,180 S2: goal is to test the system in California during the 167 00:09:06,179 --> 00:09:09,500 S2: next fire season. Right now, Fire Dome is designed to 168 00:09:09,540 --> 00:09:12,939 S2: protect a medium sized area, like a residential neighborhood or 169 00:09:12,940 --> 00:09:16,100 S2: a vineyard, or a resort, where the potential savings will 170 00:09:16,100 --> 00:09:19,900 S2: justify the initial installation expense. However, if the system proves 171 00:09:19,900 --> 00:09:23,780 S2: it can help stop small fires from becoming raging infernos, 172 00:09:23,780 --> 00:09:27,380 S2: the savings in property and insurance costs might encourage even 173 00:09:27,380 --> 00:09:31,219 S2: more widespread use. Anything that can help stop wildfires will 174 00:09:31,220 --> 00:09:34,300 S2: be greatly appreciated, so we'll keep our eyes open for 175 00:09:34,300 --> 00:09:38,099 S2: future reports of Israel's fire dome system in action. 176 00:09:38,940 --> 00:09:42,140 S1: Well, a little over 100 years ago, antibiotics became the 177 00:09:42,140 --> 00:09:46,060 S1: wonder drugs to treat bacterial infections. But the rise of 178 00:09:46,059 --> 00:09:49,410 S1: antibiotic resistant strains of Strains of bacteria have made it 179 00:09:49,410 --> 00:09:53,290 S1: more difficult to treat such infections. Now, a breakthrough study 180 00:09:53,290 --> 00:09:57,849 S1: from Tel Aviv University could help solve the antibiotic resistance crisis. 181 00:09:58,250 --> 00:10:00,970 S1: Tell us about this new research out of Israel. 182 00:10:01,410 --> 00:10:04,890 S2: Yeah. The researchers at Tel Aviv University demonstrated a crucial 183 00:10:04,890 --> 00:10:09,449 S2: but underexplored process of DNA transfer between bacteria could be 184 00:10:09,450 --> 00:10:14,450 S2: exploited to neutralize bacterial defense mechanisms. The transfer of DNA 185 00:10:14,450 --> 00:10:18,010 S2: material is crucial to the survival of bacteria, and during 186 00:10:18,010 --> 00:10:22,050 S2: that transfer process, one bacterial cell connects directly to another 187 00:10:22,050 --> 00:10:25,570 S2: and allows the transfer of genetic fragments called plasmids. These 188 00:10:25,570 --> 00:10:31,850 S2: help provide the recipient bacteria with genetic advantages, including antibiotic resistance. Now, 189 00:10:31,890 --> 00:10:35,770 S2: Israeli researchers discovered that if the Anti-defense genes are positioned 190 00:10:35,770 --> 00:10:39,330 S2: near the DNA entry point, those plasmids overcome the defense 191 00:10:39,330 --> 00:10:42,050 S2: mechanisms of the cells. But if the genes are located 192 00:10:42,050 --> 00:10:45,530 S2: elsewhere on the plasmid, the bacteria die upon exposure to 193 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:50,760 S2: Antibiotics in the race against antibiotic resistant bacteria. This new 194 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:54,480 S2: discovery and subsequent plan of attack from Amazing Israel might 195 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:56,280 S2: just offer great promise. 196 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:58,520 S1: And that's a look at current events from the Middle East. 197 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:02,640 S1: Thank you Charlie. Appreciate that. Medical tech development as well. Hey, 198 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:06,160 S1: why are biblical covenants still such a big deal? You'll 199 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:08,480 S1: find out as you stick with us here on the land. 200 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:27,439 S1: And the book. Your Bible. It's filled with unbreakable agreements 201 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:31,160 S1: from God. They're called covenants. But do they still matter today? 202 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,319 S1: And if so, why? Coming up, a look at God's 203 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,880 S1: everlasting covenant with his people. This is the land and 204 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:40,520 S1: the book. I'm John Gager right now. Let's pause and 205 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:43,240 S1: think creatively about how we can show the love of 206 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,480 S1: Christ to that Jewish friend that God has placed in 207 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,420 S1: placed in our lives. Listen to this. God has done 208 00:11:48,420 --> 00:11:50,700 S1: an amazing thing in this friendship of yours with a 209 00:11:50,700 --> 00:11:54,100 S1: Jewish friend. Let's say that she or he wants to 210 00:11:54,140 --> 00:11:56,179 S1: take the next step further with you in some kind 211 00:11:56,179 --> 00:11:58,579 S1: of a Bible study. Where in the world would you 212 00:11:58,580 --> 00:12:00,699 S1: take them in the Bible for a study that would 213 00:12:00,700 --> 00:12:04,340 S1: be meaningful to them? Eva melnick is an adjunct faculty 214 00:12:04,340 --> 00:12:07,540 S1: member at Moody Bible Institute. What's the passage that you 215 00:12:07,540 --> 00:12:09,820 S1: might take on or recommend, or the book of the Bible? 216 00:12:09,820 --> 00:12:12,460 S3: That's interesting. I think that if you had time, if 217 00:12:12,460 --> 00:12:15,140 S3: you had like a long term relationship with this person 218 00:12:15,140 --> 00:12:17,500 S3: and they were willing to invest some time, say, like 219 00:12:17,500 --> 00:12:22,140 S3: over a summer or winter solstice or whatever, um, study 220 00:12:22,140 --> 00:12:25,620 S3: the book of Matthew with your friend, because Matthew, the 221 00:12:25,660 --> 00:12:28,700 S3: gospel was written for Jewish people, and it is the 222 00:12:28,700 --> 00:12:33,420 S3: most rich with messianic prophecy and pictures of the Messiah 223 00:12:33,460 --> 00:12:37,060 S3: drawn right from the Jewish scriptures. And so if you 224 00:12:37,059 --> 00:12:40,220 S3: have some time in your Jewish friends willing say, okay, 225 00:12:40,220 --> 00:12:42,740 S3: this week, let's read these two chapters, let's get together 226 00:12:42,740 --> 00:12:45,610 S3: next Tuesday over coffee. and what questions came up for you. 227 00:12:45,730 --> 00:12:46,970 S3: Matthew is a great place to start. 228 00:12:47,050 --> 00:12:49,210 S1: What about some resources along the way? Any books you 229 00:12:49,210 --> 00:12:51,170 S1: might recommend? Or are there any ways that we should 230 00:12:51,170 --> 00:12:54,410 S1: approach these passages? Probably. We don't want to firehose people. 231 00:12:54,410 --> 00:12:56,450 S1: We don't want to read ten chapters in one night. 232 00:12:56,530 --> 00:12:59,130 S3: Right, exactly, exactly. I you know, as you know, I 233 00:12:59,130 --> 00:13:01,290 S3: work with Chosen People Ministries, and we have some great 234 00:13:01,290 --> 00:13:04,010 S3: material that's available with chosen people about how to share 235 00:13:04,010 --> 00:13:05,970 S3: your faith with your Jewish friends. There was a great 236 00:13:05,970 --> 00:13:09,090 S3: book on Isaiah 53. There's some other material that's just 237 00:13:09,090 --> 00:13:10,970 S3: general material on how to share your faith with your 238 00:13:10,970 --> 00:13:13,810 S3: Jewish friends that I think would be helpful for a 239 00:13:13,809 --> 00:13:17,090 S3: person to take a look at before they have those conversations. 240 00:13:17,450 --> 00:13:20,810 S3: If you are more visual, my search for Messiah by 241 00:13:20,809 --> 00:13:23,250 S3: Michael Riedel, a great resource to take a look at 242 00:13:23,250 --> 00:13:25,010 S3: and then give that to your Jewish friends. 243 00:13:25,010 --> 00:13:26,330 S1: And what a great guy he is. 244 00:13:26,330 --> 00:13:27,530 S3: As handsome and nice. 245 00:13:27,570 --> 00:13:29,370 S4: Yeah, yeah. And just. 246 00:13:29,370 --> 00:13:30,010 S1: Slightly related. 247 00:13:30,010 --> 00:13:31,690 S4: To you. Yeah, yeah. You know. 248 00:13:31,730 --> 00:13:35,410 S1: Even adjunct faculty member. And with Chosen People Ministries, our 249 00:13:35,410 --> 00:13:39,770 S1: guest here on the land and the book, Jim Ward 250 00:13:39,770 --> 00:13:42,770 S1: has a diverse background that enables him to bring fresh 251 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:46,880 S1: insights to Scripture. His decades of experience as a Bible teacher, 252 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,160 S1: it pro and his understanding of the languages of the 253 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:53,040 S1: Bible help him notice the important details in God's Word 254 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,640 S1: that maybe some of us are overlooking. Those details often 255 00:13:56,640 --> 00:14:00,240 S1: demystify passages in the Bible and illuminate their simple meaning. 256 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,080 S1: Jim's wife, Anita, has been a part of Moody Radio 257 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:05,800 S1: for decades, but it's an honor to welcome Jim now 258 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,040 S1: to the land and the book. Thanks for coming to 259 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:08,719 S1: our studio. 260 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:10,240 S5: Well, thank you for inviting me. 261 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:12,280 S1: You know, Jim, it seems to me we don't hear 262 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:15,600 S1: much about biblical covenants today from our pulpits. Why do 263 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:17,280 S1: you suppose that is? Or am I wrong? 264 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:20,560 S5: Oh, that may be true in some circumstances, but I 265 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:25,000 S5: think it's probably because it's a theological topic. And it 266 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,000 S5: depends on why people are reading the Bible. 267 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:30,080 S1: Yeah. When we use the term covenant, what do we 268 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:32,080 S1: actually mean here? What are we talking about? 269 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:35,520 S5: Its base definition is an agreement. In the case of 270 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:39,200 S5: the Bible, you're really dealing with an agreement that is 271 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:43,190 S5: offered by a superior being, And sometimes it comes with 272 00:14:43,190 --> 00:14:46,190 S5: a promise. Sometimes it comes with conditions for both parties. 273 00:14:46,990 --> 00:14:49,270 S1: We sometimes refer to the act of getting married as 274 00:14:49,270 --> 00:14:52,630 S1: entering into a covenant. But doesn't that cloud the biblical 275 00:14:52,630 --> 00:14:55,590 S1: concepts and so many of our marriage covenants are broken? 276 00:14:56,070 --> 00:14:59,150 S5: Well, there's a strong similarity, but like I was saying, 277 00:14:59,150 --> 00:15:03,270 S5: a biblical covenant involves a superior being. Whereas with the 278 00:15:03,270 --> 00:15:06,190 S5: marriage covenant you're really dealing with equals. But again, they're 279 00:15:06,190 --> 00:15:08,190 S5: very similar because it's an agreement. 280 00:15:08,190 --> 00:15:13,350 S1: And not just equals fallen equals broken equals. Yes for sure. 281 00:15:14,310 --> 00:15:17,870 S1: Jim Ward has a rich and nuanced understanding of biblical covenants. 282 00:15:17,910 --> 00:15:20,470 S1: He's our guest today on the land and the book. 283 00:15:20,510 --> 00:15:21,750 S1: I'm going to invite you to take us to one 284 00:15:21,750 --> 00:15:25,030 S1: of the earliest covenants in Scripture, Jim, who is involved here? 285 00:15:25,190 --> 00:15:26,790 S1: What are the specifics? What do we need to know? 286 00:15:27,310 --> 00:15:30,510 S5: Well, I tried to stick to the text, and I 287 00:15:30,510 --> 00:15:34,190 S5: wanted to focus on a particular phrase Brit Olam or 288 00:15:34,190 --> 00:15:37,950 S5: Everlasting Covenant. There are some other portions of Scripture where 289 00:15:37,950 --> 00:15:40,500 S5: someone might argue that a covenant was It wasn't involved. 290 00:15:40,500 --> 00:15:42,859 S5: But the first time we see the word Brit Olam 291 00:15:43,300 --> 00:15:46,500 S5: occurring in Scripture is in reference to the Noah story. 292 00:15:46,740 --> 00:15:49,340 S5: And so that's where we see the first everlasting covenant 293 00:15:49,340 --> 00:15:53,340 S5: with Noah, commonly known as the Noahic covenant and the 294 00:15:53,340 --> 00:15:55,780 S5: associated Noahide laws. 295 00:15:55,820 --> 00:15:58,820 S1: Okay, elaborate. What's in that covenant and is it in 296 00:15:58,820 --> 00:15:59,580 S1: effect today? 297 00:15:59,980 --> 00:16:02,340 S5: Oh, most definitely. And the reason I can say it's 298 00:16:02,340 --> 00:16:06,340 S5: in effect today is because it's everlasting. This really boils 299 00:16:06,340 --> 00:16:09,820 S5: down to the point here, John. When understanding Scripture, do 300 00:16:09,860 --> 00:16:13,420 S5: words mean things? And what does the word everlasting mean? 301 00:16:13,900 --> 00:16:16,980 S5: It either means everlasting or it means something else. And 302 00:16:16,980 --> 00:16:20,140 S5: I've chosen to take it at face value. So yes, 303 00:16:20,140 --> 00:16:23,100 S5: all of these covenants that we read about in this book, 304 00:16:23,100 --> 00:16:28,860 S5: Everlasting Covenants, are, in my opinion, permanent because they are everlasting. 305 00:16:28,860 --> 00:16:32,780 S5: And with Noah and the no way covenant, God has 306 00:16:32,780 --> 00:16:35,780 S5: made a promise that he will not flood the earth again. 307 00:16:35,780 --> 00:16:38,620 S5: He will not destroy all human life. I'm very happy 308 00:16:38,620 --> 00:16:42,690 S5: that that covenant is everlasting. And in addition to that, 309 00:16:42,690 --> 00:16:45,250 S5: there were some laws that were made. Now in the scriptures, 310 00:16:45,250 --> 00:16:47,970 S5: we only we are only told about two of them. 311 00:16:47,970 --> 00:16:51,410 S5: And one is that he would hold people accountable for 312 00:16:51,410 --> 00:16:55,330 S5: killing other people. There was a death penalty associated with that. 313 00:16:55,370 --> 00:16:57,970 S5: You know, the main law there is that whoever sheds 314 00:16:57,970 --> 00:17:01,290 S5: man's blood by man shall his blood be shed. Now, 315 00:17:01,450 --> 00:17:07,010 S5: the extra-biblical Jewish literature that we read indicates that there 316 00:17:07,010 --> 00:17:09,890 S5: were other laws that were given, and some of these 317 00:17:09,890 --> 00:17:13,490 S5: are reflected within the last half of the Ten Commandments. 318 00:17:13,490 --> 00:17:15,209 S5: But we need to go to some of the the 319 00:17:15,210 --> 00:17:16,889 S5: Jewish literature to understand that. 320 00:17:17,530 --> 00:17:20,490 S1: Interesting. You mentioned this Noah covenant, and all of us 321 00:17:20,490 --> 00:17:23,250 S1: who heard the story and who've read even the basics 322 00:17:23,250 --> 00:17:26,290 S1: in our Bible, would be familiar with that promise. God says, 323 00:17:26,290 --> 00:17:29,010 S1: I will never again destroy the earth, but we don't 324 00:17:29,010 --> 00:17:32,970 S1: ever or rarely, I should say, here attached to that 325 00:17:32,970 --> 00:17:35,850 S1: what you've brought out here, this business about, you know, 326 00:17:35,890 --> 00:17:38,160 S1: life is precious. We don't take the life of another. 327 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:40,800 S5: And what's, I think very important there that many people 328 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,120 S5: don't realize is that this covenant was made with the 329 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:48,000 S5: entire Earth. Now, at the time, there were only eight people, right? 330 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:51,800 S5: But that is the entire Earth's population. And it is 331 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:54,640 S5: stated that this is for generations to come. So yes, 332 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:56,560 S5: it is applicable to us today. 333 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,000 S1: All right. Let me let me get real current and 334 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,760 S1: maybe a little uncomfortable. Let me push you against the wall. 335 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,520 S1: Are you saying then that when we do not, from 336 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,919 S1: a biblical perspective, respect the value of a life by 337 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:13,720 S1: failing to follow through, by disallowing capital punishment, we are 338 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:15,600 S1: at odds with this covenant. 339 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:18,320 S5: That would be my understanding. Yes, this is a directive 340 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:21,880 S5: from God. So we are either following his directive or 341 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:22,680 S5: we are not. 342 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:25,080 S1: Today, on the land and the book we're visiting with 343 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:28,639 S1: Jim Ward, who's written everlasting covenants. Covenants, of course, are 344 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:32,399 S1: found outside of Scripture. What's different about a covenant initiated 345 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:33,640 S1: by Almighty God? 346 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:38,430 S5: Well, obviously the parties involved And I have to be honest, 347 00:18:38,430 --> 00:18:41,830 S5: sometimes this is, uh, I don't want to say. Detrimental, 348 00:18:42,030 --> 00:18:44,590 S5: but can have long lasting effects. Now, when we're talking 349 00:18:44,590 --> 00:18:47,750 S5: about the Sinaitic covenant, we're dealing with the covenant that 350 00:18:47,750 --> 00:18:51,310 S5: God made with the nation of Israel. If the covenant 351 00:18:51,310 --> 00:18:55,150 S5: is everlasting and you have an eternal partner in this covenant, 352 00:18:55,630 --> 00:18:57,350 S5: he's never going to go back on his end of 353 00:18:57,350 --> 00:19:00,950 S5: the deal. And he made a promise to them that 354 00:19:00,950 --> 00:19:03,510 S5: they would be his people and that they would be 355 00:19:03,510 --> 00:19:07,350 S5: his treasured possession. And he also stated that he would 356 00:19:07,350 --> 00:19:11,790 S5: chastise them. The fact that he has never rejected them 357 00:19:11,790 --> 00:19:15,550 S5: demonstrates that he is holding to his covenant, even the 358 00:19:15,550 --> 00:19:19,189 S5: chastisements that they have received in their rebellion throughout the years, 359 00:19:19,190 --> 00:19:21,149 S5: and the times that they have not obeyed them throughout 360 00:19:21,150 --> 00:19:24,630 S5: the scriptures, demonstrates that he is still making good on 361 00:19:24,630 --> 00:19:28,670 S5: his covenant. If he had failed to follow his covenant, 362 00:19:28,750 --> 00:19:30,989 S5: he would have just simply rejected them, and they would 363 00:19:31,030 --> 00:19:34,310 S5: have fallen into history like every other nation that we 364 00:19:34,310 --> 00:19:37,889 S5: never hear about anymore. And yet today, the nation of 365 00:19:37,890 --> 00:19:41,609 S5: Israel exists. And that demonstrates to me that God not 366 00:19:41,609 --> 00:19:44,810 S5: only preserved them, but he is still faithful to his covenant. 367 00:19:45,010 --> 00:19:47,850 S1: That says an awful lot about this God we read 368 00:19:47,850 --> 00:19:50,570 S1: about in Scripture and sing about in church on Sundays, 369 00:19:50,570 --> 00:19:51,649 S1: don't you think? I mean? 370 00:19:51,690 --> 00:19:54,610 S5: Well, very much so. He keeps his word and we 371 00:19:54,609 --> 00:19:59,130 S5: can go back and look at the documents. It's in writing. Yeah. 372 00:19:59,490 --> 00:20:02,210 S1: One of our hang up stems, perhaps from our confusion 373 00:20:02,210 --> 00:20:05,450 S1: about covenants that are conditional, as you pointed out, and 374 00:20:05,450 --> 00:20:07,810 S1: those that are not. Can you give a quick biblical 375 00:20:07,810 --> 00:20:09,250 S1: example of each? 376 00:20:10,330 --> 00:20:13,570 S5: Well, conditional covenant would be that there are responsibilities for 377 00:20:13,570 --> 00:20:17,290 S5: each party. For example, let's stick with the Sinai covenant. 378 00:20:17,410 --> 00:20:19,689 S5: There were quite a few laws that were given in 379 00:20:19,770 --> 00:20:23,210 S5: that respect, and if those laws are not followed, it's 380 00:20:23,210 --> 00:20:26,090 S5: essentially a violation of the covenant. That's something, as Christians, 381 00:20:26,090 --> 00:20:29,810 S5: that we don't always recognize. We think that, say, someone 382 00:20:29,810 --> 00:20:33,290 S5: who's under the Sinai into covenant sins or breaks one 383 00:20:33,290 --> 00:20:36,760 S5: of the commandments. We think, okay, well, they violated a commandment. 384 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,080 S5: But when God talks about the violation of these commandments, 385 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:43,439 S5: he's saying you have violated the covenant. It's not just 386 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:47,000 S5: a simple act of disobedience. It's a violation of an 387 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,440 S5: agreement that existed between two parties. Now, on the other hand, 388 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:54,080 S5: you have a promissory covenant, for example, like the one 389 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:58,240 S5: with Abraham. There was really nothing that Abraham had to do. Now, granted, 390 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:01,560 S5: he had to leave his home, but there were really 391 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:05,360 S5: no requirements other than to just believe God and that 392 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:07,440 S5: he made a promise to him and that he was 393 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:09,399 S5: going to make him into a great nation. 394 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:12,639 S1: Thanks for joining us today on the land and the book. 395 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,960 S1: I'm John Gager, joined in studio by Jim Ward. We're 396 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:19,439 S1: looking at this big picture idea of everlasting covenants. Why 397 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:21,880 S1: do you think God has chosen to interact with us 398 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:24,840 S1: via promises and Covenants? 399 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:26,639 S5: May I be so bold as to say that he 400 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:27,840 S5: respects us? 401 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:29,200 S1: Elaborate. 402 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:33,270 S5: He made us in his image if he had not 403 00:21:33,310 --> 00:21:35,750 S5: respected us so much, I think he just would have 404 00:21:35,750 --> 00:21:39,669 S5: made us like the animals. And, uh, just by the 405 00:21:39,670 --> 00:21:42,750 S5: fact that he gave us the ability to disagree with him, 406 00:21:42,990 --> 00:21:46,070 S5: to rebel, demonstrates that he made us in the in 407 00:21:46,070 --> 00:21:49,030 S5: his image and that we have free will. And I 408 00:21:49,030 --> 00:21:52,150 S5: think he's respecting the image of God that he has 409 00:21:52,150 --> 00:21:55,790 S5: placed in us by entering into an agreement with us. Now, 410 00:21:55,790 --> 00:21:58,430 S5: you have to realize, even though I think he's respecting us, 411 00:21:58,430 --> 00:22:02,670 S5: he can be very persuasive. In the case of Abraham also, 412 00:22:02,670 --> 00:22:05,310 S5: especially in the case of Israel, he did some things. 413 00:22:05,310 --> 00:22:08,630 S5: First he goes in there, he makes a spectacle of 414 00:22:08,630 --> 00:22:12,109 S5: the gods of, of Egypt through the plagues, and he 415 00:22:12,109 --> 00:22:15,230 S5: delivers his people from bondage. And then he brings them 416 00:22:15,230 --> 00:22:19,030 S5: to the mountain. After he's done all this, then he says, 417 00:22:19,030 --> 00:22:22,350 S5: I'd like to make a covenant with you. Well, he's 418 00:22:22,350 --> 00:22:25,150 S5: now got them in a position where he's delivered them. 419 00:22:25,150 --> 00:22:27,310 S5: It's not likely they're going to be able to go back. 420 00:22:27,630 --> 00:22:30,150 S5: So he's got them in a bind a little bit, 421 00:22:30,150 --> 00:22:33,460 S5: but he's demonstrated his power first. He has the ability 422 00:22:33,460 --> 00:22:37,020 S5: to persuade, and yet he doesn't demand that they enter 423 00:22:37,020 --> 00:22:41,220 S5: a covenant. He requests a covenant with them. And I 424 00:22:41,220 --> 00:22:43,700 S5: think he's showing respect for the image of God that 425 00:22:43,700 --> 00:22:45,340 S5: he's placed in each one of us. 426 00:22:45,380 --> 00:22:46,859 S1: You know, along those lines. Let me play with that 427 00:22:46,859 --> 00:22:49,340 S1: just a bit further. The fact that he has respected 428 00:22:49,340 --> 00:22:51,660 S1: us so much to draw up an agreement, so to speak, 429 00:22:52,180 --> 00:22:54,460 S1: is evidence of the fact that he believes we are 430 00:22:54,460 --> 00:22:57,820 S1: capable of honoring that covenant. It's not beyond us. He 431 00:22:57,820 --> 00:23:00,699 S1: hasn't he hasn't built something by way of agreement and 432 00:23:00,700 --> 00:23:02,379 S1: fine print that's out of reach. 433 00:23:02,859 --> 00:23:03,740 S5: Oh, exactly. 434 00:23:03,900 --> 00:23:06,460 S1: That says a lot, I think, about a sense of 435 00:23:06,460 --> 00:23:07,980 S1: our responsibility to. 436 00:23:08,020 --> 00:23:10,020 S5: I would definitely agree with that, John. Yeah. 437 00:23:10,060 --> 00:23:12,220 S1: This is the land and the book from Moody Radio. 438 00:23:12,260 --> 00:23:15,580 S1: Our guest today, Jim Ward. What other important covenants can 439 00:23:15,580 --> 00:23:17,300 S1: we find in the Bible, and what do they mean 440 00:23:17,300 --> 00:23:19,139 S1: for us in 2025, Jim? 441 00:23:19,619 --> 00:23:22,660 S5: Well, we started off with the Noah covenant. Then there's 442 00:23:22,660 --> 00:23:26,379 S5: the Abrahamic covenant. That's really a covenant with people. And 443 00:23:26,380 --> 00:23:29,300 S5: then we get to the Sinai covenant. That's really, in 444 00:23:29,300 --> 00:23:34,170 S5: my opinion, a covenant with a nation and its transgenerational. 445 00:23:34,490 --> 00:23:37,290 S5: Then we have the the royal covenant, the Davidic Covenant, 446 00:23:37,290 --> 00:23:40,689 S5: where he's narrowing it down to the royal line. And 447 00:23:40,690 --> 00:23:44,250 S5: then there's one that is often overlooked. I might say, 448 00:23:44,250 --> 00:23:47,730 S5: or sometimes omitted in some of the theological books that 449 00:23:47,730 --> 00:23:50,170 S5: I have read. And that is the Levitic covenant. There 450 00:23:50,170 --> 00:23:54,210 S5: is a covenant made with Levi, and sometimes it interferes 451 00:23:54,210 --> 00:23:58,570 S5: with certain theologies, but that's something that I cover in 452 00:23:58,570 --> 00:23:59,570 S5: one of the chapters. 453 00:24:00,210 --> 00:24:04,609 S1: Well, if we really appreciated really valued God's covenants with us, 454 00:24:04,690 --> 00:24:06,729 S1: how would our lives be different, do you think? 455 00:24:07,369 --> 00:24:11,570 S5: Well, in my opinion, our primary responsibility for studying the 456 00:24:11,570 --> 00:24:14,410 S5: Bible is to get to know God. I realize that 457 00:24:14,410 --> 00:24:17,210 S5: many of us read the Bible because we're looking for comfort. 458 00:24:17,530 --> 00:24:20,490 S5: We're looking for insight, maybe some advice. And those are 459 00:24:20,490 --> 00:24:24,730 S5: all good things. But the Apostle Paul's prayer for us 460 00:24:24,730 --> 00:24:27,770 S5: is that we would know this is from Ephesians, that 461 00:24:27,770 --> 00:24:32,120 S5: we would know and understand him better. And God's statement 462 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:35,320 S5: to Israel was that they would circumcise their hearts and 463 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:39,119 S5: that this would all be internalized. And in my opinion, 464 00:24:39,119 --> 00:24:42,080 S5: the primary reason for reading the Bible in general is 465 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:45,920 S5: that we might get to know him. And when we study, 466 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:49,320 S5: especially like the Torah, for example, we're studying law, and 467 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:52,159 S5: this is something that he delights in. And so if 468 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:55,200 S5: we understand it, we are getting inside of God's head. 469 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,440 S5: And when we understand the covenants, these are things that 470 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:01,800 S5: he has chosen. This is his chosen way of interacting 471 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:05,119 S5: with the human race. And if we understand those covenants, 472 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:07,920 S5: we are going to understand him better just by what 473 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,040 S5: we've been talking about here. When you ask the question, 474 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:13,560 S5: why would he even bother making covenants with us if 475 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:15,920 S5: what I said was accurate, that he respects us and 476 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:19,439 S5: he respects the image that he's placed in us, that 477 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:22,760 S5: tells me something about him, the fact that he offers 478 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:26,080 S5: a covenant to these different individuals or different groups. First 479 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:28,990 S5: of all, tells me he's not forcing himself on anyone. 480 00:25:29,350 --> 00:25:32,670 S5: He wants a relationship, whether it be with the individual 481 00:25:32,670 --> 00:25:35,190 S5: or with the group with whom he's covenanting. 482 00:25:35,790 --> 00:25:37,669 S1: Well, lots to think about here, and we invite you 483 00:25:37,670 --> 00:25:41,429 S1: to dig deeper as you check out Everlasting Covenants, Jim's book. 484 00:25:41,750 --> 00:25:44,070 S1: A link to that at our website. The land and 485 00:25:44,070 --> 00:25:47,590 S1: the book. Jim, thank you for these insights. A fascinating 486 00:25:47,630 --> 00:25:48,790 S1: thing to be thinking about. 487 00:25:48,869 --> 00:25:49,350 S5: Thank you. 488 00:25:49,910 --> 00:25:52,310 S1: Up next on the land in the book, your Bible 489 00:25:52,310 --> 00:26:07,910 S1: questions and some satisfying answers right here. It's that time. 490 00:26:08,070 --> 00:26:11,030 S1: Time to entertain some new questions from listeners that have 491 00:26:11,030 --> 00:26:13,470 S1: come in to us via our email address, which I'll 492 00:26:13,470 --> 00:26:16,110 S1: share with you later on. Welcome back to The land 493 00:26:16,109 --> 00:26:18,830 S1: and the book. By the way, I'm John Yeager. Good 494 00:26:18,830 --> 00:26:20,990 S1: to be with you today, and good to have Doctor 495 00:26:20,990 --> 00:26:24,790 S1: Gerald Peterman in his chair there, ready to answer those questions. 496 00:26:25,030 --> 00:26:27,860 S1: We'll start with one from James. An interesting way. He's 497 00:26:27,859 --> 00:26:30,859 S1: set this one up. He says, I was studying Bible 498 00:26:30,859 --> 00:26:33,780 S1: prophecy and a question came to mind. What if Michael 499 00:26:33,820 --> 00:26:36,300 S1: Wright gave you a call and said that he and 500 00:26:36,300 --> 00:26:38,780 S1: his wife, Eva, had some friends over a day ago 501 00:26:38,780 --> 00:26:42,139 S1: and discussed who the beast and false prophet might be 502 00:26:42,140 --> 00:26:45,820 S1: in revelation 13, and they, by the Holy Spirit, had 503 00:26:45,820 --> 00:26:49,620 S1: a strong sense of who these people are right now. Alright, 504 00:26:49,619 --> 00:26:52,500 S1: so here's the question. What would your reaction be? Would 505 00:26:52,500 --> 00:26:54,740 S1: you reveal the names of the people identified to the 506 00:26:54,740 --> 00:26:59,060 S1: public immediately, or would you wait until the exact identity 507 00:26:59,060 --> 00:27:01,420 S1: of the beast and the second beast were revealed? 508 00:27:02,340 --> 00:27:04,820 S6: My reaction would be this could never happen because I 509 00:27:04,820 --> 00:27:08,940 S6: know Michael and Eva and they know what Second Thessalonians says, 510 00:27:09,100 --> 00:27:10,859 S6: and I'm just going to drop in there. In verse three, 511 00:27:10,859 --> 00:27:13,340 S6: Paul says, don't let anyone deceive you in any way, 512 00:27:13,500 --> 00:27:16,419 S6: for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs 513 00:27:16,460 --> 00:27:19,340 S6: first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man 514 00:27:19,380 --> 00:27:21,340 S6: doomed to destruction. A little bit later on, he goes 515 00:27:21,340 --> 00:27:24,660 S6: on to say, the lawless one will be revealed when 516 00:27:24,660 --> 00:27:27,890 S6: the When the restrainer is taken away, and almost certainly 517 00:27:27,890 --> 00:27:30,689 S6: the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit working in us, the church. 518 00:27:30,890 --> 00:27:34,570 S6: When the church is raptured, the spirit is removed. And so, 519 00:27:34,570 --> 00:27:36,570 S6: in other words, the lawless one is going to be 520 00:27:36,570 --> 00:27:39,369 S6: revealed when Eva and Michael are no longer on the earth. 521 00:27:39,890 --> 00:27:42,450 S6: So I think they could not say this. 522 00:27:42,450 --> 00:27:45,450 S1: Jury wants to know. I'm hearing more talk in Christian 523 00:27:45,450 --> 00:27:51,410 S1: circles about generational curses. Can believers be subject to generational curses? 524 00:27:51,410 --> 00:27:53,010 S6: And I've heard the term, too. And I think the 525 00:27:53,010 --> 00:27:55,290 S6: short answer is no. It depends on how we define it. 526 00:27:55,330 --> 00:27:59,130 S6: I know where they're getting this phrase, generational curses. They're 527 00:27:59,130 --> 00:28:02,570 S6: getting it from passages like Deuteronomy five nine. And what 528 00:28:02,570 --> 00:28:05,010 S6: do we find? We find. I, the Lord your God, 529 00:28:05,010 --> 00:28:07,690 S6: am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin 530 00:28:07,730 --> 00:28:10,449 S6: of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of 531 00:28:10,450 --> 00:28:14,290 S6: those who hate me. So when there are sins in 532 00:28:14,290 --> 00:28:17,890 S6: the family, the sins can be passed on. But then 533 00:28:17,890 --> 00:28:21,729 S6: the children imitate the sins of the parents knowingly. They 534 00:28:21,730 --> 00:28:24,470 S6: choose to do so. So in other words, the curse 535 00:28:24,470 --> 00:28:28,110 S6: doesn't come upon them absent mindedly. And that can go 536 00:28:28,109 --> 00:28:31,310 S6: on for generation after generation in Christian families and in 537 00:28:31,350 --> 00:28:36,109 S6: non-Christian families. But thanks be to God, repentance can happen. 538 00:28:36,590 --> 00:28:39,870 S6: And we hear about this in Ezekiel 18. That's where 539 00:28:39,870 --> 00:28:42,830 S6: the prophet lays out a scenario. There's a righteous father, 540 00:28:42,950 --> 00:28:45,190 S6: and then he has a son who's corrupt, and then 541 00:28:45,190 --> 00:28:48,270 S6: that son has a son who is righteous. It all 542 00:28:48,270 --> 00:28:52,229 S6: depends upon the individual and the individual's choices. So I 543 00:28:52,230 --> 00:28:55,110 S6: don't think we're locked in to a generational curse. 544 00:28:55,150 --> 00:28:58,590 S1: Not locked in, but we can be affected by generational affected. 545 00:28:58,590 --> 00:29:01,070 S6: Yes. Yeah. So the real key then becomes do we 546 00:29:01,070 --> 00:29:02,670 S6: realize it and repent of it. 547 00:29:03,030 --> 00:29:05,550 S1: So along these same lines, Dan wants to know, can 548 00:29:05,590 --> 00:29:08,390 S1: a believer who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit also 549 00:29:08,390 --> 00:29:12,350 S1: be possessed by an evil spirit under some circumstances? 550 00:29:12,830 --> 00:29:15,350 S6: I think not. I think not, thanks be to God. 551 00:29:15,350 --> 00:29:17,709 S6: The one who is in us is more powerful than 552 00:29:17,710 --> 00:29:20,430 S6: the one that's outside us. The primary place I would 553 00:29:20,430 --> 00:29:23,180 S6: go to is first Corinthians six. What does Paul say? 554 00:29:23,220 --> 00:29:26,300 S6: Paul says, do you not know that your body is 555 00:29:26,300 --> 00:29:29,300 S6: a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, 556 00:29:29,300 --> 00:29:32,460 S6: whom you have received from God? You are not your own. 557 00:29:32,620 --> 00:29:35,900 S6: You have been bought at a price. The price is, 558 00:29:35,900 --> 00:29:38,700 S6: of course, the blood of Christ. So since we belong 559 00:29:38,700 --> 00:29:41,620 S6: to God and He is in us, we cannot belong 560 00:29:41,660 --> 00:29:42,580 S6: to someone else. 561 00:29:42,980 --> 00:29:45,100 S1: This is the land and the book from Moody Radio. 562 00:29:45,100 --> 00:29:48,540 S1: Doctor Gerald Peterman of the Moody Bible Institute faculty is 563 00:29:48,540 --> 00:29:51,260 S1: addressing your questions. Great to sit down with him and 564 00:29:51,260 --> 00:29:55,060 S1: tap into his knowledge. Sadie takes us to Romans 224, 565 00:29:55,060 --> 00:29:59,540 S1: which says, because of you, the Gentiles blaspheme my name. 566 00:29:59,700 --> 00:30:02,780 S1: Does this contradict Genesis 12 verse three? How could the 567 00:30:02,780 --> 00:30:07,500 S1: blasphemers be not cursed if they are excused by Romans 224? 568 00:30:08,020 --> 00:30:09,060 S1: I'm confused. 569 00:30:09,460 --> 00:30:11,580 S6: Well, this is a very complex question. So we have 570 00:30:11,580 --> 00:30:15,860 S6: to remember context for at least two things. Let's go 571 00:30:15,860 --> 00:30:18,460 S6: to Romans two. What's happening in Romans two? Paul is 572 00:30:18,460 --> 00:30:23,970 S6: talking to a Jewish audience. That is very presumptuous. They 573 00:30:23,970 --> 00:30:26,170 S6: think that because they have the circumcision, because they have 574 00:30:26,170 --> 00:30:29,530 S6: the law, because they have Jewish heritage, therefore they're in 575 00:30:29,530 --> 00:30:33,530 S6: with God. And he contradicts that perspective that they have. 576 00:30:34,170 --> 00:30:36,810 S6: And he then says to them, you who teach others, 577 00:30:36,810 --> 00:30:39,370 S6: do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, 578 00:30:39,370 --> 00:30:42,010 S6: do you steal you who say one must not commit adultery? 579 00:30:42,050 --> 00:30:44,530 S6: Do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols do you 580 00:30:44,570 --> 00:30:47,969 S6: rob temples? You who boast in the law. You dishonor 581 00:30:48,010 --> 00:30:50,810 S6: God by breaking the law. And now here comes the verse, 582 00:30:51,330 --> 00:30:53,730 S6: for it is written, the name of God is blasphemed 583 00:30:53,730 --> 00:30:57,530 S6: amongst the Gentiles because of you. Now that's taken from 584 00:30:57,530 --> 00:31:02,170 S6: Isaiah 52. What's the context of Isaiah 52? The context 585 00:31:02,170 --> 00:31:07,890 S6: of Isaiah 52 is Israelites taken away into exile in Assyria. 586 00:31:08,450 --> 00:31:11,890 S6: So you've got Jewish people surrounded by pagan people. And 587 00:31:11,890 --> 00:31:14,690 S6: here's what's happening. When this happens, the pagan people say, 588 00:31:14,690 --> 00:31:16,810 S6: na na na na na. Our God is more powerful 589 00:31:16,810 --> 00:31:19,650 S6: than your god, you see. So the name of God 590 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:24,520 S6: is blasphemed. That is a critique of what Israelites have 591 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:27,480 S6: done by presuming upon their own obedience. 592 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:30,040 S1: Okay, a bit of a follow up here from Sadie. 593 00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:33,080 S1: Is it true, as some authors claim, that the Pharisees 594 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:37,360 S1: began adopting occult beliefs during the Babylonian captivity? 595 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:40,160 S6: Well, I've never heard that, but I think the answer 596 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:44,040 S6: is no. Why is that? Because the Pharisees, as if 597 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:47,240 S6: you will, a kind of a separate religious cult, don't 598 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:52,000 S6: even come into existence until around 165 B.C. and that 599 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:56,520 S6: is 350 years after the captivity. Let me rephrase it. 600 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:59,520 S6: There weren't even Pharisees around to be dealing with these 601 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:01,520 S6: practices during the captivity. 602 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:04,960 S1: That sounds clear to me. Noah's question is, why do 603 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,959 S1: some well-known teachers or pastors or churches divide when it 604 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:13,040 S1: comes to losing salvation? Both sides use verses they say 605 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:16,200 S1: back up their side of the issue. What's the bottom line? 606 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:20,270 S6: Well, there is division because it's very important. And losing 607 00:32:20,270 --> 00:32:23,470 S6: salvation would be a horrible thing if it happened. It 608 00:32:23,470 --> 00:32:26,190 S6: does not happen. Thanks be to God. Let me take 609 00:32:26,190 --> 00:32:29,030 S6: us to Jesus. What does he say in John five? 610 00:32:29,550 --> 00:32:32,710 S6: Jesus said, I tell you the truth, whoever hears my 611 00:32:32,710 --> 00:32:36,550 S6: word and believes him who sent me has eternal life 612 00:32:36,670 --> 00:32:41,670 S6: and will not be condemned. He has crossed over from 613 00:32:41,670 --> 00:32:45,470 S6: death to life. Paul says something very similar in Ephesians 614 00:32:45,470 --> 00:32:50,070 S6: one verse 13. You also were included in Christ when 615 00:32:50,070 --> 00:32:52,630 S6: you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. 616 00:32:52,670 --> 00:32:55,470 S6: Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, 617 00:32:55,510 --> 00:33:01,270 S6: the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our 618 00:33:01,270 --> 00:33:04,709 S6: inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession. 619 00:33:04,830 --> 00:33:09,750 S6: We cannot lose salvation. On the other hand, it's possible 620 00:33:09,750 --> 00:33:13,510 S6: to have a false profession or even a false understanding 621 00:33:13,510 --> 00:33:15,990 S6: of who Christ is. Then the faith you have would 622 00:33:15,990 --> 00:33:19,380 S6: not be a good faith. Jesus talks about this in 623 00:33:19,380 --> 00:33:22,500 S6: Matthew seven. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, 624 00:33:22,860 --> 00:33:24,860 S6: will enter the kingdom, but those who do the will 625 00:33:24,900 --> 00:33:26,620 S6: of my father. Many will come to me and say, Lord, 626 00:33:26,620 --> 00:33:28,420 S6: you know we even prophesied in your name. And the 627 00:33:28,420 --> 00:33:32,660 S6: Lord will say, I never knew you. Not that you 628 00:33:32,700 --> 00:33:36,220 S6: knew me at some point, but I never knew you. 629 00:33:36,620 --> 00:33:38,980 S1: I find that to be one of the most chilling 630 00:33:38,980 --> 00:33:40,540 S1: verses in the entire Bible. 631 00:33:40,620 --> 00:33:42,300 S6: It is. It is. 632 00:33:42,340 --> 00:33:44,420 S1: I mean, these are people with good hearts, I think. 633 00:33:44,460 --> 00:33:47,620 S1: I mean, at least some good intentions, some biblical background. 634 00:33:47,620 --> 00:33:48,780 S1: But they missed it. 635 00:33:49,140 --> 00:33:52,460 S6: It's good for us to examine. Is our faith genuine? Yeah. 636 00:33:53,180 --> 00:33:54,940 S1: All right. Let's go back to our questions from listeners. 637 00:33:54,980 --> 00:33:57,700 S1: I got thousands of my own. Sadie takes us to 638 00:33:57,740 --> 00:34:02,860 S1: Hebrews 1132, where it praises the biblical character Jephthah, even 639 00:34:02,860 --> 00:34:05,900 S1: though he sacrificed his own daughter. Why so? 640 00:34:06,500 --> 00:34:11,140 S6: Well, my response might be unexpected. I don't think Jephthah 641 00:34:11,180 --> 00:34:13,340 S6: sacrificed his own daughter, but I'm going to have to 642 00:34:13,380 --> 00:34:17,410 S6: take some time explaining that. Yes. It's true. You come 643 00:34:17,410 --> 00:34:21,450 S6: to judges 1131 and we have a vow that Jephthah 644 00:34:21,450 --> 00:34:23,729 S6: makes whatever comes out of the doors of my house 645 00:34:23,730 --> 00:34:25,850 S6: to meet me when I'm returning peace from the sons 646 00:34:25,850 --> 00:34:28,569 S6: of Ammon. It shall be the Lord's, and I will 647 00:34:28,650 --> 00:34:31,290 S6: offer it up as a burnt offering. This pronoun, it 648 00:34:31,290 --> 00:34:33,930 S6: could be she comes out, he comes out, or it 649 00:34:33,930 --> 00:34:37,090 S6: comes out. I'm thinking Jephthah is thinking it's going to 650 00:34:37,090 --> 00:34:40,370 S6: be an animal. But I don't think when his daughter 651 00:34:40,370 --> 00:34:44,410 S6: comes out, he sacrifices her. I've got three reasons for that. First, 652 00:34:44,730 --> 00:34:48,730 S6: he makes this vow when the Holy Spirit comes upon him. 653 00:34:49,170 --> 00:34:51,129 S6: I don't think the Holy Spirit guides him to make 654 00:34:51,130 --> 00:34:55,050 S6: a vow about sacrificing a daughter. Correct. Number two, this 655 00:34:55,050 --> 00:34:58,930 S6: burnt offering. That's a technical term from Leviticus chapter one, 656 00:34:58,930 --> 00:35:03,690 S6: verse three. And a whole burnt offering is a male animal, 657 00:35:03,969 --> 00:35:06,850 S6: not a female animal. So it wouldn't be actually following 658 00:35:06,850 --> 00:35:09,810 S6: the law for Jephthah to do this. But then, third, 659 00:35:09,850 --> 00:35:13,770 S6: I think the primary reason is what is lamented near 660 00:35:13,770 --> 00:35:17,350 S6: the end of the of the story, his daughter laments 661 00:35:17,550 --> 00:35:22,109 S6: her virginity for two months. Why lament your virginity if 662 00:35:22,110 --> 00:35:26,549 S6: you're going to be sacrificed? Why not lament your life, right? Ah, 663 00:35:26,550 --> 00:35:29,710 S6: I take it because Jephthah doesn't offer up as a 664 00:35:29,710 --> 00:35:32,670 S6: burnt offering. He offers her as a someone who will 665 00:35:32,710 --> 00:35:36,630 S6: always be in the temple, serving God like Samuel was 666 00:35:36,630 --> 00:35:40,469 S6: offered by Hannah. Yeah. So in other words, now Jephthah 667 00:35:40,469 --> 00:35:44,549 S6: has no descendants, and it says twice in the narrative 668 00:35:45,150 --> 00:35:49,470 S6: she was his only child and never married. So then 669 00:35:49,469 --> 00:35:51,589 S6: Jephthah has no offspring. 670 00:35:52,310 --> 00:35:55,230 S1: Well, boy, we've dug into a lot of deep issues today. Nothing, though, 671 00:35:55,270 --> 00:35:57,989 S1: deeper than this idea of thinking, you know Jesus when 672 00:35:57,989 --> 00:36:01,110 S1: you really don't. What's a good next step in 15 673 00:36:01,110 --> 00:36:04,830 S1: seconds for somebody who who maybe has never given thought to, 674 00:36:04,870 --> 00:36:06,350 S1: is my faith genuine? 675 00:36:07,430 --> 00:36:11,350 S6: Uh, pray and ask the Lord for guidance. Um, go 676 00:36:11,350 --> 00:36:13,860 S6: over several texts in the New the New Testament about 677 00:36:13,860 --> 00:36:17,739 S6: what faith is, how faith might be defined. One of 678 00:36:17,739 --> 00:36:21,820 S6: my favorite ones is John 831 and 32. Ask other 679 00:36:21,820 --> 00:36:24,940 S6: people who know you really well. Tell me about my faith. 680 00:36:25,020 --> 00:36:26,700 S6: Get in my face, if you will, and tell me 681 00:36:26,700 --> 00:36:30,340 S6: about it. Yeah, I think that self-examination would be really good. 682 00:36:30,460 --> 00:36:34,300 S1: Good checks for a self-examination from Doctor Gerald Peterman answering 683 00:36:34,300 --> 00:36:36,819 S1: your Bible questions on the land and the book. We're 684 00:36:36,820 --> 00:36:53,060 S1: up next. It's Charlie Dyer's devotional. Stick around. Welcome back 685 00:36:53,060 --> 00:36:55,060 S1: to the land and the book. And if you hear 686 00:36:55,060 --> 00:36:58,379 S1: the word coney, you might think of Coney Island. You 687 00:36:58,380 --> 00:37:02,259 S1: might think of a coney animal. Charlie, tell us about 688 00:37:02,260 --> 00:37:03,739 S1: your devotional coming up. 689 00:37:03,780 --> 00:37:06,859 S2: Uh, we're going to talk about Groundhog Day and the 690 00:37:06,860 --> 00:37:09,300 S2: coneys mentioned in the King James Version of the Bible. 691 00:37:09,340 --> 00:37:12,530 S1: All right. Sounds intriguing, but first, this Holy Land experience. 692 00:37:12,650 --> 00:37:14,010 S1: Check out this testimony. 693 00:37:18,090 --> 00:37:20,130 S7: My name is Brian O'Neill, and I had the privilege 694 00:37:20,130 --> 00:37:24,290 S7: of traveling to Israel back in 2006 or so. And 695 00:37:24,290 --> 00:37:27,690 S7: I remember one particular event when we were at the 696 00:37:27,690 --> 00:37:31,290 S7: church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is the traditional site 697 00:37:31,290 --> 00:37:34,569 S7: of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus. And we 698 00:37:34,570 --> 00:37:38,410 S7: were reading from John ten, where Jesus says, I am 699 00:37:38,410 --> 00:37:41,330 S7: the sheep gate. I am the good shepherd. The good 700 00:37:41,330 --> 00:37:44,130 S7: shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. And so 701 00:37:44,130 --> 00:37:45,969 S7: we read that and thought about that. We were when 702 00:37:45,969 --> 00:37:48,410 S7: we were on site there. And then we kind of 703 00:37:48,410 --> 00:37:53,090 S7: went backwards down the traditional Via Dolorosa to the pools 704 00:37:53,090 --> 00:37:56,890 S7: of Bethesda, which are famous because that's where Jesus met 705 00:37:56,890 --> 00:37:59,890 S7: and healed the lame man. And when you read John 706 00:37:59,890 --> 00:38:03,730 S7: five on that story, the story begins with saying, In 707 00:38:03,730 --> 00:38:09,009 S7: Jerusalem by the sheep gate there are these pools called Bethesda. 708 00:38:09,010 --> 00:38:12,200 S7: And that's where Jesus met the lame man, and just 709 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:14,920 S7: hearing those two passages echo together in my mind, and 710 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:17,480 S7: then hearing Jesus say, I am the sheepgate. And then 711 00:38:17,480 --> 00:38:20,640 S7: reading in John five by the sheep gate really drew 712 00:38:20,640 --> 00:38:24,640 S7: to my attention that Jesus came to fulfill that role 713 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:27,160 S7: of laying down his life for the sheep. That gateway 714 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:29,560 S7: into the temple that the sheep gate offered was the 715 00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:31,680 S7: way that we came into relationship with God. 716 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:36,759 S1: We're headed for the book of Proverbs, chapter 30. In 717 00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:40,360 S1: your devotional, Charlie, you've called it the Wise Israeli Coney. 718 00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:41,560 S1: I am really intrigued. 719 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:44,799 S2: Yeah, well. Thanks, John. Yeah, this coming week is Groundhog Day. 720 00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:48,839 S2: What most people know about Groundhog or Groundhog Day comes 721 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:51,560 S2: from seeing the date on their calendar, or maybe viewing 722 00:38:51,560 --> 00:38:54,960 S2: the 1993 movie of the same name that starred Bill Murray. 723 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:59,279 S2: But growing up in Pennsylvania and working some summers on farms, 724 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,080 S2: I got to experience groundhogs in a more up close 725 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:04,759 S2: and personal way. And let me just say, they're not 726 00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:08,440 S2: nearly as cute up close. The problem is that groundhogs 727 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:11,990 S2: dig burrows in the ground. Weakening the soil. Those dens 728 00:39:11,989 --> 00:39:15,149 S2: can collapse under the weight of farm tractors or other equipment, 729 00:39:15,350 --> 00:39:18,150 S2: and the holes can actually injure animals that might step 730 00:39:18,150 --> 00:39:21,070 S2: in them. And the holes aren't the only problem. Groundhogs 731 00:39:21,110 --> 00:39:24,710 S2: act like little furry combines, chewing their way through the crops. 732 00:39:24,989 --> 00:39:27,270 S2: I know farmers who carried a rifle when they were 733 00:39:27,270 --> 00:39:30,070 S2: out cultivating their fields to try to rid the fields 734 00:39:30,070 --> 00:39:33,750 S2: of those bothersome pests, but one town in Pennsylvania has 735 00:39:33,750 --> 00:39:38,189 S2: learned how to profit off the little furry mammals. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, 736 00:39:38,190 --> 00:39:42,350 S2: is the home of Punxsutawney Phil. Every February 2nd, thousands 737 00:39:42,350 --> 00:39:45,950 S2: of visitors descend on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney to see 738 00:39:45,950 --> 00:39:49,029 S2: if Phil will predict an early spring or six more 739 00:39:49,030 --> 00:39:52,910 S2: weeks of winter. As the Groundhog Club of Punxsutawney says 740 00:39:52,910 --> 00:39:55,549 S2: on its website, what would you rather be doing in 741 00:39:55,550 --> 00:39:57,390 S2: the middle of the night in the middle of the 742 00:39:57,390 --> 00:40:01,469 S2: winter in western PA? Having lived in Pennsylvania with all 743 00:40:01,469 --> 00:40:05,109 S2: those groundhogs? Imagine my surprise when I spotted what looked 744 00:40:05,110 --> 00:40:07,540 S2: like a groundhog during my very first trip to Trip 745 00:40:07,540 --> 00:40:10,780 S2: to Israel. It was perched on a rock sunning itself 746 00:40:10,900 --> 00:40:13,420 S2: as we hiked to the waterfall at Enjeti. Down by 747 00:40:13,420 --> 00:40:17,100 S2: the Dead Sea. My excitement was short lived, however. The 748 00:40:17,100 --> 00:40:19,219 S2: teacher and guide on that trip let us know what 749 00:40:19,219 --> 00:40:22,180 S2: we were seeing wasn't a groundhog. It was a hyrax 750 00:40:22,180 --> 00:40:24,580 S2: or rock badger. Or if you grew up with the 751 00:40:24,580 --> 00:40:28,100 S2: King James Version of the Bible, a coney. I really 752 00:40:28,100 --> 00:40:31,660 S2: like the name Coney. True, it's not a great translation. 753 00:40:31,660 --> 00:40:34,980 S2: Since when the Bible was translated? Back then, a coney 754 00:40:34,980 --> 00:40:37,660 S2: was a name used for a rabbit. And the animal 755 00:40:37,660 --> 00:40:40,460 S2: I saw in Israel didn't look anything like a rabbit. 756 00:40:40,739 --> 00:40:44,060 S2: No long ears, no fuzzy tail, no hopping around on 757 00:40:44,060 --> 00:40:46,580 S2: the ground. But it was a unique word that I 758 00:40:46,580 --> 00:40:49,700 S2: could match up with the animal I saw. Hyrax or 759 00:40:49,700 --> 00:40:53,300 S2: rock badger might be more accurate scientifically, but those words 760 00:40:53,300 --> 00:40:56,540 S2: don't really mean anything to me. The translators of the 761 00:40:56,540 --> 00:40:59,819 S2: New American Standard Bible punted when they decided how to 762 00:40:59,860 --> 00:41:03,980 S2: translate the word. The Hebrew word for this animal is chiffon, 763 00:41:03,980 --> 00:41:07,529 S2: and they simply translated it that way. Chiffon is the 764 00:41:07,530 --> 00:41:10,770 S2: singular and chef name for the plural. Now it's accurate, 765 00:41:10,770 --> 00:41:13,410 S2: but it still seems to lack the pizzazz of coney. 766 00:41:13,890 --> 00:41:15,729 S2: But what does any of this have to do with 767 00:41:15,730 --> 00:41:19,290 S2: our focus on the whys? Groundhog? Well, as I've already said, 768 00:41:19,290 --> 00:41:22,450 S2: the coney or rock badger or hyrax or chiffon in 769 00:41:22,450 --> 00:41:26,049 S2: Israel does look something like a groundhog. But they're not 770 00:41:26,050 --> 00:41:30,250 S2: related to the larger classification of animals, though both are mammals. 771 00:41:30,450 --> 00:41:33,290 S2: A groundhog is a rodent considered to be a large 772 00:41:33,290 --> 00:41:37,130 S2: ground squirrel or marmot, but a coney is more closely 773 00:41:37,130 --> 00:41:41,090 S2: related to, believe it or not, an elephant. Its front 774 00:41:41,130 --> 00:41:44,650 S2: teeth resemble tiny tusks, and its toes and skull are 775 00:41:44,650 --> 00:41:48,049 S2: more pachyderm like. It might look something like a groundhog, 776 00:41:48,050 --> 00:41:51,890 S2: but that's where the similarities end. In both Leviticus 11 777 00:41:51,890 --> 00:41:55,250 S2: and Deuteronomy 14, God made it clear that the coney 778 00:41:55,250 --> 00:41:57,810 S2: was not an animal that was to be eaten. Using 779 00:41:57,850 --> 00:42:01,170 S2: today's terminology, it wasn't kosher, but that doesn't mean the 780 00:42:01,170 --> 00:42:05,009 S2: animal wasn't important. In fact, God used the coney to 781 00:42:05,010 --> 00:42:08,479 S2: teach Israel a great lesson about wisdom and to learn 782 00:42:08,480 --> 00:42:11,200 S2: that lesson. Let's head back down to Engedi, to the 783 00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:14,320 S2: place where I first spotted that cony over 40 years ago. 784 00:42:14,840 --> 00:42:17,319 S2: As we hike up the pathway leading to the waterfall, 785 00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:19,839 S2: we spot a group of conies sprawled out on the 786 00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:22,440 S2: rocks and boulders just to the left of the pathway. 787 00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:25,000 S2: You can see for yourself that they do look something 788 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:29,160 S2: like groundhogs, but while groundhogs dig burrows into the ground, 789 00:42:29,160 --> 00:42:32,720 S2: the conies make their homes in the crevices between the rocks. 790 00:42:32,719 --> 00:42:35,360 S2: They live in family groups, often with the oldest male 791 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:38,400 S2: standing guard, while the other members of the clan lounge 792 00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:41,399 S2: in the sun scamper among the rocks or feed off 793 00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:44,279 S2: the nearby trees and brush. As long as we don't 794 00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:47,680 S2: make any sudden moves or loud noises, we won't scare 795 00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:50,480 S2: them off. But if we do, they'll quickly disappear into 796 00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:53,520 S2: the rocks and wait until we're gone before they emerge. 797 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:56,960 S2: As we stand here and watch these creatures scamper about, 798 00:42:57,120 --> 00:43:01,440 S2: the words of Proverbs 3026 come to life. In that passage, 799 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:04,739 S2: the writer introduces us to four creatures on Earth that 800 00:43:04,739 --> 00:43:08,339 S2: are small yet extremely wise, and the second creature on 801 00:43:08,340 --> 00:43:11,180 S2: his list of animals that illustrate wisdom are the very 802 00:43:11,180 --> 00:43:14,819 S2: ones before us. Now. The conies or hyrax, or rock 803 00:43:14,820 --> 00:43:18,020 S2: badgers or shefayim are creatures of little power, yet they 804 00:43:18,020 --> 00:43:21,900 S2: make their homes in the crags. These groundhog looking animals 805 00:43:21,900 --> 00:43:24,660 S2: are relatively defenseless. If they were to be caught out 806 00:43:24,660 --> 00:43:26,940 S2: in the open by a wolf, or a desert lynx, 807 00:43:26,940 --> 00:43:29,540 S2: or even an eagle or some other large bird of prey, 808 00:43:29,820 --> 00:43:32,779 S2: they could easily be taken. But conies don't live out 809 00:43:32,780 --> 00:43:36,419 S2: in the open to spot them. You look for rocks, boulders, 810 00:43:36,420 --> 00:43:39,780 S2: rock ledges, under cliffs or rocks piled up into stone 811 00:43:39,780 --> 00:43:43,660 S2: fences or ancient ruins. But what's the lesson on wisdom 812 00:43:43,780 --> 00:43:47,660 S2: we're to learn from this insignificant animal? Conies have wisely 813 00:43:47,660 --> 00:43:51,219 S2: learned to seek out and remain near places of safety. 814 00:43:51,660 --> 00:43:55,219 S2: The author of Proverbs 30 sees this relatively small animal, 815 00:43:55,340 --> 00:43:59,140 S2: teaching us the importance of not living foolishly, of making 816 00:43:59,140 --> 00:44:02,570 S2: sure we don't unnecessarily expose ourselves to threats or threats 817 00:44:02,570 --> 00:44:07,770 S2: or dangers. Exercising appropriate care and caution in threatening circumstances 818 00:44:07,930 --> 00:44:10,890 S2: is wise. And yet the Koni didn't live in fear, 819 00:44:11,050 --> 00:44:15,490 S2: hiding inside its den all day. We still see it outside, resting, feeding, 820 00:44:15,650 --> 00:44:19,210 S2: scampering about, but always making sure it remained close to 821 00:44:19,250 --> 00:44:24,330 S2: its place of protection should danger suddenly appear. The Koni, 822 00:44:24,370 --> 00:44:28,850 S2: Israel's version of a groundhog, at first seems rather insignificant. 823 00:44:28,969 --> 00:44:31,890 S2: It wasn't even an approved source of food. And yet 824 00:44:31,890 --> 00:44:35,810 S2: God had this animal teach Israel and us an important 825 00:44:35,810 --> 00:44:40,730 S2: lesson about wisdom. Someone who's wise knows, like the coney, 826 00:44:40,730 --> 00:44:44,529 S2: that it's important to protect against unnecessary exposure to danger 827 00:44:44,530 --> 00:44:49,969 S2: and risk. Taking one's security seriously is wise. So what 828 00:44:50,010 --> 00:44:53,570 S2: lesson should we take away from this encounter with Israel's 829 00:44:53,570 --> 00:44:58,250 S2: wise version of Punxsutawney Phil? How about this it's never 830 00:44:58,250 --> 00:45:02,759 S2: too late to begin mastering God's principles for living life wisely. 831 00:45:03,160 --> 00:45:06,759 S2: And one key principle of wise living is not foolishly 832 00:45:06,760 --> 00:45:10,960 S2: taking unnecessary risks. Jesus said the wise man built his 833 00:45:10,960 --> 00:45:14,160 S2: house upon the rock, and Proverbs 30 says the wise 834 00:45:14,160 --> 00:45:17,400 S2: Coni built his house among the rocks. And perhaps the 835 00:45:17,400 --> 00:45:20,320 S2: best application for us is to make sure we stay 836 00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:24,920 S2: close to the Rock of ages. To help visualize this lesson, 837 00:45:24,920 --> 00:45:27,360 S2: I'll post a few pictures of Conies on our land 838 00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:30,279 S2: and the book Facebook page two will actually be from 839 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:33,040 S2: my first trip there to Angati, and the third is 840 00:45:33,040 --> 00:45:35,400 S2: from a trip I took up in Galilee. If you 841 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:37,680 S2: want to see a cone, head over to our Facebook 842 00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:39,360 S2: page and take a look. 843 00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:43,480 S1: Thank you Charlie. Well, speaking of wisdom, the ultimate wisdom 844 00:45:43,600 --> 00:45:46,480 S1: is to know Jesus as Savior, to make him in 845 00:45:46,480 --> 00:45:49,120 S1: charge of your life. For somebody who is confused about 846 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:52,200 S1: what that means. What did they do? What did they pray? 847 00:45:52,200 --> 00:45:54,280 S1: How did they get this thing right with God? 848 00:45:54,480 --> 00:45:56,200 S2: Well, John, I think the easiest thing that they could 849 00:45:56,200 --> 00:45:58,320 S2: do is turn to God and say, Lord, I don't 850 00:45:58,320 --> 00:46:01,189 S2: know you, but I want to. And I understand you 851 00:46:01,190 --> 00:46:03,750 S2: sent your son here to live a perfect life, and 852 00:46:03,750 --> 00:46:05,950 S2: then to die on the cross to pay the penalty 853 00:46:05,989 --> 00:46:08,230 S2: for my sin. And I want to put my trust 854 00:46:08,230 --> 00:46:10,469 S2: in him right now. And what he did for me 855 00:46:10,469 --> 00:46:13,270 S2: is my Savior. So please forgive me of my sins, 856 00:46:13,270 --> 00:46:16,150 S2: because I want to put my trust now in Jesus. 857 00:46:16,150 --> 00:46:19,510 S2: And if someone prays that God will answer that prayer. 858 00:46:19,950 --> 00:46:22,270 S1: Thank you Charlie. We'd love to hear from you. If 859 00:46:22,270 --> 00:46:24,270 S1: this is a step that you're taking, you can email 860 00:46:24,270 --> 00:46:30,070 S1: us anytime at The Land and the book@moody.edu. Again, that's 861 00:46:30,070 --> 00:46:34,470 S1: the land and the book at Moody Edu. We appreciate 862 00:46:34,469 --> 00:46:37,230 S1: your listening and we appreciate your checking out our podcast. 863 00:46:37,230 --> 00:46:41,270 S1: It's waiting for you now at the land and the book. Org, 864 00:46:41,310 --> 00:46:43,350 S1: a great way for you to share this program with 865 00:46:43,350 --> 00:46:47,310 S1: a friend at the land and the book.org. Well, our 866 00:46:47,310 --> 00:46:50,230 S1: time has gone. Thank you for connecting today. The land 867 00:46:50,230 --> 00:46:52,630 S1: and the book is a production of Moody Radio, a 868 00:46:52,630 --> 00:46:54,910 S1: ministry of Moody Bible Institute.