S1: Throughout scripture we encounter lots of different covenants. These are
S1: promises and agreements that God has made. Why are they
S1: so central to understanding Scripture and the heart of God himself?
S1: And why don't we talk more about them? Coming up,
S1: we'll discover why biblical covenants are still a big deal.
S1: And of course, we'll cover all the major news stories
S1: in the Middle East and answer your Bible questions. And
S1: enjoy Charlie Dyer's devotional. That and more on the land
S1: and the book. Hey, welcome. I'm John Gager, and speaking
S1: of Charlie Dyer. Charlie, how's your day been going so far?
S2: John, it's going great. Of course, every day seems to
S2: be going great when we know the Lord's in charge
S2: and we're following him.
S1: Amen. Well, here's a question. As we kick things off today,
S1: what does Passover mean for us as believers in Jesus?
S1: Some might remember the story from the book of Exodus,
S1: but there's so much more to it. Did you know
S1: that the Last Supper was actually a Passover meal? Not
S1: only did Jesus and his disciples celebrate Passover, it also
S1: foreshadowed his death on the cross for our redemption.
S2: The Jewish people have been keeping the feast of Passover
S2: for thousands of years. Understanding the history and importance of
S2: this holiday will help you better connect with your Jewish
S2: friends and neighbors. And what better way is there to
S2: learn about Passover than to experience a Passover Seder yourself?
S2: If you've never celebrated Passover, our friends at Life in
S2: Messiah would love to partner with you in hosting a
S2: Seder experience. Every year, their staff engage churches and small
S2: groups in an interactive Messiah in the Passover Seder, allowing
S2: participants to taste and see the redemption story. If you're
S2: interested in having someone come lead a Seder in your area,
S2: visit Life in Messiah org and click on the radio
S2: button there to learn more. That's life in Messiah.
S1: And now let's swing our focus toward current events in
S1: the Middle East. As the hostage deal between Hamas and
S1: Israel continues to continues to unfold. It raises two crucial issues. First,
S1: why is Israel willing to release so many terrorists guilty
S1: of murder to gain the freedom of the remaining hostages?
S1: It just seems so imbalanced. And won't those being released
S1: by Israel just go back to being terrorists like Yahya
S1: Sinwar himself did?
S2: Yeah, some might not realize that Sinwar was serving a
S2: life sentence for terrorism when he was released in 2011,
S2: in a major prisoner swap that saw Israel give up
S2: over a thousand prisoners in exchange for a single Israeli soldier.
S2: Sinwar became the head of Hamas and planned the October
S2: 7th invasion that resulted in the death of 1200 Israeli civilians.
S2: So the reality is that releasing terrorists will almost certainly
S2: result in those terrorists participating in future attacks. But the
S2: logic behind this for Israel begins with an expression from
S2: the Talmud whoever saves a single life is considered by
S2: Scripture to have saved the whole world. And that's true
S2: because we're created in God's image. Now, that lesson was
S2: reinforced during the Holocaust, when so many lives were taken
S2: by the Nazis. Most Israelis view the life of every
S2: single hostage held by Hamas, significant and worth the price
S2: being paid. John, I think we sense this. When we
S2: interviewed Ayelet Levy Sarkar back in March. A medical doctor
S2: with other children, she was torn between taking care of
S2: her family and helping those who depend on her medical skill,
S2: while never giving up on her daughter, who had been
S2: captured by Hamas. And when Naama was released last weekend,
S2: I found it difficult to hold back tears as I
S2: watched Ayellet embrace her daughter and weep with joy and thanksgiving.
S2: Israel really is more like an extended family than a country,
S2: you know in the US. People can empathize with news
S2: reports on the kidnapping or death of someone caught in
S2: a tragic situation, but those feelings are tempered by the
S2: reality that we usually don't have a personal connection to
S2: that person or family. But virtually everyone in Israel has
S2: a personal connection to the events of October 7th. It
S2: bonded them to the hostages as if they were part
S2: of their own family. And that's why Israel's willing to
S2: release so many terrorists in exchange for the hostages, even
S2: knowing that most will likely return to terrorism. Now, Israel
S2: isn't being totally naive here. When Hamas changed the terms
S2: of the deal by not releasing specific hostages, Israel refused
S2: to allow the return of citizens to northern Gaza until
S2: Hamas complied with the agreement, with two additional phases of
S2: the cease fire agreement still remaining to be ironed out.
S2: The entire process remains fragile. So more conflict could be
S2: just over the horizon.
S1: And if I read correctly, Hamas has released a list
S1: of the names, and there are not all that many
S1: who are still alive. I found that discouraging.
S2: That's sad. And when the remainder of these 33 come,
S2: it's going to be amazing how many are not alive.
S2: And sadly, that looks like it could include those two
S2: young children who were abducted.
S1: Well, the second crucial issue that needs to be addressed
S1: is what happens next in Gaza. Once the hostages are released,
S1: watching all the celebration taking place there, it almost seems
S1: like Hamas is claiming to have won the war there cheering.
S1: You see them on television. I mean, what's going on?
S2: Yeah. You know, as they parade those hostages in front
S2: of crowds prior to their being released, they really are
S2: trying to give the impression that they had won the war.
S2: But impressions can be deceiving. You know, on October 7th,
S2: 6000 terrorists took part in the invasion and massacre. They
S2: breached Israel's border at 114 different places. They used boats, drones, missiles, paragliders,
S2: trucks and motorcycles. They killed 1200 Israelis and took an
S2: additional almost 250 back into Gaza as hostages. Now that's
S2: the version of a glorious surprise attack, an invasion that
S2: Hamas is trying to present. But the reality is less impressive.
S2: In the first two days, Israel killed 1400 militants and
S2: captured 200 others. Once Israel regained its footing, it pressed
S2: the attack against Hamas. The final numbers aren't known, but
S2: Israel believes it killed upwards of 17,000 Hamas militants in Gaza.
S2: They also eliminated much of Hamas's key infrastructure and leadership,
S2: both in Gaza and in Iran. They destroyed large portions
S2: of the tunnel system in Gaza, eliminated rocket launching sites,
S2: military hardware command centers, manufacturing sites where those rockets were prepared.
S2: The thousands of refugees streaming back to northern Gaza are
S2: now discovering a moonscape of blown up buildings and piles
S2: of rubble where houses, apartments and shops once stood. Hamas
S2: fighters used them as cover when they were fighting Israel,
S2: and they were destroyed during the war. The only victory
S2: Hamas can claim is the surprise attack on October 7th,
S2: and the reality that outside pressure from the west, along
S2: with the hostages they held, kept Israel from attacking with
S2: greater ferocity. That's a Pyrrhic victory at best. The real
S2: losers in this battle were the people of Gaza and
S2: the Israeli communities along the border. Israel is already preparing
S2: to rebuild its communities, but it will take years for
S2: Gaza to clear away the rubble and begin to do
S2: the same. And sadly, unless Hamas is removed from leadership,
S2: the prospects for Gaza's future will remain dim. I'm sure
S2: this is all going to be part of the discussion
S2: later this week between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu,
S2: when he visits.
S1: Charlie without asking you to be too specific. Do you
S1: think it's likely that Hamas will assume a less larger
S1: role in the running of things in Gaza, or do
S1: you think it's going to be business as usual for
S1: the foreseeable future?
S2: My optimism would say, I hope that they're going to
S2: have less of a role or no role. Certainly, that's
S2: Israel's bottom line. The sad part is it depends on
S2: what other nations around are willing to do, including Europe
S2: and the United States. And right now, we don't know.
S2: I think many would be willing to let Hamas stay
S2: in power.
S1: You're listening to The Land in the book from Moody
S1: Radio with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, a noted Middle
S1: East Scholar. The images of the California wildfires that devastated
S1: parts of Los Angeles shocked us all, while an Israeli
S1: start up company hopes to make scenes like that a
S1: thing of the past. How? Well, by deploying an iron
S1: dome for wildfires. How does this new fire dome system work,
S1: and when would it become operational?
S2: Yeah, in the current battle against wildfires, boots on the
S2: ground and support from the air are the main lines
S2: of defense. But using a military analogy, what's missing is
S2: artillery support. And that's what Tel Aviv based fire Dome
S2: seeks to add to the firefighters arsenal. The company's technology
S2: resembles the Iron Dome missile defense system, which identifies, tracks
S2: and destroys incoming rockets using artificial intelligence. Fire dome includes
S2: a tracking system comprised of cameras, coupled with a computer
S2: that keeps watch for embers or small fires. It also
S2: includes a mechanical launcher that hurls fire retardant, biodegradable capsules
S2: which open before impact to disperse fire retardant chemicals, creating
S2: a protective barrier. The initial system can launch these capsules
S2: up to a quarter mile, enabling it to cover 50
S2: to 100 acres of land. In later versions, they plan
S2: to expand coverage to a one mile radius, and the
S2: goal is to test the system in California during the
S2: next fire season. Right now, Fire Dome is designed to
S2: protect a medium sized area, like a residential neighborhood or
S2: a vineyard, or a resort, where the potential savings will
S2: justify the initial installation expense. However, if the system proves
S2: it can help stop small fires from becoming raging infernos,
S2: the savings in property and insurance costs might encourage even
S2: more widespread use. Anything that can help stop wildfires will
S2: be greatly appreciated, so we'll keep our eyes open for
S2: future reports of Israel's fire dome system in action.
S1: Well, a little over 100 years ago, antibiotics became the
S1: wonder drugs to treat bacterial infections. But the rise of
S1: antibiotic resistant strains of Strains of bacteria have made it
S1: more difficult to treat such infections. Now, a breakthrough study
S1: from Tel Aviv University could help solve the antibiotic resistance crisis.
S1: Tell us about this new research out of Israel.
S2: Yeah. The researchers at Tel Aviv University demonstrated a crucial
S2: but underexplored process of DNA transfer between bacteria could be
S2: exploited to neutralize bacterial defense mechanisms. The transfer of DNA
S2: material is crucial to the survival of bacteria, and during
S2: that transfer process, one bacterial cell connects directly to another
S2: and allows the transfer of genetic fragments called plasmids. These
S2: help provide the recipient bacteria with genetic advantages, including antibiotic resistance. Now,
S2: Israeli researchers discovered that if the Anti-defense genes are positioned
S2: near the DNA entry point, those plasmids overcome the defense
S2: mechanisms of the cells. But if the genes are located
S2: elsewhere on the plasmid, the bacteria die upon exposure to
S2: Antibiotics in the race against antibiotic resistant bacteria. This new
S2: discovery and subsequent plan of attack from Amazing Israel might
S2: just offer great promise.
S1: And that's a look at current events from the Middle East.
S1: Thank you Charlie. Appreciate that. Medical tech development as well. Hey,
S1: why are biblical covenants still such a big deal? You'll
S1: find out as you stick with us here on the land.
S1: And the book. Your Bible. It's filled with unbreakable agreements
S1: from God. They're called covenants. But do they still matter today?
S1: And if so, why? Coming up, a look at God's
S1: everlasting covenant with his people. This is the land and
S1: the book. I'm John Gager right now. Let's pause and
S1: think creatively about how we can show the love of
S1: Christ to that Jewish friend that God has placed in
S1: placed in our lives. Listen to this. God has done
S1: an amazing thing in this friendship of yours with a
S1: Jewish friend. Let's say that she or he wants to
S1: take the next step further with you in some kind
S1: of a Bible study. Where in the world would you
S1: take them in the Bible for a study that would
S1: be meaningful to them? Eva melnick is an adjunct faculty
S1: member at Moody Bible Institute. What's the passage that you
S1: might take on or recommend, or the book of the Bible?
S3: That's interesting. I think that if you had time, if
S3: you had like a long term relationship with this person
S3: and they were willing to invest some time, say, like
S3: over a summer or winter solstice or whatever, um, study
S3: the book of Matthew with your friend, because Matthew, the
S3: gospel was written for Jewish people, and it is the
S3: most rich with messianic prophecy and pictures of the Messiah
S3: drawn right from the Jewish scriptures. And so if you
S3: have some time in your Jewish friends willing say, okay,
S3: this week, let's read these two chapters, let's get together
S3: next Tuesday over coffee. and what questions came up for you.
S3: Matthew is a great place to start.
S1: What about some resources along the way? Any books you
S1: might recommend? Or are there any ways that we should
S1: approach these passages? Probably. We don't want to firehose people.
S1: We don't want to read ten chapters in one night.
S3: Right, exactly, exactly. I you know, as you know, I
S3: work with Chosen People Ministries, and we have some great
S3: material that's available with chosen people about how to share
S3: your faith with your Jewish friends. There was a great
S3: book on Isaiah 53. There's some other material that's just
S3: general material on how to share your faith with your
S3: Jewish friends that I think would be helpful for a
S3: person to take a look at before they have those conversations.
S3: If you are more visual, my search for Messiah by
S3: Michael Riedel, a great resource to take a look at
S3: and then give that to your Jewish friends.
S1: And what a great guy he is.
S3: As handsome and nice.
S4: Yeah, yeah. And just.
S1: Slightly related.
S4: To you. Yeah, yeah. You know.
S1: Even adjunct faculty member. And with Chosen People Ministries, our
S1: guest here on the land and the book, Jim Ward
S1: has a diverse background that enables him to bring fresh
S1: insights to Scripture. His decades of experience as a Bible teacher,
S1: it pro and his understanding of the languages of the
S1: Bible help him notice the important details in God's Word
S1: that maybe some of us are overlooking. Those details often
S1: demystify passages in the Bible and illuminate their simple meaning.
S1: Jim's wife, Anita, has been a part of Moody Radio
S1: for decades, but it's an honor to welcome Jim now
S1: to the land and the book. Thanks for coming to
S1: our studio.
S5: Well, thank you for inviting me.
S1: You know, Jim, it seems to me we don't hear
S1: much about biblical covenants today from our pulpits. Why do
S1: you suppose that is? Or am I wrong?
S5: Oh, that may be true in some circumstances, but I
S5: think it's probably because it's a theological topic. And it
S5: depends on why people are reading the Bible.
S1: Yeah. When we use the term covenant, what do we
S1: actually mean here? What are we talking about?
S5: Its base definition is an agreement. In the case of
S5: the Bible, you're really dealing with an agreement that is
S5: offered by a superior being, And sometimes it comes with
S5: a promise. Sometimes it comes with conditions for both parties.
S1: We sometimes refer to the act of getting married as
S1: entering into a covenant. But doesn't that cloud the biblical
S1: concepts and so many of our marriage covenants are broken?
S5: Well, there's a strong similarity, but like I was saying,
S5: a biblical covenant involves a superior being. Whereas with the
S5: marriage covenant you're really dealing with equals. But again, they're
S5: very similar because it's an agreement.
S1: And not just equals fallen equals broken equals. Yes for sure.
S1: Jim Ward has a rich and nuanced understanding of biblical covenants.
S1: He's our guest today on the land and the book.
S1: I'm going to invite you to take us to one
S1: of the earliest covenants in Scripture, Jim, who is involved here?
S1: What are the specifics? What do we need to know?
S5: Well, I tried to stick to the text, and I
S5: wanted to focus on a particular phrase Brit Olam or
S5: Everlasting Covenant. There are some other portions of Scripture where
S5: someone might argue that a covenant was It wasn't involved.
S5: But the first time we see the word Brit Olam
S5: occurring in Scripture is in reference to the Noah story.
S5: And so that's where we see the first everlasting covenant
S5: with Noah, commonly known as the Noahic covenant and the
S5: associated Noahide laws.
S1: Okay, elaborate. What's in that covenant and is it in
S1: effect today?
S5: Oh, most definitely. And the reason I can say it's
S5: in effect today is because it's everlasting. This really boils
S5: down to the point here, John. When understanding Scripture, do
S5: words mean things? And what does the word everlasting mean?
S5: It either means everlasting or it means something else. And
S5: I've chosen to take it at face value. So yes,
S5: all of these covenants that we read about in this book,
S5: Everlasting Covenants, are, in my opinion, permanent because they are everlasting.
S5: And with Noah and the no way covenant, God has
S5: made a promise that he will not flood the earth again.
S5: He will not destroy all human life. I'm very happy
S5: that that covenant is everlasting. And in addition to that,
S5: there were some laws that were made. Now in the scriptures,
S5: we only we are only told about two of them.
S5: And one is that he would hold people accountable for
S5: killing other people. There was a death penalty associated with that.
S5: You know, the main law there is that whoever sheds
S5: man's blood by man shall his blood be shed. Now,
S5: the extra-biblical Jewish literature that we read indicates that there
S5: were other laws that were given, and some of these
S5: are reflected within the last half of the Ten Commandments.
S5: But we need to go to some of the the
S5: Jewish literature to understand that.
S1: Interesting. You mentioned this Noah covenant, and all of us
S1: who heard the story and who've read even the basics
S1: in our Bible, would be familiar with that promise. God says,
S1: I will never again destroy the earth, but we don't
S1: ever or rarely, I should say, here attached to that
S1: what you've brought out here, this business about, you know,
S1: life is precious. We don't take the life of another.
S5: And what's, I think very important there that many people
S5: don't realize is that this covenant was made with the
S5: entire Earth. Now, at the time, there were only eight people, right?
S5: But that is the entire Earth's population. And it is
S5: stated that this is for generations to come. So yes,
S5: it is applicable to us today.
S1: All right. Let me let me get real current and
S1: maybe a little uncomfortable. Let me push you against the wall.
S1: Are you saying then that when we do not, from
S1: a biblical perspective, respect the value of a life by
S1: failing to follow through, by disallowing capital punishment, we are
S1: at odds with this covenant.
S5: That would be my understanding. Yes, this is a directive
S5: from God. So we are either following his directive or
S5: we are not.
S1: Today, on the land and the book we're visiting with
S1: Jim Ward, who's written everlasting covenants. Covenants, of course, are
S1: found outside of Scripture. What's different about a covenant initiated
S1: by Almighty God?
S5: Well, obviously the parties involved And I have to be honest,
S5: sometimes this is, uh, I don't want to say. Detrimental,
S5: but can have long lasting effects. Now, when we're talking
S5: about the Sinaitic covenant, we're dealing with the covenant that
S5: God made with the nation of Israel. If the covenant
S5: is everlasting and you have an eternal partner in this covenant,
S5: he's never going to go back on his end of
S5: the deal. And he made a promise to them that
S5: they would be his people and that they would be
S5: his treasured possession. And he also stated that he would
S5: chastise them. The fact that he has never rejected them
S5: demonstrates that he is holding to his covenant, even the
S5: chastisements that they have received in their rebellion throughout the years,
S5: and the times that they have not obeyed them throughout
S5: the scriptures, demonstrates that he is still making good on
S5: his covenant. If he had failed to follow his covenant,
S5: he would have just simply rejected them, and they would
S5: have fallen into history like every other nation that we
S5: never hear about anymore. And yet today, the nation of
S5: Israel exists. And that demonstrates to me that God not
S5: only preserved them, but he is still faithful to his covenant.
S1: That says an awful lot about this God we read
S1: about in Scripture and sing about in church on Sundays,
S1: don't you think? I mean?
S5: Well, very much so. He keeps his word and we
S5: can go back and look at the documents. It's in writing. Yeah.
S1: One of our hang up stems, perhaps from our confusion
S1: about covenants that are conditional, as you pointed out, and
S1: those that are not. Can you give a quick biblical
S1: example of each?
S5: Well, conditional covenant would be that there are responsibilities for
S5: each party. For example, let's stick with the Sinai covenant.
S5: There were quite a few laws that were given in
S5: that respect, and if those laws are not followed, it's
S5: essentially a violation of the covenant. That's something, as Christians,
S5: that we don't always recognize. We think that, say, someone
S5: who's under the Sinai into covenant sins or breaks one
S5: of the commandments. We think, okay, well, they violated a commandment.
S5: But when God talks about the violation of these commandments,
S5: he's saying you have violated the covenant. It's not just
S5: a simple act of disobedience. It's a violation of an
S5: agreement that existed between two parties. Now, on the other hand,
S5: you have a promissory covenant, for example, like the one
S5: with Abraham. There was really nothing that Abraham had to do. Now, granted,
S5: he had to leave his home, but there were really
S5: no requirements other than to just believe God and that
S5: he made a promise to him and that he was
S5: going to make him into a great nation.
S1: Thanks for joining us today on the land and the book.
S1: I'm John Gager, joined in studio by Jim Ward. We're
S1: looking at this big picture idea of everlasting covenants. Why
S1: do you think God has chosen to interact with us
S1: via promises and Covenants?
S5: May I be so bold as to say that he
S5: respects us?
S1: Elaborate.
S5: He made us in his image if he had not
S5: respected us so much, I think he just would have
S5: made us like the animals. And, uh, just by the
S5: fact that he gave us the ability to disagree with him,
S5: to rebel, demonstrates that he made us in the in
S5: his image and that we have free will. And I
S5: think he's respecting the image of God that he has
S5: placed in us by entering into an agreement with us. Now,
S5: you have to realize, even though I think he's respecting us,
S5: he can be very persuasive. In the case of Abraham also,
S5: especially in the case of Israel, he did some things.
S5: First he goes in there, he makes a spectacle of
S5: the gods of, of Egypt through the plagues, and he
S5: delivers his people from bondage. And then he brings them
S5: to the mountain. After he's done all this, then he says,
S5: I'd like to make a covenant with you. Well, he's
S5: now got them in a position where he's delivered them.
S5: It's not likely they're going to be able to go back.
S5: So he's got them in a bind a little bit,
S5: but he's demonstrated his power first. He has the ability
S5: to persuade, and yet he doesn't demand that they enter
S5: a covenant. He requests a covenant with them. And I
S5: think he's showing respect for the image of God that
S5: he's placed in each one of us.
S1: You know, along those lines. Let me play with that
S1: just a bit further. The fact that he has respected
S1: us so much to draw up an agreement, so to speak,
S1: is evidence of the fact that he believes we are
S1: capable of honoring that covenant. It's not beyond us. He
S1: hasn't he hasn't built something by way of agreement and
S1: fine print that's out of reach.
S5: Oh, exactly.
S1: That says a lot, I think, about a sense of
S1: our responsibility to.
S5: I would definitely agree with that, John. Yeah.
S1: This is the land and the book from Moody Radio.
S1: Our guest today, Jim Ward. What other important covenants can
S1: we find in the Bible, and what do they mean
S1: for us in 2025, Jim?
S5: Well, we started off with the Noah covenant. Then there's
S5: the Abrahamic covenant. That's really a covenant with people. And
S5: then we get to the Sinai covenant. That's really, in
S5: my opinion, a covenant with a nation and its transgenerational.
S5: Then we have the the royal covenant, the Davidic Covenant,
S5: where he's narrowing it down to the royal line. And
S5: then there's one that is often overlooked. I might say,
S5: or sometimes omitted in some of the theological books that
S5: I have read. And that is the Levitic covenant. There
S5: is a covenant made with Levi, and sometimes it interferes
S5: with certain theologies, but that's something that I cover in
S5: one of the chapters.
S1: Well, if we really appreciated really valued God's covenants with us,
S1: how would our lives be different, do you think?
S5: Well, in my opinion, our primary responsibility for studying the
S5: Bible is to get to know God. I realize that
S5: many of us read the Bible because we're looking for comfort.
S5: We're looking for insight, maybe some advice. And those are
S5: all good things. But the Apostle Paul's prayer for us
S5: is that we would know this is from Ephesians, that
S5: we would know and understand him better. And God's statement
S5: to Israel was that they would circumcise their hearts and
S5: that this would all be internalized. And in my opinion,
S5: the primary reason for reading the Bible in general is
S5: that we might get to know him. And when we study,
S5: especially like the Torah, for example, we're studying law, and
S5: this is something that he delights in. And so if
S5: we understand it, we are getting inside of God's head.
S5: And when we understand the covenants, these are things that
S5: he has chosen. This is his chosen way of interacting
S5: with the human race. And if we understand those covenants,
S5: we are going to understand him better just by what
S5: we've been talking about here. When you ask the question,
S5: why would he even bother making covenants with us if
S5: what I said was accurate, that he respects us and
S5: he respects the image that he's placed in us, that
S5: tells me something about him, the fact that he offers
S5: a covenant to these different individuals or different groups. First
S5: of all, tells me he's not forcing himself on anyone.
S5: He wants a relationship, whether it be with the individual
S5: or with the group with whom he's covenanting.
S1: Well, lots to think about here, and we invite you
S1: to dig deeper as you check out Everlasting Covenants, Jim's book.
S1: A link to that at our website. The land and
S1: the book. Jim, thank you for these insights. A fascinating
S1: thing to be thinking about.
S5: Thank you.
S1: Up next on the land in the book, your Bible
S1: questions and some satisfying answers right here. It's that time.
S1: Time to entertain some new questions from listeners that have
S1: come in to us via our email address, which I'll
S1: share with you later on. Welcome back to The land
S1: and the book. By the way, I'm John Yeager. Good
S1: to be with you today, and good to have Doctor
S1: Gerald Peterman in his chair there, ready to answer those questions.
S1: We'll start with one from James. An interesting way. He's
S1: set this one up. He says, I was studying Bible
S1: prophecy and a question came to mind. What if Michael
S1: Wright gave you a call and said that he and
S1: his wife, Eva, had some friends over a day ago
S1: and discussed who the beast and false prophet might be
S1: in revelation 13, and they, by the Holy Spirit, had
S1: a strong sense of who these people are right now. Alright,
S1: so here's the question. What would your reaction be? Would
S1: you reveal the names of the people identified to the
S1: public immediately, or would you wait until the exact identity
S1: of the beast and the second beast were revealed?
S6: My reaction would be this could never happen because I
S6: know Michael and Eva and they know what Second Thessalonians says,
S6: and I'm just going to drop in there. In verse three,
S6: Paul says, don't let anyone deceive you in any way,
S6: for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs
S6: first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man
S6: doomed to destruction. A little bit later on, he goes
S6: on to say, the lawless one will be revealed when
S6: the When the restrainer is taken away, and almost certainly
S6: the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit working in us, the church.
S6: When the church is raptured, the spirit is removed. And so,
S6: in other words, the lawless one is going to be
S6: revealed when Eva and Michael are no longer on the earth.
S6: So I think they could not say this.
S1: Jury wants to know. I'm hearing more talk in Christian
S1: circles about generational curses. Can believers be subject to generational curses?
S6: And I've heard the term, too. And I think the
S6: short answer is no. It depends on how we define it.
S6: I know where they're getting this phrase, generational curses. They're
S6: getting it from passages like Deuteronomy five nine. And what
S6: do we find? We find. I, the Lord your God,
S6: am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin
S6: of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of
S6: those who hate me. So when there are sins in
S6: the family, the sins can be passed on. But then
S6: the children imitate the sins of the parents knowingly. They
S6: choose to do so. So in other words, the curse
S6: doesn't come upon them absent mindedly. And that can go
S6: on for generation after generation in Christian families and in
S6: non-Christian families. But thanks be to God, repentance can happen.
S6: And we hear about this in Ezekiel 18. That's where
S6: the prophet lays out a scenario. There's a righteous father,
S6: and then he has a son who's corrupt, and then
S6: that son has a son who is righteous. It all
S6: depends upon the individual and the individual's choices. So I
S6: don't think we're locked in to a generational curse.
S1: Not locked in, but we can be affected by generational affected.
S6: Yes. Yeah. So the real key then becomes do we
S6: realize it and repent of it.
S1: So along these same lines, Dan wants to know, can
S1: a believer who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit also
S1: be possessed by an evil spirit under some circumstances?
S6: I think not. I think not, thanks be to God.
S6: The one who is in us is more powerful than
S6: the one that's outside us. The primary place I would
S6: go to is first Corinthians six. What does Paul say?
S6: Paul says, do you not know that your body is
S6: a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you,
S6: whom you have received from God? You are not your own.
S6: You have been bought at a price. The price is,
S6: of course, the blood of Christ. So since we belong
S6: to God and He is in us, we cannot belong
S6: to someone else.
S1: This is the land and the book from Moody Radio.
S1: Doctor Gerald Peterman of the Moody Bible Institute faculty is
S1: addressing your questions. Great to sit down with him and
S1: tap into his knowledge. Sadie takes us to Romans 224,
S1: which says, because of you, the Gentiles blaspheme my name.
S1: Does this contradict Genesis 12 verse three? How could the
S1: blasphemers be not cursed if they are excused by Romans 224?
S1: I'm confused.
S6: Well, this is a very complex question. So we have
S6: to remember context for at least two things. Let's go
S6: to Romans two. What's happening in Romans two? Paul is
S6: talking to a Jewish audience. That is very presumptuous. They
S6: think that because they have the circumcision, because they have
S6: the law, because they have Jewish heritage, therefore they're in
S6: with God. And he contradicts that perspective that they have.
S6: And he then says to them, you who teach others,
S6: do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing,
S6: do you steal you who say one must not commit adultery?
S6: Do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols do you
S6: rob temples? You who boast in the law. You dishonor
S6: God by breaking the law. And now here comes the verse,
S6: for it is written, the name of God is blasphemed
S6: amongst the Gentiles because of you. Now that's taken from
S6: Isaiah 52. What's the context of Isaiah 52? The context
S6: of Isaiah 52 is Israelites taken away into exile in Assyria.
S6: So you've got Jewish people surrounded by pagan people. And
S6: here's what's happening. When this happens, the pagan people say,
S6: na na na na na. Our God is more powerful
S6: than your god, you see. So the name of God
S6: is blasphemed. That is a critique of what Israelites have
S6: done by presuming upon their own obedience.
S1: Okay, a bit of a follow up here from Sadie.
S1: Is it true, as some authors claim, that the Pharisees
S1: began adopting occult beliefs during the Babylonian captivity?
S6: Well, I've never heard that, but I think the answer
S6: is no. Why is that? Because the Pharisees, as if
S6: you will, a kind of a separate religious cult, don't
S6: even come into existence until around 165 B.C. and that
S6: is 350 years after the captivity. Let me rephrase it.
S6: There weren't even Pharisees around to be dealing with these
S6: practices during the captivity.
S1: That sounds clear to me. Noah's question is, why do
S1: some well-known teachers or pastors or churches divide when it
S1: comes to losing salvation? Both sides use verses they say
S1: back up their side of the issue. What's the bottom line?
S6: Well, there is division because it's very important. And losing
S6: salvation would be a horrible thing if it happened. It
S6: does not happen. Thanks be to God. Let me take
S6: us to Jesus. What does he say in John five?
S6: Jesus said, I tell you the truth, whoever hears my
S6: word and believes him who sent me has eternal life
S6: and will not be condemned. He has crossed over from
S6: death to life. Paul says something very similar in Ephesians
S6: one verse 13. You also were included in Christ when
S6: you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
S6: Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal,
S6: the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our
S6: inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession.
S6: We cannot lose salvation. On the other hand, it's possible
S6: to have a false profession or even a false understanding
S6: of who Christ is. Then the faith you have would
S6: not be a good faith. Jesus talks about this in
S6: Matthew seven. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord,
S6: will enter the kingdom, but those who do the will
S6: of my father. Many will come to me and say, Lord,
S6: you know we even prophesied in your name. And the
S6: Lord will say, I never knew you. Not that you
S6: knew me at some point, but I never knew you.
S1: I find that to be one of the most chilling
S1: verses in the entire Bible.
S6: It is. It is.
S1: I mean, these are people with good hearts, I think.
S1: I mean, at least some good intentions, some biblical background.
S1: But they missed it.
S6: It's good for us to examine. Is our faith genuine? Yeah.
S1: All right. Let's go back to our questions from listeners.
S1: I got thousands of my own. Sadie takes us to
S1: Hebrews 1132, where it praises the biblical character Jephthah, even
S1: though he sacrificed his own daughter. Why so?
S6: Well, my response might be unexpected. I don't think Jephthah
S6: sacrificed his own daughter, but I'm going to have to
S6: take some time explaining that. Yes. It's true. You come
S6: to judges 1131 and we have a vow that Jephthah
S6: makes whatever comes out of the doors of my house
S6: to meet me when I'm returning peace from the sons
S6: of Ammon. It shall be the Lord's, and I will
S6: offer it up as a burnt offering. This pronoun, it
S6: could be she comes out, he comes out, or it
S6: comes out. I'm thinking Jephthah is thinking it's going to
S6: be an animal. But I don't think when his daughter
S6: comes out, he sacrifices her. I've got three reasons for that. First,
S6: he makes this vow when the Holy Spirit comes upon him.
S6: I don't think the Holy Spirit guides him to make
S6: a vow about sacrificing a daughter. Correct. Number two, this
S6: burnt offering. That's a technical term from Leviticus chapter one,
S6: verse three. And a whole burnt offering is a male animal,
S6: not a female animal. So it wouldn't be actually following
S6: the law for Jephthah to do this. But then, third,
S6: I think the primary reason is what is lamented near
S6: the end of the of the story, his daughter laments
S6: her virginity for two months. Why lament your virginity if
S6: you're going to be sacrificed? Why not lament your life, right? Ah,
S6: I take it because Jephthah doesn't offer up as a
S6: burnt offering. He offers her as a someone who will
S6: always be in the temple, serving God like Samuel was
S6: offered by Hannah. Yeah. So in other words, now Jephthah
S6: has no descendants, and it says twice in the narrative
S6: she was his only child and never married. So then
S6: Jephthah has no offspring.
S1: Well, boy, we've dug into a lot of deep issues today. Nothing, though,
S1: deeper than this idea of thinking, you know Jesus when
S1: you really don't. What's a good next step in 15
S1: seconds for somebody who who maybe has never given thought to,
S1: is my faith genuine?
S6: Uh, pray and ask the Lord for guidance. Um, go
S6: over several texts in the New the New Testament about
S6: what faith is, how faith might be defined. One of
S6: my favorite ones is John 831 and 32. Ask other
S6: people who know you really well. Tell me about my faith.
S6: Get in my face, if you will, and tell me
S6: about it. Yeah, I think that self-examination would be really good.
S1: Good checks for a self-examination from Doctor Gerald Peterman answering
S1: your Bible questions on the land and the book. We're
S1: up next. It's Charlie Dyer's devotional. Stick around. Welcome back
S1: to the land and the book. And if you hear
S1: the word coney, you might think of Coney Island. You
S1: might think of a coney animal. Charlie, tell us about
S1: your devotional coming up.
S2: Uh, we're going to talk about Groundhog Day and the
S2: coneys mentioned in the King James Version of the Bible.
S1: All right. Sounds intriguing, but first, this Holy Land experience.
S1: Check out this testimony.
S7: My name is Brian O'Neill, and I had the privilege
S7: of traveling to Israel back in 2006 or so. And
S7: I remember one particular event when we were at the
S7: church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is the traditional site
S7: of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus. And we
S7: were reading from John ten, where Jesus says, I am
S7: the sheep gate. I am the good shepherd. The good
S7: shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. And so
S7: we read that and thought about that. We were when
S7: we were on site there. And then we kind of
S7: went backwards down the traditional Via Dolorosa to the pools
S7: of Bethesda, which are famous because that's where Jesus met
S7: and healed the lame man. And when you read John
S7: five on that story, the story begins with saying, In
S7: Jerusalem by the sheep gate there are these pools called Bethesda.
S7: And that's where Jesus met the lame man, and just
S7: hearing those two passages echo together in my mind, and
S7: then hearing Jesus say, I am the sheepgate. And then
S7: reading in John five by the sheep gate really drew
S7: to my attention that Jesus came to fulfill that role
S7: of laying down his life for the sheep. That gateway
S7: into the temple that the sheep gate offered was the
S7: way that we came into relationship with God.
S1: We're headed for the book of Proverbs, chapter 30. In
S1: your devotional, Charlie, you've called it the Wise Israeli Coney.
S1: I am really intrigued.
S2: Yeah, well. Thanks, John. Yeah, this coming week is Groundhog Day.
S2: What most people know about Groundhog or Groundhog Day comes
S2: from seeing the date on their calendar, or maybe viewing
S2: the 1993 movie of the same name that starred Bill Murray.
S2: But growing up in Pennsylvania and working some summers on farms,
S2: I got to experience groundhogs in a more up close
S2: and personal way. And let me just say, they're not
S2: nearly as cute up close. The problem is that groundhogs
S2: dig burrows in the ground. Weakening the soil. Those dens
S2: can collapse under the weight of farm tractors or other equipment,
S2: and the holes can actually injure animals that might step
S2: in them. And the holes aren't the only problem. Groundhogs
S2: act like little furry combines, chewing their way through the crops.
S2: I know farmers who carried a rifle when they were
S2: out cultivating their fields to try to rid the fields
S2: of those bothersome pests, but one town in Pennsylvania has
S2: learned how to profit off the little furry mammals. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania,
S2: is the home of Punxsutawney Phil. Every February 2nd, thousands
S2: of visitors descend on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney to see
S2: if Phil will predict an early spring or six more
S2: weeks of winter. As the Groundhog Club of Punxsutawney says
S2: on its website, what would you rather be doing in
S2: the middle of the night in the middle of the
S2: winter in western PA? Having lived in Pennsylvania with all
S2: those groundhogs? Imagine my surprise when I spotted what looked
S2: like a groundhog during my very first trip to Trip
S2: to Israel. It was perched on a rock sunning itself
S2: as we hiked to the waterfall at Enjeti. Down by
S2: the Dead Sea. My excitement was short lived, however. The
S2: teacher and guide on that trip let us know what
S2: we were seeing wasn't a groundhog. It was a hyrax
S2: or rock badger. Or if you grew up with the
S2: King James Version of the Bible, a coney. I really
S2: like the name Coney. True, it's not a great translation.
S2: Since when the Bible was translated? Back then, a coney
S2: was a name used for a rabbit. And the animal
S2: I saw in Israel didn't look anything like a rabbit.
S2: No long ears, no fuzzy tail, no hopping around on
S2: the ground. But it was a unique word that I
S2: could match up with the animal I saw. Hyrax or
S2: rock badger might be more accurate scientifically, but those words
S2: don't really mean anything to me. The translators of the
S2: New American Standard Bible punted when they decided how to
S2: translate the word. The Hebrew word for this animal is chiffon,
S2: and they simply translated it that way. Chiffon is the
S2: singular and chef name for the plural. Now it's accurate,
S2: but it still seems to lack the pizzazz of coney.
S2: But what does any of this have to do with
S2: our focus on the whys? Groundhog? Well, as I've already said,
S2: the coney or rock badger or hyrax or chiffon in
S2: Israel does look something like a groundhog. But they're not
S2: related to the larger classification of animals, though both are mammals.
S2: A groundhog is a rodent considered to be a large
S2: ground squirrel or marmot, but a coney is more closely
S2: related to, believe it or not, an elephant. Its front
S2: teeth resemble tiny tusks, and its toes and skull are
S2: more pachyderm like. It might look something like a groundhog,
S2: but that's where the similarities end. In both Leviticus 11
S2: and Deuteronomy 14, God made it clear that the coney
S2: was not an animal that was to be eaten. Using
S2: today's terminology, it wasn't kosher, but that doesn't mean the
S2: animal wasn't important. In fact, God used the coney to
S2: teach Israel a great lesson about wisdom and to learn
S2: that lesson. Let's head back down to Engedi, to the
S2: place where I first spotted that cony over 40 years ago.
S2: As we hike up the pathway leading to the waterfall,
S2: we spot a group of conies sprawled out on the
S2: rocks and boulders just to the left of the pathway.
S2: You can see for yourself that they do look something
S2: like groundhogs, but while groundhogs dig burrows into the ground,
S2: the conies make their homes in the crevices between the rocks.
S2: They live in family groups, often with the oldest male
S2: standing guard, while the other members of the clan lounge
S2: in the sun scamper among the rocks or feed off
S2: the nearby trees and brush. As long as we don't
S2: make any sudden moves or loud noises, we won't scare
S2: them off. But if we do, they'll quickly disappear into
S2: the rocks and wait until we're gone before they emerge.
S2: As we stand here and watch these creatures scamper about,
S2: the words of Proverbs 3026 come to life. In that passage,
S2: the writer introduces us to four creatures on Earth that
S2: are small yet extremely wise, and the second creature on
S2: his list of animals that illustrate wisdom are the very
S2: ones before us. Now. The conies or hyrax, or rock
S2: badgers or shefayim are creatures of little power, yet they
S2: make their homes in the crags. These groundhog looking animals
S2: are relatively defenseless. If they were to be caught out
S2: in the open by a wolf, or a desert lynx,
S2: or even an eagle or some other large bird of prey,
S2: they could easily be taken. But conies don't live out
S2: in the open to spot them. You look for rocks, boulders,
S2: rock ledges, under cliffs or rocks piled up into stone
S2: fences or ancient ruins. But what's the lesson on wisdom
S2: we're to learn from this insignificant animal? Conies have wisely
S2: learned to seek out and remain near places of safety.
S2: The author of Proverbs 30 sees this relatively small animal,
S2: teaching us the importance of not living foolishly, of making
S2: sure we don't unnecessarily expose ourselves to threats or threats
S2: or dangers. Exercising appropriate care and caution in threatening circumstances
S2: is wise. And yet the Koni didn't live in fear,
S2: hiding inside its den all day. We still see it outside, resting, feeding,
S2: scampering about, but always making sure it remained close to
S2: its place of protection should danger suddenly appear. The Koni,
S2: Israel's version of a groundhog, at first seems rather insignificant.
S2: It wasn't even an approved source of food. And yet
S2: God had this animal teach Israel and us an important
S2: lesson about wisdom. Someone who's wise knows, like the coney,
S2: that it's important to protect against unnecessary exposure to danger
S2: and risk. Taking one's security seriously is wise. So what
S2: lesson should we take away from this encounter with Israel's
S2: wise version of Punxsutawney Phil? How about this it's never
S2: too late to begin mastering God's principles for living life wisely.
S2: And one key principle of wise living is not foolishly
S2: taking unnecessary risks. Jesus said the wise man built his
S2: house upon the rock, and Proverbs 30 says the wise
S2: Coni built his house among the rocks. And perhaps the
S2: best application for us is to make sure we stay
S2: close to the Rock of ages. To help visualize this lesson,
S2: I'll post a few pictures of Conies on our land
S2: and the book Facebook page two will actually be from
S2: my first trip there to Angati, and the third is
S2: from a trip I took up in Galilee. If you
S2: want to see a cone, head over to our Facebook
S2: page and take a look.
S1: Thank you Charlie. Well, speaking of wisdom, the ultimate wisdom
S1: is to know Jesus as Savior, to make him in
S1: charge of your life. For somebody who is confused about
S1: what that means. What did they do? What did they pray?
S1: How did they get this thing right with God?
S2: Well, John, I think the easiest thing that they could
S2: do is turn to God and say, Lord, I don't
S2: know you, but I want to. And I understand you
S2: sent your son here to live a perfect life, and
S2: then to die on the cross to pay the penalty
S2: for my sin. And I want to put my trust
S2: in him right now. And what he did for me
S2: is my Savior. So please forgive me of my sins,
S2: because I want to put my trust now in Jesus.
S2: And if someone prays that God will answer that prayer.
S1: Thank you Charlie. We'd love to hear from you. If
S1: this is a step that you're taking, you can email
S1: us anytime at The Land and the book@moody.edu. Again, that's
S1: the land and the book at Moody Edu. We appreciate
S1: your listening and we appreciate your checking out our podcast.
S1: It's waiting for you now at the land and the book. Org,
S1: a great way for you to share this program with
S1: a friend at the land and the book.org. Well, our
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S1: and the book is a production of Moody Radio, a
S1: ministry of Moody Bible Institute.