1 00:00:08,180 --> 00:00:12,890 S1: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not just a geographical battle over 2 00:00:12,890 --> 00:00:18,020 S1: competing land claims. It's a furious fight between worldviews involving 3 00:00:18,020 --> 00:00:22,400 S1: issues of history, oppression, and the nature of truth itself. Essentially, 4 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:26,150 S1: the question is Whose God is God? Coming up, a 5 00:00:26,150 --> 00:00:31,520 S1: hard hitting, no nonsense conversation about why Christians should support Israel. 6 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,550 S1: Welcome to the land and the book with Israel expert 7 00:00:34,550 --> 00:00:38,269 S1: and Old Testament scholar Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager, 8 00:00:38,270 --> 00:00:40,790 S1: and of course, fall is here. And and that means 9 00:00:40,790 --> 00:00:43,910 S1: the Jewish High Holidays are right around the corner. These 10 00:00:43,909 --> 00:00:47,030 S1: biblical feasts have been celebrated for thousands of years. Think 11 00:00:47,030 --> 00:00:49,519 S1: about that. But this year, of course, has added weight 12 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,879 S1: and significance as Jewish people around the world mark one 13 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:57,200 S1: year since that brutal attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists. Yeah, 14 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:58,070 S1: that's right John. 15 00:00:58,070 --> 00:01:00,020 S2: That's why our friends though at Life and in Messiah. 16 00:01:00,020 --> 00:01:02,660 S2: Want to help you learn more about the fall feasts, 17 00:01:02,660 --> 00:01:05,660 S2: the significance they have for us as believers in Jesus, 18 00:01:05,690 --> 00:01:08,870 S2: and how to stand with Jewish people during this time. 19 00:01:08,870 --> 00:01:12,649 S2: They're offering a live zoom teaching session where they're knowledgeable. 20 00:01:12,650 --> 00:01:16,640 S2: Field staff will walk you through the history and significance 21 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,699 S2: of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and 22 00:01:19,700 --> 00:01:22,700 S2: the Feast of Tabernacles. You'll also hear how you can 23 00:01:22,700 --> 00:01:25,610 S2: use these holidays as a point of connection with your 24 00:01:25,610 --> 00:01:29,030 S2: Jewish friends and neighbors, to show and share the love 25 00:01:29,030 --> 00:01:32,059 S2: of Jesus with them. To sign up for this free teaching, 26 00:01:32,060 --> 00:01:35,300 S2: all you need to do is visit Life in Messiah org. 27 00:01:35,330 --> 00:01:38,420 S2: Click on the Moody Radio logo and sign up. Be 28 00:01:38,420 --> 00:01:41,840 S2: sure to sign up today to discover the fascinating connections 29 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:47,270 S2: between these feasts and Jesus at Life in messiah.org. 30 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,050 S1: And here's what's happening in the Middle East. Israel's conflict 31 00:01:51,050 --> 00:01:54,440 S1: with Hezbollah continues to heat up. What's been happening between 32 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,170 S1: the two adversaries over this last week? Well, you know. 33 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,390 S2: John, it's hard to keep up with everything that's been 34 00:01:59,390 --> 00:02:03,080 S2: taking place. The exploding pagers we talked about last week 35 00:02:03,110 --> 00:02:06,920 S2: were followed by exploding walkie talkies the next day. In all, 36 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:11,510 S2: 1500 Hezbollah fighters were taken out of action by those attacks. 37 00:02:11,540 --> 00:02:15,410 S2: Hezbollah then gathered the commanders of their elite, Radwan force 38 00:02:15,410 --> 00:02:18,320 S2: in Beirut, to put plans in motion for an attack 39 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:22,130 S2: on northern Israel by their fighters, but Israel launched a 40 00:02:22,130 --> 00:02:25,880 S2: surprise aerial attack that brought the building down on those gathered. 41 00:02:25,910 --> 00:02:30,200 S2: The strike killed Ibrahim Akil, the leader, along with 15 42 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:35,360 S2: other Radwan force commanders, disrupting the planned invasion. Hezbollah and 43 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,990 S2: her allies responded by firing rockets, missiles and drones at 44 00:02:38,990 --> 00:02:43,460 S2: northern Israel from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. Most were intercepted 45 00:02:43,460 --> 00:02:47,630 S2: or caused little damage. Then, for the first time on Wednesday, 46 00:02:47,660 --> 00:02:50,900 S2: Hezbollah fired a ballistic missile toward the Tel Aviv area, 47 00:02:50,930 --> 00:02:56,240 S2: targeting Mossad's headquarters. It was also intercepted. Israel declared a 48 00:02:56,240 --> 00:03:00,530 S2: nationwide emergency, expecting the conflict with Hezbollah to escalate, and 49 00:03:00,530 --> 00:03:03,530 S2: the head of Israel's Northern Command announced they're prepared to 50 00:03:03,530 --> 00:03:06,950 S2: begin a ground operation to push Hezbollah away from the 51 00:03:06,950 --> 00:03:10,880 S2: northern border. The US's response to all this has been mixed. 52 00:03:10,910 --> 00:03:13,310 S2: On the one hand, we said the killing of Akeel 53 00:03:13,310 --> 00:03:15,950 S2: was a good outcome and that nobody in the US 54 00:03:15,950 --> 00:03:18,920 S2: sheds a tear over his death. Well, that's because he 55 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:21,680 S2: was the one responsible for the bombing of both the 56 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:26,299 S2: marine barracks and US embassy in Beirut back in 1983 57 00:03:26,300 --> 00:03:30,540 S2: that killed 241 Americans. The US had offered a $7 58 00:03:30,540 --> 00:03:33,830 S2: million reward for information on him, but we were never 59 00:03:33,860 --> 00:03:37,160 S2: able to apprehend him. Israel took care of that. At 60 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:39,830 S2: the same time, however, we sent a message to Israel 61 00:03:39,830 --> 00:03:43,610 S2: expressing our concern about the escalation in fighting and warned 62 00:03:43,610 --> 00:03:46,460 S2: Israel not to get into an all out war. Israel 63 00:03:46,460 --> 00:03:51,440 S2: has been careful not to target Lebanese civilians with their attacks. Instead, 64 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:55,310 S2: they're focused on Hezbollah's leadership and its arsenal of rockets. Gets. 65 00:03:55,340 --> 00:03:59,210 S2: Israel is trying to demonstrate that they're serious about restoring 66 00:03:59,210 --> 00:04:01,970 S2: peace in the north so their citizens can return to 67 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,580 S2: their homes without fear of attack. They've been out of 68 00:04:04,610 --> 00:04:08,030 S2: their homes, and that's almost 80,000 people for nearly a year. 69 00:04:08,030 --> 00:04:11,720 S2: But Hezbollah and her allies, prodded by Iran, don't want 70 00:04:11,750 --> 00:04:14,930 S2: to appear weak. So they're also continuing to ratchet up 71 00:04:14,930 --> 00:04:18,590 S2: their response. Right now, all it would take is one 72 00:04:18,589 --> 00:04:22,250 S2: miscalculation on the part of either side to move from 73 00:04:22,250 --> 00:04:26,030 S2: calculated attacks to all out war, and that really is 74 00:04:26,029 --> 00:04:27,950 S2: a matter that we should all be praying about. 75 00:04:27,980 --> 00:04:29,900 S1: You know, Charlie, it seems to me that Israel almost 76 00:04:29,900 --> 00:04:32,659 S1: has no choice in this. If they're going to return 77 00:04:32,660 --> 00:04:35,450 S1: their citizens in the North to their homes, don't you think? 78 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,520 S2: Well, absolutely. What would we do in the United States 79 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,270 S2: if Mexico or Canada or somewhere else had fired rockets 80 00:04:41,270 --> 00:04:44,540 S2: for the last year at our nation, forcing 80,000 people 81 00:04:44,540 --> 00:04:47,870 S2: from their homes to live as refugees in their own country? 82 00:04:47,900 --> 00:04:50,870 S2: We wouldn't permit that. We wouldn't tolerate it. And yet, 83 00:04:50,870 --> 00:04:55,169 S2: somehow we expect Israel to show restraint and and not respond. 84 00:04:55,290 --> 00:04:58,200 S2: It's something that we wouldn't take, and Israel certainly can't 85 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:00,750 S2: allow themselves, or they will cease to exist as a 86 00:05:00,750 --> 00:05:02,010 S2: nation at some point. 87 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:05,850 S1: Well, al Qaeda and ISIS have come and gone and 88 00:05:05,850 --> 00:05:08,850 S1: are now part of the dustbin of history. Right? Or 89 00:05:08,850 --> 00:05:12,719 S1: was our celebration premature? Tell us about reports that are 90 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:16,169 S1: surfacing on the revival of both groups in Afghanistan. 91 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,900 S2: Yeah. It does seem that the West declared victory and 92 00:05:18,900 --> 00:05:21,779 S2: headed home just a little too soon. There are still 93 00:05:21,779 --> 00:05:25,440 S2: reports of U.S. and other Allied forces eliminating scattered al 94 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,500 S2: Qaeda and ISIS leaders, which makes it sound like both 95 00:05:28,500 --> 00:05:31,650 S2: groups are really down to small pockets of followers hiding 96 00:05:31,650 --> 00:05:35,550 S2: out in remote places. But recent reports suggest that's not 97 00:05:35,550 --> 00:05:40,650 S2: the case right now. ISIS is still active in Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, 98 00:05:40,650 --> 00:05:44,220 S2: Libya and Iraq. It's not as strong or as visible 99 00:05:44,220 --> 00:05:47,130 S2: or as prominent in the media as it was before, 100 00:05:47,130 --> 00:05:50,370 S2: but it is still active. Earlier this year, the State 101 00:05:50,370 --> 00:05:54,000 S2: Department marked the five year anniversary of the recapture of 102 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:57,420 S2: the territory controlled by ISIS. But they noted during that 103 00:05:57,420 --> 00:06:01,560 S2: time that just in Syria, there are still 43,000 former 104 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:05,969 S2: ISIS supporters in a displaced persons camp, along with 9000 105 00:06:05,970 --> 00:06:10,590 S2: detained ISIS fighters. And al Qaeda hasn't been vanquished either. 106 00:06:10,620 --> 00:06:13,980 S2: The CIA tried to kill Osama bin Laden's son Hamza 107 00:06:14,010 --> 00:06:18,000 S2: back in 2019, but he managed to survive and he, 108 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,090 S2: along with one of his brothers, are now back in Afghanistan, 109 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:25,800 S2: rebuilding a terrorist network with ten major training camps. There's 110 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,890 S2: a deep connection between al Qaeda and the Taliban, who 111 00:06:28,890 --> 00:06:32,580 S2: are once again in control of Afghanistan. Other reports suggest 112 00:06:32,580 --> 00:06:35,970 S2: that al Qaeda and the regional ISIS franchise there are 113 00:06:35,970 --> 00:06:40,290 S2: also actively collaborating, the rebuilding of a terrorist network and 114 00:06:40,290 --> 00:06:43,799 S2: preparing for future attacks against the West. In fact, up 115 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:48,810 S2: to 21 terror networks are now operating in Afghanistan, turning 116 00:06:48,810 --> 00:06:52,020 S2: it into the world's biggest terror hotspot. It took the 117 00:06:52,020 --> 00:06:56,400 S2: West 18 years. Untold billions of dollars and thousands of 118 00:06:56,400 --> 00:07:00,510 S2: lives to remove from power the Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS. 119 00:07:00,510 --> 00:07:03,060 S2: But in our haste to declare victory and head home, 120 00:07:03,060 --> 00:07:05,849 S2: we've now allowed the three groups to revive. And if 121 00:07:05,850 --> 00:07:08,220 S2: we're not careful, we could soon see a repeat of 122 00:07:08,220 --> 00:07:10,980 S2: events like those that led up to nine over 11. 123 00:07:11,010 --> 00:07:11,640 S2: If you're just. 124 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:14,040 S1: Joining us, you're listening to The Land and the book 125 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,860 S1: from Moody Radio. Our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, is a 126 00:07:16,860 --> 00:07:20,520 S1: noted Middle East scholar. He is a frequent Israel traveler, 127 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:24,180 S1: and we're unfolding stories that have been throughout the Middle 128 00:07:24,180 --> 00:07:27,090 S1: East this week. Iran has been behind much of the 129 00:07:27,090 --> 00:07:29,610 S1: tension in the Middle East, from Hamas to Hezbollah to 130 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:33,240 S1: the Houthis. But now Iran is apparently also expanding into 131 00:07:33,270 --> 00:07:36,930 S1: Africa while continuing to build on its alliance with Russia. 132 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:40,260 S1: Now China is also into Africa. So what impact will 133 00:07:40,290 --> 00:07:42,270 S1: all of this have on the larger region, Charlie? 134 00:07:42,300 --> 00:07:45,630 S2: Yeah. And add to that rushes into Africa as well. 135 00:07:45,750 --> 00:07:48,270 S2: Now these moves, especially the ones by Iran, have the 136 00:07:48,270 --> 00:07:51,600 S2: potential of temporarily upending the balance of power in the 137 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,900 S2: Middle East. Iran's growing alliance with Russia has been making 138 00:07:54,900 --> 00:07:58,320 S2: the news. And apparently, Iran delivered hundreds of short range 139 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:01,560 S2: missiles to Russia. What's not yet clear is if they 140 00:08:01,590 --> 00:08:04,920 S2: delivered the launch platforms needed to use those missiles. That 141 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:07,380 S2: might be a case where the missiles were available while 142 00:08:07,380 --> 00:08:10,380 S2: sufficient launch vehicles were still being built. It's hard to 143 00:08:10,380 --> 00:08:14,460 S2: imagine Russia accepting missiles that can't be fired. But in exchange, 144 00:08:14,460 --> 00:08:18,060 S2: Russia's been supplying missile defense systems and has also promised 145 00:08:18,060 --> 00:08:21,030 S2: to supply top of the line fighter jets to Iran. 146 00:08:21,060 --> 00:08:23,370 S2: But the part of this story that most have ignored 147 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:27,180 S2: is Iran's move into eastern Africa, with the funds received 148 00:08:27,180 --> 00:08:30,900 S2: from the US several years ago. Iran began building alliances 149 00:08:30,900 --> 00:08:34,530 S2: across Africa. Most concerning is the alliance they've been building 150 00:08:34,530 --> 00:08:38,250 S2: with Sudan, coupled with their alliance with the Houthis. Iran 151 00:08:38,250 --> 00:08:41,250 S2: is pushing to gain control along both sides of the 152 00:08:41,250 --> 00:08:44,730 S2: Red sea. That could allow them to disrupt maritime shipping 153 00:08:44,730 --> 00:08:48,179 S2: through the Suez Canal, which is a choke point. 15% 154 00:08:48,179 --> 00:08:51,300 S2: of the global trade flows through the Suez Canal and 155 00:08:51,300 --> 00:08:53,070 S2: has to go up the Red sea to get there. 156 00:08:53,100 --> 00:08:57,540 S2: Iran's Revolutionary Guard has provided Sudan's military leader with drones 157 00:08:57,540 --> 00:09:01,320 S2: and advanced equipment in exchange for establishing a naval base 158 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,740 S2: in that country. They're also making inroads into other countries 159 00:09:04,740 --> 00:09:08,730 S2: like Nigeria and South Africa. Now, biblically, this move is 160 00:09:08,730 --> 00:09:11,429 S2: bringing the world one step closer to the alliance described 161 00:09:11,429 --> 00:09:15,090 S2: in Ezekiel 38 and 39, which describes a future attack 162 00:09:15,090 --> 00:09:17,610 S2: on Israel by a foe from the north, likely Russia, 163 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:22,860 S2: accompanied by several allies, including Turkey, Iran, Sudan and Libya. Now, 164 00:09:22,860 --> 00:09:24,540 S2: we don't know when that attack is going to occur, 165 00:09:24,540 --> 00:09:27,540 S2: but the Bible clearly tells us what nations will be 166 00:09:27,540 --> 00:09:29,580 S2: aligned in that attack and what God will do to 167 00:09:29,610 --> 00:09:32,220 S2: those nations when the attack takes place. 168 00:09:32,250 --> 00:09:35,190 S1: Charlie, just a quick follow up here. Why does Iran 169 00:09:35,190 --> 00:09:38,459 S1: seem to have unlimited funds, unlimited resources to do what 170 00:09:38,460 --> 00:09:40,320 S1: they're doing? You know, they don't. 171 00:09:40,410 --> 00:09:43,770 S2: What's amazing is that they got billions of dollars from us. We, 172 00:09:43,770 --> 00:09:47,220 S2: I think, foolishly released those dollars to them, which they 173 00:09:47,250 --> 00:09:51,660 S2: have used to expand their terrorist infrastructure, but the reason 174 00:09:51,660 --> 00:09:53,670 S2: they have the money is the people there are suffering. 175 00:09:53,670 --> 00:09:57,360 S2: They have horrible inflation. The economy is in tatters in Iran. 176 00:09:57,360 --> 00:09:59,969 S2: But in spite of all that, they're just diverting all 177 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,660 S2: their resources to what they see as their God given role, 178 00:10:03,660 --> 00:10:06,840 S2: which is preparing for the Mahdi, their Messiah, and destroying 179 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,809 S2: the nation of Israel. And they're committed to that. That's 180 00:10:09,809 --> 00:10:12,660 S2: the part the West doesn't fully understand, but that we 181 00:10:12,660 --> 00:10:15,810 S2: do need to understand if we want to truly stop 182 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:17,310 S2: Iran from what they're doing. 183 00:10:17,340 --> 00:10:19,050 S1: Charlie, maybe you could take a moment and lead us 184 00:10:19,050 --> 00:10:21,390 S1: in a prayer for the peace of Jerusalem. 185 00:10:21,420 --> 00:10:23,850 S2: Father, we do pray for your people, and we pray 186 00:10:23,850 --> 00:10:26,550 S2: for Jerusalem. Lord, we know that the peace isn't going 187 00:10:26,550 --> 00:10:28,440 S2: to happen till the Messiah comes. But right now, Lord, 188 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:30,959 S2: we just ask that you would thwart the evil plans 189 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:34,800 S2: of Iran and others to destroy your people, protect them, 190 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,170 S2: give them wisdom, and we pray it in your son's 191 00:10:37,170 --> 00:10:38,130 S2: precious name. 192 00:10:38,130 --> 00:10:41,730 S1: Amen. Thank you Charlie. And that's a look at current events. Well, 193 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:46,170 S1: should Christians support Israel? What is this conflict really all about? 194 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:47,969 S1: What if I told you it's a question about whose 195 00:10:47,970 --> 00:10:51,000 S1: God is God? All of that and much more ahead 196 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,190 S1: in a conversation you don't want to miss on the 197 00:10:53,190 --> 00:11:10,880 S1: land and the book. When Hamas attacked Israel on October 198 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:15,720 S1: the 7th, they blasted the world with a propaganda campaign. Shockingly, 199 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:20,310 S1: their publicity has largely succeeded in America, especially with Gen Z. 200 00:11:20,460 --> 00:11:23,550 S1: What in the world is going on? And should Christians 201 00:11:23,550 --> 00:11:27,090 S1: even bother to support Israel? What's the biblical truth from 202 00:11:27,090 --> 00:11:30,150 S1: Moody Radio? This is the land and the book. I'm 203 00:11:30,150 --> 00:11:33,540 S1: John Gager, continuing in our second segment here, inviting you 204 00:11:33,540 --> 00:11:35,370 S1: to pause with me for a moment and think about 205 00:11:35,370 --> 00:11:38,400 S1: some small ways that you and I can easily and 206 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,490 S1: naturally share the love of Christ with a Jewish friend 207 00:11:41,490 --> 00:11:45,720 S1: or neighbor. Most evangelicals believe Judaism is the faith of 208 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:49,350 S1: the Old Testament, and Christianity is New Testament faith. Is 209 00:11:49,350 --> 00:11:51,900 S1: that a correct view though? Better get that figured out 210 00:11:51,900 --> 00:11:54,810 S1: as we think about sharing Jesus with our Jewish friends. 211 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:57,510 S1: Wes Tabor is with life in Messiah. Help us out here. 212 00:11:57,540 --> 00:12:01,800 S3: Sure, in reality, already by Isaiah's day, the quote traditions 213 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:05,010 S3: of the elders, end quote were displacing a loving reverence 214 00:12:05,010 --> 00:12:08,130 S3: for God. The Lord said to Israel through the prophet Isaiah, 215 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:11,040 S3: this people draw near with their words and honor me 216 00:12:11,070 --> 00:12:14,250 S3: with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far 217 00:12:14,250 --> 00:12:16,590 S3: from me, and their reverence for me consists of tradition 218 00:12:16,590 --> 00:12:19,950 S3: learned by rote. Jesus quotes this in Mark seven. In 219 00:12:19,950 --> 00:12:24,210 S3: Romans ten, Paul describes the ultra-Orthodox of his day as 220 00:12:24,210 --> 00:12:27,600 S3: having a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge, who, 221 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:31,290 S3: not knowing about God's righteousness or seeking to establish their 222 00:12:31,290 --> 00:12:33,540 S3: own through meriting God's favor. 223 00:12:33,540 --> 00:12:36,270 S1: So, Wes, what then, is the role of the Old 224 00:12:36,300 --> 00:12:39,420 S1: Testament in our sharing the gospel with our Jewish friends? 225 00:12:39,450 --> 00:12:42,090 S3: Well, we remember that the New Testament wasn't even written 226 00:12:42,090 --> 00:12:45,360 S3: when the apostles began using the scriptures to point to Messiah. 227 00:12:45,390 --> 00:12:48,750 S3: Yeshua used Moses and all the prophets in Luke 24 228 00:12:48,750 --> 00:12:52,319 S3: to show how he fulfilled messianic prophecy. We should be 229 00:12:52,350 --> 00:12:54,510 S3: able to share our faith from the Old Testament. The 230 00:12:54,510 --> 00:12:57,929 S3: Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy by Doctor Rolnick and Blum 231 00:12:57,929 --> 00:12:59,250 S3: is a great resource. 232 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:02,579 S1: Good to connect with Wes Tabor with life in Messiah. 233 00:13:03,870 --> 00:13:08,280 S1: Doctor Jeff Myers is president of Summit Ministries as an educator. 234 00:13:08,309 --> 00:13:11,730 S1: Doctor Myers has become one of America's most respected authorities 235 00:13:11,730 --> 00:13:15,660 S1: on youth leadership development. Focus on the family founder James 236 00:13:15,660 --> 00:13:18,809 S1: Dobson referred to him as a very gifted and inspirational 237 00:13:18,809 --> 00:13:21,989 S1: leader and evangelist Josh McDowell called him a man who 238 00:13:21,990 --> 00:13:25,800 S1: is 100% sold out to preparing the next generation to 239 00:13:25,830 --> 00:13:29,130 S1: reflect the character of Christ in the culture through his 240 00:13:29,130 --> 00:13:33,030 S1: speaking engagements and media appearances. Doctor Myers has become a 241 00:13:33,030 --> 00:13:37,319 S1: fresh voice, offering humor and insight from a Christian worldview. 242 00:13:37,350 --> 00:13:41,730 S1: He's the author of 18 books, including Should Christians Support Israel? 243 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:43,650 S1: A book we're going to put into your hands, as 244 00:13:43,650 --> 00:13:46,080 S1: you'll talk about later on. But for now, Jeff and 245 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,050 S1: his wife Stephanie and their family live in Colorado. We're 246 00:13:49,050 --> 00:13:50,670 S1: so glad to connect with you today on the land 247 00:13:50,670 --> 00:13:51,660 S1: and the book. Jeff. 248 00:13:51,690 --> 00:13:55,199 S4: John, great to visit with you. Super important topic, and 249 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:56,610 S4: thank you for tackling it. 250 00:13:56,640 --> 00:14:00,929 S1: Well, 103 days after the Hamas attack, you visited some 251 00:14:00,929 --> 00:14:05,070 S1: of the impacted communities in Israel. You describe your visit as, quote, 252 00:14:05,070 --> 00:14:09,150 S1: a stark reminder of the catastrophe that ensues when evil 253 00:14:09,150 --> 00:14:13,200 S1: remains misunderstood and unchecked. But it seems to me in 254 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:15,540 S1: this conversation, we can't even get folks to agree on 255 00:14:15,540 --> 00:14:17,910 S1: what evil is. Your thoughts? 256 00:14:17,940 --> 00:14:21,450 S4: You're right. This is one of the trickiest issues in 257 00:14:21,450 --> 00:14:24,930 S4: our country. Not because it's divided by Republicans or Democrats, 258 00:14:24,930 --> 00:14:29,220 S4: but between the older generations and younger generations. Older generations 259 00:14:29,220 --> 00:14:33,960 S4: generally say they support Israel. Younger generations generally say they 260 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:38,040 S4: support Hamas. It got so bad last December that 60% 261 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:41,610 S4: of Gen Zers said they thought the Hamas attacks on 262 00:14:41,650 --> 00:14:46,030 S4: innocent Israeli civilians were justified. And that's what led me 263 00:14:46,030 --> 00:14:49,600 S4: to 103 days after the war. Go there because I 264 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:51,970 S4: work with Gen Zers and I don't want them to 265 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,850 S4: be propagandized. I don't want them to be indoctrinated. But 266 00:14:54,850 --> 00:14:57,820 S4: at the same time, I want to take their concerns seriously. 267 00:14:57,820 --> 00:14:59,950 S4: So I felt like I needed to go there and 268 00:14:59,950 --> 00:15:02,200 S4: talk to people on all sides to try to figure 269 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:03,880 S4: out what was going on, and if there is a 270 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:07,300 S4: way to see the truth in a tough situation like this. Okay, take. 271 00:15:07,300 --> 00:15:09,640 S1: Me to a moment in that trip that made you 272 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:12,580 S1: want to cry. What's the story that comes to mind, Jeff? 273 00:15:13,030 --> 00:15:15,520 S4: Well, this is only the second time in my life 274 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:18,340 S4: that I've been in a war zone, John. And it's 275 00:15:18,340 --> 00:15:21,190 S4: the first time I've ever driven to one from a 276 00:15:21,190 --> 00:15:24,640 S4: nice hotel. It literally is a 90 minute drive to 277 00:15:24,670 --> 00:15:28,120 S4: the Gaza envelope from Jerusalem. And and, you know, you're 278 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,280 S4: getting there because the roads all of a sudden become 279 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:32,920 S4: rough because of the tanks going back and forth. And 280 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:37,480 S4: then you immediately see bomb shelters lining the roads like 281 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:41,470 S4: bus stops. And we're told if we are attacked, we 282 00:15:41,470 --> 00:15:45,220 S4: have seven seconds to take cover. And I realized that 283 00:15:45,220 --> 00:15:48,340 S4: the people who live there have been living with this 284 00:15:48,340 --> 00:15:53,440 S4: kind of pain for decades, and then walking into their communities, 285 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:57,040 S4: meeting the survivors, seeing the bullet holes in their homes, 286 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:00,550 S4: the burned out homes, the markings where bodies were recovered, 287 00:16:00,550 --> 00:16:03,850 S4: and then the video evidence that we reviewed of exactly 288 00:16:03,850 --> 00:16:07,450 S4: what happened, because the Israelis were very concerned that people 289 00:16:07,450 --> 00:16:10,720 S4: were just denying that this attack even took place. But 290 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:12,760 S4: I think the thing that made me cry the most 291 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:16,030 S4: probably was a video of a father driving a car. 292 00:16:16,030 --> 00:16:18,250 S4: They were attacked by the terrorists. He jumped out of 293 00:16:18,250 --> 00:16:21,160 S4: the car to take his little girl and run to safety. 294 00:16:21,190 --> 00:16:24,340 S4: His body was kind of hunched over her to try 295 00:16:24,370 --> 00:16:27,520 S4: to protect her, and he was shot, and the little 296 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:30,040 S4: girl just jumped up and ran back down the street 297 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,160 S4: with her hands covering her ears, trying to find her 298 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:37,450 S4: mother and I. Just the impact on children of a 299 00:16:37,450 --> 00:16:41,110 S4: war really struck me, and it strikes me every time 300 00:16:41,110 --> 00:16:45,340 S4: I see the reports of non-combatants being killed in Gaza 301 00:16:45,370 --> 00:16:48,910 S4: as well. It does seem that in a world like ours, 302 00:16:48,910 --> 00:16:52,780 S4: innocents suffer when evil prevails. 303 00:16:52,810 --> 00:16:55,450 S1: Well, the bullets and bombs have been bad enough, and 304 00:16:55,450 --> 00:16:57,910 S1: you painted a rather graphic picture there. But the war 305 00:16:57,910 --> 00:17:01,240 S1: is also being waged with propaganda, which is proving to 306 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:04,420 S1: be just as deadly. Jeff, in a culture that almost 307 00:17:04,420 --> 00:17:08,139 S1: worships science and fact checking, why do so little of 308 00:17:08,140 --> 00:17:10,300 S1: either seem to apply to this conflict? 309 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:14,410 S4: Well, I want to speak specifically to why Gen Z 310 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:18,580 S4: would be so easily propagandized on this. I think as parents, 311 00:17:18,580 --> 00:17:21,700 S4: we have to take a little bit of the responsibility, 312 00:17:21,700 --> 00:17:24,340 S4: and it's because we tried to train our kids with 313 00:17:24,340 --> 00:17:26,830 S4: a good character trait, and that is if you see 314 00:17:26,830 --> 00:17:30,610 S4: a bully, stop them. Don't be a bully. We taught 315 00:17:30,609 --> 00:17:34,330 S4: them how to protect the vulnerable. What we didn't know 316 00:17:34,330 --> 00:17:37,390 S4: is how in the education system and through social media, 317 00:17:37,390 --> 00:17:41,440 S4: That kind of messaging would be weaponized by evil forces 318 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,970 S4: to protect them from scrutiny. And that's what happened in 319 00:17:45,970 --> 00:17:51,220 S4: this situation. This terrorist group, Hamas, literally launched a propaganda 320 00:17:51,250 --> 00:17:54,880 S4: war on the same day that they launched this attack 321 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:58,960 S4: into southern Israel. And their goal was, well, several fold. 322 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:02,110 S4: One was to get the Islamic world to go along 323 00:18:02,109 --> 00:18:05,260 S4: with them, to say this is the central cause of 324 00:18:05,260 --> 00:18:09,010 S4: the ummah, the global community of Muslims. That hasn't happened. 325 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:13,570 S4: The second one was to win the leftist, progressive sympathizers 326 00:18:13,570 --> 00:18:16,810 S4: in the United States to their side by saying, no 327 00:18:16,810 --> 00:18:19,840 S4: matter what we do, no matter how evil you think 328 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:23,109 S4: it is, it is legitimate self-defense because we are standing 329 00:18:23,109 --> 00:18:26,770 S4: up against a foe that has a more substantial military 330 00:18:26,770 --> 00:18:30,040 S4: and greater wealth, and all of a sudden, our teaching, 331 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:33,820 S4: our kids not to be bullies was shoehorned into this 332 00:18:33,820 --> 00:18:38,350 S4: oppressor versus oppressed Mindset that takes all of the complex 333 00:18:38,350 --> 00:18:41,230 S4: issues of the world and simplifies them in such a 334 00:18:41,230 --> 00:18:44,560 S4: way that if we, the professors, tell you that these 335 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:47,649 S4: are the oppressors, then you know what to do. Stand 336 00:18:47,650 --> 00:18:50,199 S4: up against them. You can even slaughter those people and 337 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:54,550 S4: it won't be wrong. So it's a horrifying reality of 338 00:18:54,550 --> 00:18:56,800 S4: where we are and what we've allowed to happen in 339 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,320 S4: the last several decades in our own nation. 340 00:18:59,350 --> 00:19:01,840 S1: This is the land and the book. Segment two I'm 341 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:05,770 S1: John Gager, joined today by Doctor Jeff Myers, president of 342 00:19:05,770 --> 00:19:10,419 S1: Summit Ministries. All right, Jeff, if the typical propagandized Gen 343 00:19:10,420 --> 00:19:15,070 S1: Z really understood what happened on October 7th, they would what? 344 00:19:15,670 --> 00:19:19,120 S4: John I think they would be more compassionate to Jewish people. 345 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:22,450 S4: What we're facing right now in this country is the 346 00:19:22,450 --> 00:19:26,380 S4: rise of anti-Semitism, and not just on the progressive left, 347 00:19:26,380 --> 00:19:30,700 S4: but now even in the conservative libertarian right. And we're 348 00:19:30,700 --> 00:19:34,540 S4: seeing Jewish people attacked on their campuses. Students are having 349 00:19:34,540 --> 00:19:38,200 S4: swastikas carved into their dorm rooms. Students who are receiving 350 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,720 S4: messages that we're going to slaughter you and slit your 351 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:45,610 S4: throat and rape you. Um, the horrifying inattention to this 352 00:19:45,609 --> 00:19:48,970 S4: on the part of college administrators is shocking. 353 00:19:49,030 --> 00:19:52,600 S1: Well, because America has largely dispensed any notion of God. 354 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,270 S1: And with that respect for the Bible, seems to me 355 00:19:55,270 --> 00:19:58,449 S1: like we have lost the capacity for significant framework we 356 00:19:58,450 --> 00:20:02,109 S1: can use to build intelligent dialogue. Your thoughts. 357 00:20:02,590 --> 00:20:06,520 S4: John? I think in a situation where young adults are propagandized, 358 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:10,390 S4: we can turn back to Scripture, especially to the counsel 359 00:20:10,390 --> 00:20:14,619 S4: that the apostle Paul gave his protege Timothy, where he said, 360 00:20:14,619 --> 00:20:18,010 S4: those who oppose him, he must gently instruct and hope 361 00:20:18,010 --> 00:20:20,350 S4: that God will grant them repentance, leading them to a 362 00:20:20,350 --> 00:20:23,139 S4: knowledge of the truth, that they may escape the trap 363 00:20:23,140 --> 00:20:25,150 S4: of the devil who has taken them captive to do 364 00:20:25,180 --> 00:20:28,540 S4: his will. People who've worked with those coming out of 365 00:20:28,570 --> 00:20:32,409 S4: cults say you have to remember that they are enslaved. 366 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:37,570 S4: They have lost the ability to think authentically about the 367 00:20:37,570 --> 00:20:40,930 S4: key issues they're thinking with. Kind of a cult self. 368 00:20:40,930 --> 00:20:43,930 S4: So what you must do is go back to what 369 00:20:43,930 --> 00:20:47,980 S4: the apostle Paul said. You express caring concern. I'm concerned 370 00:20:47,980 --> 00:20:51,310 S4: for our country. I'm concerned for you. I am concerned 371 00:20:51,310 --> 00:20:53,740 S4: for the truth. And I would like to be able 372 00:20:53,740 --> 00:20:56,800 S4: to have conversations about this, even when it's tough. And 373 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:58,990 S4: then the second thing is to bring facts to bear 374 00:20:58,990 --> 00:21:01,629 S4: in the situation. A lot of people think that Gen 375 00:21:01,630 --> 00:21:04,600 S4: Z is so feeling driven that they aren't open to 376 00:21:04,630 --> 00:21:07,240 S4: the facts. We have found that to not be true. 377 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,870 S4: If you tell them the truth about what Hamas really is, 378 00:21:10,869 --> 00:21:14,109 S4: then you realize they're the enemy of the Palestinian people 379 00:21:14,109 --> 00:21:16,479 S4: as well as the enemy of Israel. And you can 380 00:21:16,510 --> 00:21:20,440 S4: begin to develop a framework not for saying everything Israel 381 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:24,520 S4: does is right, but for recognizing that this isn't as 382 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:27,940 S4: simple of a battle as your professors trying to cram 383 00:21:27,940 --> 00:21:31,719 S4: it into an oppressor versus oppressed mindset say that it is. 384 00:21:31,750 --> 00:21:36,070 S1: Should Christians support Israel? That's the book that Jeff has written. And, Jeff, 385 00:21:36,070 --> 00:21:38,410 S1: I understand you're making an unusual offer today. Go ahead. 386 00:21:38,410 --> 00:21:39,490 S1: I'll let you have the floor. 387 00:21:39,700 --> 00:21:42,220 S4: I would like to give the book to everybody who 388 00:21:42,220 --> 00:21:45,399 S4: is listening. We've had a donor who's made this possible, 389 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:49,960 S4: and if you just go to summit.org/israel, you can get 390 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,960 S4: your copy. You can get an actual physical copy if 391 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:54,939 S4: you would like. You can get an audio book. You 392 00:21:54,940 --> 00:21:59,920 S4: can get the Kindle version. Just go to summit.org/israel. And 393 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:02,139 S4: my hope in this is that you'll get a copy 394 00:22:02,140 --> 00:22:04,870 S4: and give it to your pastor. Maybe you can get 395 00:22:04,869 --> 00:22:07,960 S4: lots of copies to distribute to your church, to your 396 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:11,680 S4: small group, to the young adults. You know, because this 397 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:14,740 S4: book is just it's short. It's 120 pages. You can 398 00:22:14,740 --> 00:22:17,200 S4: read it in two hours, but it has 200 pieces 399 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:20,800 S4: of documentation that will help you see the issue clearly, 400 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,350 S4: biblically and geopolitically. 401 00:22:23,380 --> 00:22:26,109 S1: Well, one huge takeaway for believers, it seems to me, Jeff, 402 00:22:26,109 --> 00:22:30,129 S1: is that we're watching what could be a foreshadowing of 403 00:22:30,130 --> 00:22:33,520 S1: how our culture might turn against Christians. The propaganda is 404 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:35,949 S1: already out there, and at a point whether the facts 405 00:22:35,950 --> 00:22:38,950 S1: agree with that propaganda or not, publicity wins the day. 406 00:22:38,980 --> 00:22:39,820 S1: Your thoughts? 407 00:22:40,150 --> 00:22:43,929 S4: There are reports now of persecution of Christians around the world. 408 00:22:43,930 --> 00:22:47,050 S4: Persecution of Christians has grown by 10%. Just within the 409 00:22:47,050 --> 00:22:52,030 S4: last year. Some 350 million Christians were persecuted last year 410 00:22:52,030 --> 00:22:55,210 S4: around the world. So we cannot say that that will 411 00:22:55,210 --> 00:22:58,750 S4: never happen here. But the goal in this situation is 412 00:22:58,750 --> 00:23:01,570 S4: to help people come to an understanding of the truth. 413 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,110 S4: A lot of times Christians feel that because we might 414 00:23:05,109 --> 00:23:07,630 S4: be persecuted at some point in the future, we should 415 00:23:07,630 --> 00:23:10,630 S4: be afraid to talk about these issues now. And what 416 00:23:10,630 --> 00:23:13,570 S4: I recommend is we just ask questions. You don't have 417 00:23:13,570 --> 00:23:16,090 S4: to take a stance. You don't have to wander into 418 00:23:16,090 --> 00:23:18,610 S4: the break room at work and start blasting out opinions. 419 00:23:18,609 --> 00:23:21,280 S4: You can just ask questions. How do you see this? 420 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:23,650 S4: How did you arrive at that conclusion when you use 421 00:23:23,650 --> 00:23:26,170 S4: this term? What do you mean? How do you know 422 00:23:26,170 --> 00:23:29,980 S4: that's true? Just some basic questions like that will allow 423 00:23:29,990 --> 00:23:32,930 S4: you to enter into the conversation without having to be 424 00:23:32,930 --> 00:23:35,570 S4: an expert and without being a jerk. 425 00:23:35,750 --> 00:23:38,510 S1: Well, let's address the question posed in your book's title 426 00:23:38,540 --> 00:23:42,350 S1: Should Christians support Israel? Yes. No. Why? 427 00:23:43,190 --> 00:23:45,889 S4: Well, I want people to get the book and study 428 00:23:45,890 --> 00:23:48,830 S4: the issue further, but I can summarize it very quickly. 429 00:23:48,830 --> 00:23:51,710 S4: I do believe that Christians should support Israel. That does 430 00:23:51,710 --> 00:23:56,450 S4: not mean supporting every Israeli war action or governmental action, 431 00:23:56,450 --> 00:23:59,720 S4: but it does mean recognizing that Israel has a legitimate 432 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:02,960 S4: right to exist. It has a right to defend itself, 433 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,680 S4: that Hamas must be destroyed in its ability to field 434 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:11,060 S4: a military and form a government. And as Christians, we 435 00:24:11,060 --> 00:24:13,970 S4: should always remember that God is not done with the 436 00:24:13,970 --> 00:24:18,080 S4: Jewish people, that they are part of his covenantal plan. 437 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:20,600 S4: And he is working this out in history. History is 438 00:24:20,630 --> 00:24:23,630 S4: going somewhere. It is going there on purpose and this 439 00:24:23,630 --> 00:24:26,120 S4: should be exciting to us, not terrifying. 440 00:24:26,150 --> 00:24:29,100 S1: What about people, typically younger people who say, look, you're 441 00:24:29,100 --> 00:24:32,520 S1: turning a blind eye toward the Palestinian people. After all, 442 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,130 S1: isn't Israel a nation of occupiers? 443 00:24:35,340 --> 00:24:38,190 S4: That's one of the issues that I address very thoroughly 444 00:24:38,190 --> 00:24:41,460 S4: in the book. And it's important for us as Christians 445 00:24:41,460 --> 00:24:45,810 S4: to recognize the just war tradition that has been developed 446 00:24:45,810 --> 00:24:50,790 S4: in Christianity and almost exclusively inside of a Christian worldview 447 00:24:50,820 --> 00:24:54,359 S4: that helps us understand what it means to have a 448 00:24:54,390 --> 00:24:59,310 S4: just war. What genocide actually is, what constitutes genocide, and 449 00:24:59,310 --> 00:25:02,879 S4: those kinds of things. This is where Christians have a 450 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,660 S4: strong tradition they can draw on. We should absolutely be 451 00:25:06,660 --> 00:25:10,950 S4: concerned about the Palestinian people. And for that reason, we 452 00:25:10,950 --> 00:25:14,310 S4: need to stand strongly against Hamas. That's not what is 453 00:25:14,310 --> 00:25:17,520 S4: happening in the rallies that you're seeing on college campuses 454 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:18,510 S4: and in the streets. 455 00:25:18,810 --> 00:25:22,409 S1: Well, again, the book is called Should Christians Support Israel? 456 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:24,780 S1: You can get a copy in print. You can get 457 00:25:24,780 --> 00:25:28,250 S1: an audio version or a Kindle version without charge of 458 00:25:28,250 --> 00:25:31,790 S1: any kind. Nothing. Nothing attached to this? No strings. No 459 00:25:31,790 --> 00:25:40,160 S1: fine print. If you go to summit.org/israel summit.org/israel. Jeff been 460 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:42,410 S1: a great conversation. We look forward to having you back. 461 00:25:42,410 --> 00:25:43,460 S4: Thank you John. 462 00:25:43,490 --> 00:25:46,640 S1: Okay again should Christians support Israel? This is a great 463 00:25:46,670 --> 00:25:52,010 S1: read and we encourage you to visit summit.org/israel for your copy. 464 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,170 S1: Charlie Dyer is back in the studio. We're looking forward 465 00:25:54,170 --> 00:26:07,670 S1: to connecting with him next. One of the best things 466 00:26:07,670 --> 00:26:11,060 S1: about a study Bible is the footnotes, the answers that 467 00:26:11,060 --> 00:26:12,980 S1: come to many of the questions that you might have. 468 00:26:13,010 --> 00:26:15,619 S1: But let's face it, as good as they are, no 469 00:26:15,619 --> 00:26:19,460 S1: Study Bible will answer all of your questions. Well, that's 470 00:26:19,460 --> 00:26:22,280 S1: what this next segment is all about. Welcome back to 471 00:26:22,310 --> 00:26:25,340 S1: the land of the book. It's segment three. I'm John Gager, 472 00:26:25,369 --> 00:26:28,400 S1: our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. As always with his Bible, 473 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,880 S1: that Bible is open. He's looking forward to answering your questions. 474 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,459 S1: But you know, fall is here. And that means that 475 00:26:34,460 --> 00:26:38,300 S1: the Jewish High Holidays are right around the corner, right? 476 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:41,750 S1: These biblical feasts have been celebrated for thousands of years, 477 00:26:41,750 --> 00:26:45,619 S1: but this year has added weight, added significance as Jewish 478 00:26:45,619 --> 00:26:48,980 S1: people around the world mark one year since the brutal 479 00:26:48,980 --> 00:26:51,860 S1: attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists. Yeah, that's. 480 00:26:51,859 --> 00:26:54,020 S2: Why our friends at Life and Messiah want to help 481 00:26:54,020 --> 00:26:57,109 S2: you learn more about the fall feasts, the significance they 482 00:26:57,109 --> 00:26:59,780 S2: have for us as believers in Jesus, and how to 483 00:26:59,810 --> 00:27:03,110 S2: stand with Jewish people during this time. They're offering a 484 00:27:03,109 --> 00:27:07,040 S2: live zoom teaching session, where their knowledgeable field staff will 485 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:10,609 S2: walk you through the history and significance of the Feast 486 00:27:10,609 --> 00:27:14,330 S2: of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. 487 00:27:14,330 --> 00:27:17,179 S2: You'll also hear how you can use these holidays as 488 00:27:17,180 --> 00:27:20,180 S2: a point of connection with your Jewish friends and neighbors, 489 00:27:20,180 --> 00:27:23,210 S2: to show and share the love of Jesus with them. 490 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:25,729 S2: Now to sign up for this free teaching, all you 491 00:27:25,730 --> 00:27:29,180 S2: have to do is visit life in Messiah. Org click 492 00:27:29,180 --> 00:27:32,210 S2: on the Moody Radio logo and sign up. Be sure 493 00:27:32,210 --> 00:27:35,810 S2: to sign up today to. Discover the fascinating connections between 494 00:27:35,810 --> 00:27:40,400 S2: these feasts and Jesus at. Life in Messiah. Org. 495 00:27:40,580 --> 00:27:42,710 S1: All right, let's get right to it. We've got lots 496 00:27:42,710 --> 00:27:45,980 S1: of questions to answer today. We'll start with Nancy's. She 497 00:27:45,980 --> 00:27:48,980 S1: takes us to Ruth chapter four, the story of the 498 00:27:48,980 --> 00:27:53,210 S1: kinsman Redemption that went on. Was there an actual monetary 499 00:27:53,210 --> 00:27:58,700 S1: exchange benefiting Naomi, or, more figuratively, covering her with future 500 00:27:58,700 --> 00:28:01,160 S1: provisions and protection by Boaz? 501 00:28:01,430 --> 00:28:04,010 S2: I think Ruth four three suggests that there was a 502 00:28:04,010 --> 00:28:07,370 S2: monetary exchange that took place. It says Naomi, who's come 503 00:28:07,369 --> 00:28:09,739 S2: back from the land of Moab, has to sell the 504 00:28:09,740 --> 00:28:12,980 S2: piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. This 505 00:28:12,980 --> 00:28:15,979 S2: suggests that she still possessed the property owned by her 506 00:28:15,980 --> 00:28:18,200 S2: late husband, but was being forced to sell it to 507 00:28:18,230 --> 00:28:21,500 S2: provide sufficient funds to live. The second part of the 508 00:28:21,500 --> 00:28:24,470 S2: deal was to acquire Ruth as a wife. The first 509 00:28:24,470 --> 00:28:26,990 S2: born son in such a union would belong to the 510 00:28:26,990 --> 00:28:30,290 S2: line of Elimelech, and would ultimately inherit the land that 511 00:28:30,290 --> 00:28:34,220 S2: was being purchased. A verse ten confirms this as Boaz said, 512 00:28:34,250 --> 00:28:37,369 S2: I've acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to 513 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:39,620 S2: be my wife in order to raise up the name 514 00:28:39,620 --> 00:28:43,340 S2: of the deceased on his inheritance. One final detail on 515 00:28:43,340 --> 00:28:45,920 S2: it all when Obed is born to Boaz and Ruth 516 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:49,370 S2: in chapter four, it adds, Then Naomi took the child 517 00:28:49,370 --> 00:28:51,620 S2: and laid him in her lap and cared for him. 518 00:28:51,620 --> 00:28:54,320 S2: The women living there said, Naomi has a son. You know, 519 00:28:54,350 --> 00:28:56,990 S2: it was Boaz and Ruth who were the actual parents. 520 00:28:56,990 --> 00:28:59,840 S2: But the child, whose name, by the way, means servant, 521 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:04,040 S2: is here connected with Naomi. He symbolically becomes her heir. 522 00:29:04,070 --> 00:29:07,370 S2: What she lost in chapter one is now restored, and 523 00:29:07,370 --> 00:29:11,240 S2: it's through the unselfish compassion of both Ruth and Boaz. 524 00:29:11,270 --> 00:29:13,940 S1: Bill writes, I was listening to a guy the other day, 525 00:29:13,940 --> 00:29:17,360 S1: and he mentioned that the leader, Gog, is dead and 526 00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:20,570 S1: the Khazar Jew is Magog. He says, I found a 527 00:29:20,570 --> 00:29:23,690 S1: lot on this topic as I search mainstream media. Any 528 00:29:23,690 --> 00:29:25,850 S1: links that you know that can explain this to me 529 00:29:25,850 --> 00:29:29,090 S1: in general terms? Is this a valid idea? Charlie, I'm 530 00:29:29,090 --> 00:29:30,530 S1: totally confused by all this. 531 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,260 S2: Yeah, and the fellow that he mentioned, I didn't know personally, 532 00:29:33,260 --> 00:29:35,510 S2: but I assume that this individual is trying to connect 533 00:29:35,510 --> 00:29:39,500 S2: modern Ashkenazi Jews and possibly the nation of Israel with 534 00:29:39,500 --> 00:29:43,460 S2: the Khazars, a tribe of mixed Mongolian Turks, from the 535 00:29:43,460 --> 00:29:46,670 S2: eighth to 11th centuries. And in some ways, he's connecting 536 00:29:46,670 --> 00:29:49,640 S2: all this through the prophecy of Ezekiel 38 to 39. 537 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:52,370 S2: So with all that in mind here, here's my thoughts. First, 538 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:56,360 S2: Gog in Ezekiel 38 is a person. Ezekiel actually used 539 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:58,980 S2: the name of an individual who died about 75 or 540 00:29:58,980 --> 00:30:02,240 S2: 80 years before his time, to paint a one word 541 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:05,150 S2: portrait of a still future leader. It would be similar 542 00:30:05,150 --> 00:30:09,260 S2: to someone today describing a still future leader as another Hitler. 543 00:30:09,290 --> 00:30:12,470 S2: 80 years after World War Two, we still know exactly 544 00:30:12,470 --> 00:30:15,320 S2: what's meant by that one word. Well, this guy Geser 545 00:30:15,350 --> 00:30:19,430 S2: Gog was a ruthless conqueror, and Ezekiel uses his name 546 00:30:19,430 --> 00:30:23,090 S2: in exactly the same way. But it's also clear Ezekiel 547 00:30:23,090 --> 00:30:26,480 S2: wasn't referring directly to this individual who had already died. 548 00:30:26,750 --> 00:30:29,870 S2: This guy, Jesus Gog, ruled over the kingdom of Lydia, 549 00:30:29,870 --> 00:30:33,470 S2: which is in today western Turkey. But in Ezekiel 38, 550 00:30:33,500 --> 00:30:36,740 S2: this still future Gog is specifically said to be from 551 00:30:36,740 --> 00:30:39,140 S2: the land of Magog, as well as the chief prince 552 00:30:39,140 --> 00:30:42,470 S2: of Meshech and Tubal. Well, those names sound strange to us, 553 00:30:42,470 --> 00:30:46,820 S2: but they were actual geographical places in Ezekiel's day. In fact, 554 00:30:46,820 --> 00:30:50,150 S2: they're already mentioned in the table of nations in Genesis ten. 555 00:30:50,180 --> 00:30:54,080 S2: Hundreds of years earlier, these countries were located between and 556 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:57,800 S2: just north of the Black and Caspian Seas. In Ezekiel 557 00:30:57,830 --> 00:31:01,670 S2: 3815 he says, God will come from your place in 558 00:31:01,670 --> 00:31:04,550 S2: the far north. Now, third, and this is probably the 559 00:31:04,550 --> 00:31:08,030 S2: big part, the belief that the modern Ashkenazi Jews were 560 00:31:08,030 --> 00:31:11,630 S2: really descendants of this nomadic tribe called the Khazars, and 561 00:31:11,630 --> 00:31:15,590 S2: thus not really Jewish. That's a distorted teaching that's been 562 00:31:15,590 --> 00:31:20,270 S2: debunked by both history and genetic studies, while apparently some 563 00:31:20,270 --> 00:31:23,510 S2: in that kingdom of Khazaria did adopt Judaism, they were 564 00:31:23,510 --> 00:31:26,239 S2: by no means the majority of the Jewish people who 565 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:29,840 S2: lived in Central and Eastern Europe. Recent genetic studies show 566 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:33,680 S2: clear links between the Ashkenazi Jews of Europe, the Sephardic 567 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:37,640 S2: Jews of Spain and Mediterranean region, and the Mizrachi Jews 568 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:40,550 S2: of the Middle East. Though the Jewish people were scattered, 569 00:31:40,550 --> 00:31:43,790 S2: they continued to share a common genetic link. Now, I 570 00:31:43,790 --> 00:31:45,560 S2: deal with this briefly, actually, in a book that's going 571 00:31:45,590 --> 00:31:47,510 S2: to be coming out in just a few days, it's 572 00:31:47,510 --> 00:31:50,900 S2: titled Who Owns the Land? Published by Moody Publishers. But 573 00:31:50,900 --> 00:31:53,960 S2: this is one of those areas your instincts are right on. 574 00:31:54,050 --> 00:31:56,420 S2: Be very careful to avoid what this fellow is trying 575 00:31:56,420 --> 00:31:57,080 S2: to teach. 576 00:31:57,110 --> 00:32:01,550 S1: Todd asks, why are the same sequence of names repeated 577 00:32:01,550 --> 00:32:04,850 S1: in First Chronicles six, verses seven and eight, and then 578 00:32:04,850 --> 00:32:06,620 S1: in verses 11 through 12? 579 00:32:06,650 --> 00:32:11,719 S2: Yeah, and those names are Amariah, Ahituv, and Zadok. And 580 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:13,910 S2: the key thing to notice is that those words in 581 00:32:13,910 --> 00:32:16,820 S2: 11 and 12 are not duplicate names of the same 582 00:32:16,820 --> 00:32:20,270 S2: people in verses 7 to 8, but actually later descendants 583 00:32:20,270 --> 00:32:22,940 S2: who were named after their ancestors. And I think I 584 00:32:22,940 --> 00:32:25,610 S2: can prove that for two reasons. First, the father of 585 00:32:25,610 --> 00:32:28,820 S2: Amariah in verse seven is a different father than the 586 00:32:28,820 --> 00:32:32,180 S2: Amariah listed in verse 11. And second, the son of 587 00:32:32,180 --> 00:32:34,820 S2: Zadok in verse eight is different than the son of 588 00:32:34,850 --> 00:32:37,160 S2: Zadok in verse 12. So what I think we're seeing 589 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:39,800 S2: is a small slice of time in the priestly line, 590 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:43,940 S2: where fathers named their children after prominent ancestors. There are 591 00:32:43,940 --> 00:32:46,760 S2: actually a few other instances in the Bible where similar 592 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,430 S2: patterns can be found. For example, during the time of 593 00:32:49,430 --> 00:32:52,610 S2: King Jehoshaphat, there were two generations where the kings of 594 00:32:52,610 --> 00:32:55,910 S2: Judah named their sons after the kings of Israel. Now 595 00:32:55,910 --> 00:32:58,310 S2: I also see this happening in real life, when parents 596 00:32:58,310 --> 00:33:00,800 S2: at times just get into a pattern of using family 597 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,830 S2: names for their children. You know, I'm named after my father. 598 00:33:03,830 --> 00:33:06,560 S2: My middle name is the name of my father's father. 599 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:09,260 S2: My younger brother was named after an older brother of 600 00:33:09,260 --> 00:33:12,860 S2: my father, and my brother's middle name is my mom's dad. 601 00:33:12,860 --> 00:33:15,620 S2: So that kind of pattern just repeats in some family 602 00:33:15,620 --> 00:33:18,720 S2: lines and was done in a way to honor or 603 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:22,260 S2: preserve the memory of earlier ancestors. And I suspect that's 604 00:33:22,260 --> 00:33:25,620 S2: what happened to these three generations in the priestly line 605 00:33:25,620 --> 00:33:28,440 S2: in first Chronicles six, until someone then came along and 606 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:29,580 S2: broke the pattern. 607 00:33:29,580 --> 00:33:31,980 S1: It's the land in the book from Moody Radio with 608 00:33:31,980 --> 00:33:35,430 S1: our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. Brian asks, what about the 609 00:33:35,460 --> 00:33:38,880 S1: betrayal of Jesus by Judas? Up to that point, our 610 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,940 S1: Lord had a public ministry of about three years. It 611 00:33:41,940 --> 00:33:45,630 S1: seemed as if everybody and his brother became aware of him. Why, then, 612 00:33:45,660 --> 00:33:49,080 S1: would the Roman soldiers have needed anybody to point him out? 613 00:33:49,290 --> 00:33:51,209 S2: I think there's several factors that were at play. The 614 00:33:51,210 --> 00:33:54,450 S2: first is the religious leaders were originally concerned about trying 615 00:33:54,450 --> 00:33:57,900 S2: to arrest Jesus during the daytime. In fact, in Matthew 26, 616 00:33:57,930 --> 00:34:00,120 S2: it records a meeting where they had an. And it 617 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:02,820 S2: says they plotted to arrest Jesus, but it says in 618 00:34:02,820 --> 00:34:05,729 S2: some sly way and kill him, but not during the feast, 619 00:34:05,730 --> 00:34:08,250 S2: they said, or there may be a riot among the people. 620 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:11,160 S2: Since then, trying to arrest Jesus at a public setting 621 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:14,790 S2: was considered too dangerous. They were looking for alternatives, and 622 00:34:14,790 --> 00:34:17,919 S2: that's where Judas came to them and offered to betray Jesus. 623 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:21,460 S2: That's in Matthew 26. I think Judas planned to then 624 00:34:21,460 --> 00:34:23,740 S2: let them know where Jesus and the disciples were going 625 00:34:23,739 --> 00:34:26,799 S2: to celebrate Passover, so they could arrest him with just 626 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:30,100 S2: a small group there to offer resistance. But Jesus thwarted 627 00:34:30,130 --> 00:34:33,279 S2: their plans by not telling the disciples in advance where 628 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:37,030 S2: they'd be celebrating Passover. In that same chapter, we see 629 00:34:37,060 --> 00:34:40,509 S2: Jesus having that somewhat cryptic instruction to his disciples you 630 00:34:40,510 --> 00:34:42,460 S2: know that they're to go into the city, meet a 631 00:34:42,460 --> 00:34:45,460 S2: man who'd show them where to celebrate Passover. In fact, 632 00:34:45,460 --> 00:34:47,799 S2: Mark adds, they didn't even know where they were going. 633 00:34:47,830 --> 00:34:49,540 S2: They were only told to meet a man carrying a 634 00:34:49,540 --> 00:34:52,150 S2: jar of water who would then take him to that room. 635 00:34:52,150 --> 00:34:55,090 S2: So in the end, Judas didn't know the location of 636 00:34:55,090 --> 00:34:57,820 S2: the Passover ahead of time, and so he couldn't report 637 00:34:57,820 --> 00:35:00,040 S2: the site to the officials. And that leads to the 638 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:03,160 S2: third point. Judas did know where Jesus and the disciples 639 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:06,370 S2: would go afterward. Uh, they would go to the Mount 640 00:35:06,370 --> 00:35:09,940 S2: of Olives, to the olive oil press, get Shemen or Gethsemane. 641 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:13,240 S2: They evidently spent time there before. So Judas left the 642 00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:16,230 S2: Passover meal, went to report on that change in plan. 643 00:35:16,230 --> 00:35:18,720 S2: And the problem now is how to arrest him. Since 644 00:35:18,719 --> 00:35:21,030 S2: it was at night. It's on a hillside covered in 645 00:35:21,030 --> 00:35:24,120 S2: olive trees. It would be dark and hundreds of perhaps 646 00:35:24,150 --> 00:35:26,250 S2: thousands of others would be on the Mount of Olives 647 00:35:26,250 --> 00:35:30,000 S2: camping out as well. So likely they said, Judas needed 648 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:32,609 S2: to be there to point out Jesus, lest he slip 649 00:35:32,610 --> 00:35:35,340 S2: into the shadows among all those thousands of others and 650 00:35:35,340 --> 00:35:36,239 S2: get away. 651 00:35:36,450 --> 00:35:40,290 S1: Mark asks, Does Genesis four verse four tell us why 652 00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:44,700 S1: Abel's offering was accepted and Cain's wasn't? Because Abel's was 653 00:35:44,700 --> 00:35:46,830 S1: the firstlings his best? 654 00:35:47,340 --> 00:35:50,040 S2: Well, Genesis four doesn't tell us directly why his was 655 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:52,799 S2: accepted while Cain's wasn't. But I believe there's an indirect 656 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:56,310 S2: answer in the immediate context following Adam and Eve's sin. 657 00:35:56,310 --> 00:35:59,790 S2: Genesis 321 says, the Lord made garments of skin for 658 00:35:59,790 --> 00:36:02,279 S2: Adam and his wife and clothed them. I think God 659 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:04,230 S2: explained to Adam and Eve that for their sin to 660 00:36:04,260 --> 00:36:06,930 S2: be covered, something had to die in their place. I 661 00:36:06,930 --> 00:36:10,710 S2: think this is when God established the principle of animal sacrifice. 662 00:36:10,710 --> 00:36:14,910 S2: So in Genesis four, Abel approached God with such a sacrifice, 663 00:36:14,910 --> 00:36:18,000 S2: while Cain provided the fruit of his own labor. In essence, 664 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:20,609 S2: he illustrated those who try to work their own way 665 00:36:20,610 --> 00:36:24,120 S2: into heaven, while Abel illustrated the way to God, requiring 666 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:26,430 S2: the sacrifice of a substitute. And I think it's an 667 00:36:26,430 --> 00:36:29,250 S2: early picture that pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of the 668 00:36:29,250 --> 00:36:32,700 S2: Lamb of God, and that's why his sacrifice was accepted. 669 00:36:32,730 --> 00:36:34,770 S1: Well, I hope you found it satisfying to get some 670 00:36:34,770 --> 00:36:37,830 S1: answers to a lot of these questions, and yours is welcome. 671 00:36:37,860 --> 00:36:40,620 S1: Of course, when you email us at The Land and 672 00:36:40,620 --> 00:36:48,180 S1: the book@moody.edu the land and the book@moody.edu. More to come. 673 00:36:48,180 --> 00:36:51,299 S1: It's Charlie Dyer's devotional next here on the land and 674 00:36:51,300 --> 00:37:06,450 S1: the book. This is the land and the book from 675 00:37:06,450 --> 00:37:11,040 S1: Moody Radio segment for our devotional segment. Charlie, I grew up, 676 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:14,280 S1: as you know, in a house full of brass instrument players. 677 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:17,340 S1: We've got a trombone player, I play French horn, a 678 00:37:17,370 --> 00:37:20,879 S1: couple of brothers play trumpets, dad plays trumpet. And your 679 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:22,830 S1: devotional today is about trumpets. 680 00:37:22,860 --> 00:37:25,980 S2: Yeah. And actually, the trumpet. Loose feast of trumpets. 681 00:37:26,010 --> 00:37:28,020 S1: All right. I'm looking forward to that. Let's listen to 682 00:37:28,050 --> 00:37:30,839 S1: this Holy Land experience first as we begin. 683 00:37:35,070 --> 00:37:38,489 S5: I've had the privilege of being in the Holy Land 684 00:37:38,489 --> 00:37:41,160 S5: for a week now, and I think the thing that 685 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:47,009 S5: has impressed me most is the extraordinary history of this country, 686 00:37:47,010 --> 00:37:52,049 S5: and the diversity that exists as a result of that 687 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:57,330 S5: history is probably the most complex situation that I have 688 00:37:57,330 --> 00:38:03,239 S5: ever witnessed or experienced in my now 65 plus years. 689 00:38:03,330 --> 00:38:06,660 S6: Everything was wonderful about this trip. Such a treat to 690 00:38:06,660 --> 00:38:09,210 S6: have a small group of people to walk the steps 691 00:38:09,210 --> 00:38:13,830 S6: of Jesus, Especially at the Sea of Galilee. It was 692 00:38:13,830 --> 00:38:18,360 S6: such a treat to see the distances between the spots 693 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:21,570 S6: where we read in Scripture. Jesus walked and talked and 694 00:38:21,570 --> 00:38:25,529 S6: lived his life affecting people. I wanted to know how 695 00:38:25,530 --> 00:38:29,550 S6: far apart things were. How big was the Sea of Galilee? 696 00:38:29,580 --> 00:38:33,480 S6: How far away were the towns where he walked? Everything 697 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:36,720 S6: was just so exciting to see the places and the 698 00:38:36,719 --> 00:38:40,950 S6: spots where Jesus walked and where we learned scripture. Seeing 699 00:38:40,950 --> 00:38:44,670 S6: it through our tour guide, Charlie Dyer's eyes brought little 700 00:38:44,670 --> 00:38:47,340 S6: phrases in the word to life. 701 00:38:49,140 --> 00:38:51,210 S1: All right. We're headed for a couple of different passages 702 00:38:51,210 --> 00:38:54,570 S1: in the Old Testament numbers. And then Nehemiah. Charlie, take 703 00:38:54,570 --> 00:38:55,170 S1: it away. 704 00:38:55,350 --> 00:38:58,650 S2: Thanks, John. Well, the college football season is in full swing. 705 00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:01,620 S2: Alumni and fans by the hundreds of thousands are flocking 706 00:39:01,650 --> 00:39:05,009 S2: to college campuses across the nation to watch their alma 707 00:39:05,010 --> 00:39:08,340 S2: mater battle it out on the gridiron with regional rivals. 708 00:39:08,340 --> 00:39:11,759 S2: But for many, game day doesn't begin at kickoff. It 709 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:15,270 S2: starts hours earlier in the stadium parking lot with tailgate 710 00:39:15,270 --> 00:39:19,200 S2: parties featuring grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and brats, along with 711 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:22,620 S2: an overabundance of other food and beverages. Walking through the 712 00:39:22,620 --> 00:39:25,230 S2: crowd while breathing in the aroma of all the meat 713 00:39:25,260 --> 00:39:28,560 S2: sizzling on the grills, well, one sense of excitement is 714 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:32,400 S2: only matched by that mouthwatering sensation of just how good 715 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:35,370 S2: one of those burgers would taste right about now, and 716 00:39:35,370 --> 00:39:37,440 S2: I wonder if that's what the people of Israel might 717 00:39:37,469 --> 00:39:40,470 S2: have experienced just a little as they filled the temple 718 00:39:40,469 --> 00:39:44,460 S2: courtyard on Rosh Hashanah, Israel's Feast of Trumpets that marked 719 00:39:44,460 --> 00:39:48,060 S2: the beginning of their fall festivals. The crowd packed together 720 00:39:48,060 --> 00:39:52,410 S2: trumpets sounding the aroma of bulls, rams and lambs being 721 00:39:52,410 --> 00:39:55,620 S2: sacrificed on the temple altar. And the people weren't just 722 00:39:55,620 --> 00:39:58,320 S2: gathering for an athletic event, they were there to appear 723 00:39:58,320 --> 00:40:01,410 S2: before the God of the universe. The excitement must have 724 00:40:01,410 --> 00:40:04,800 S2: been palpable in the Bible. This feast isn't called the 725 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:08,910 S2: Feast of Trumpets. Numbers 29 simply calls it Yom Teruah, 726 00:40:08,940 --> 00:40:12,569 S2: the day of sounding or the day of blowing. According 727 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:15,299 S2: to numbers 1010 on the first day of each month 728 00:40:15,300 --> 00:40:19,110 S2: during the New Moon Festival, silver trumpets were blown at 729 00:40:19,110 --> 00:40:22,290 S2: the time of the daily sacrifices, but the first day 730 00:40:22,290 --> 00:40:25,830 S2: of the seventh month was different in at least three ways. First, 731 00:40:25,860 --> 00:40:28,770 S2: on this day, Israel was to hold a sacred assembly 732 00:40:28,770 --> 00:40:31,950 S2: and do no regular work. It was set aside in 733 00:40:31,950 --> 00:40:35,549 S2: a unique way. Second, God described it as a day 734 00:40:35,550 --> 00:40:38,339 S2: to sound the trumpets. This has been understood as the 735 00:40:38,340 --> 00:40:42,060 S2: sounding of the shofar. The ram's horn likely sounded in 736 00:40:42,060 --> 00:40:45,989 S2: addition to the normal silver trumpets. And third, an additional 737 00:40:45,989 --> 00:40:48,750 S2: set of offerings were to be made. God's directions were 738 00:40:48,750 --> 00:40:52,080 S2: very specific as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. Prepare 739 00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:54,930 S2: a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram, and 740 00:40:54,930 --> 00:40:58,469 S2: seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. Include 741 00:40:58,469 --> 00:41:00,930 S2: one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement 742 00:41:00,930 --> 00:41:03,719 S2: for you. These are in addition to the monthly and 743 00:41:03,719 --> 00:41:08,310 S2: daily burnt offerings over three times the normal daily offerings, 744 00:41:08,310 --> 00:41:11,910 S2: accompanied by multiple blasts of the shofar. In addition to 745 00:41:11,940 --> 00:41:15,000 S2: the sounding of the regular silver trumpets, and all the 746 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:18,210 S2: people were to refrain from their regular work, very likely 747 00:41:18,210 --> 00:41:23,910 S2: those in and around Jerusalem gathered to watch all these activities. Unfortunately, 748 00:41:23,910 --> 00:41:27,540 S2: Judah became very lax in performing the ceremonies prescribed by 749 00:41:27,540 --> 00:41:31,260 S2: the Lord. That's one reason they went into captivity in Babylon, 750 00:41:31,260 --> 00:41:33,720 S2: but now they're back in the land and the temple 751 00:41:33,719 --> 00:41:36,960 S2: has been rebuilt. The walls around Jerusalem have been restored, 752 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:41,009 S2: and the seventh month has just begun. After an absence 753 00:41:41,010 --> 00:41:44,580 S2: of years or more likely, decades, the people are again 754 00:41:44,580 --> 00:41:48,270 S2: gathered to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets. But after such 755 00:41:48,300 --> 00:41:51,900 S2: a long absence, it's something of an awkward time. Most 756 00:41:51,900 --> 00:41:55,920 S2: have never participated in this celebration. In fact, most have 757 00:41:55,920 --> 00:41:59,279 S2: never even heard it. God's law, written in Hebrew, is 758 00:41:59,280 --> 00:42:02,760 S2: virtually unknown to a generation that has now grown up 759 00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:06,390 S2: speaking only Aramaic. Let's follow the crowd into the square. 760 00:42:06,420 --> 00:42:10,410 S2: Just inside the Watergate on the eastern edge of Jerusalem 761 00:42:10,410 --> 00:42:12,300 S2: will stand off to the side so as not to 762 00:42:12,330 --> 00:42:15,210 S2: disturb anyone. The people are seated on the ground in 763 00:42:15,210 --> 00:42:18,300 S2: small groups, or standing and milling around as they wait 764 00:42:18,300 --> 00:42:21,600 S2: for the event to begin. The low rumble of talking 765 00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:25,350 S2: suddenly ceases as Ezra the priest walks up the stairs 766 00:42:25,350 --> 00:42:28,380 S2: to a high platform at the one end of the plaza. 767 00:42:28,410 --> 00:42:32,730 S2: In his hand, he's holding a vellum scroll. Someone nearby whispers, 768 00:42:32,730 --> 00:42:36,060 S2: it's a copy of The Law of Moses. As Ezra 769 00:42:36,060 --> 00:42:39,330 S2: unrolls the scroll and begins to speak, everyone rises to 770 00:42:39,360 --> 00:42:42,630 S2: their feet. Ezra begins by praising the Lord, and the 771 00:42:42,630 --> 00:42:47,160 S2: people respond with loud cries of Amen! Amen. Then they 772 00:42:47,160 --> 00:42:49,980 S2: all bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces 773 00:42:49,980 --> 00:42:54,060 S2: to the ground, demonstrating their humble submission to God. But 774 00:42:54,060 --> 00:42:58,140 S2: what follows next at first seems confusing to us. As 775 00:42:58,140 --> 00:43:00,960 S2: Ezra read aloud from the scroll, he paused to let 776 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:04,810 S2: the Levites translate and interpret what was being read into 777 00:43:04,810 --> 00:43:08,650 S2: the Aramaic language spoken by the people. The entire process 778 00:43:08,650 --> 00:43:12,399 S2: of reading and then translating God's Word took from daybreak 779 00:43:12,430 --> 00:43:16,480 S2: until noon. And yet throughout the entire time, the people 780 00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:20,380 S2: remained standing. As we watch the crowd's reaction, we sense 781 00:43:20,380 --> 00:43:24,370 S2: a genuine emotional response to the words being read. They 782 00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:28,030 S2: hear the description of the festivals prescribed by God, including 783 00:43:28,030 --> 00:43:30,700 S2: the one to be held this very day. And yet 784 00:43:30,700 --> 00:43:33,730 S2: they're not in the temple celebrating the Festival of Trumpets. 785 00:43:33,730 --> 00:43:37,270 S2: They're outside the temple near the water gate. They also 786 00:43:37,270 --> 00:43:40,960 S2: hear the blessings God promised for obedience and the cursings 787 00:43:40,960 --> 00:43:44,740 S2: pronounced for disobedience. And they realize they're in danger of 788 00:43:44,739 --> 00:43:48,550 S2: repeating the same errors as their ancestors, the very sins 789 00:43:48,550 --> 00:43:51,910 S2: that destroyed the temple, the city, and the nation. Not 790 00:43:51,910 --> 00:43:55,540 S2: so very long ago. Some in the crowd begin sobbing 791 00:43:55,540 --> 00:43:59,980 S2: and sorrow over their own insubordination. Eventually, the entire group 792 00:43:59,980 --> 00:44:04,000 S2: begins weeping uncontrollably. How could we be so wicked and evil? 793 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:07,420 S2: What have we done? The leaders sensed what was happening 794 00:44:07,420 --> 00:44:11,080 S2: and quickly took action. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the 795 00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:14,350 S2: priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people, 796 00:44:14,350 --> 00:44:16,930 S2: said to them all, this day is sacred to the 797 00:44:16,930 --> 00:44:19,930 S2: Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep. Go and 798 00:44:19,930 --> 00:44:23,230 S2: enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to 799 00:44:23,260 --> 00:44:26,410 S2: those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to 800 00:44:26,440 --> 00:44:29,380 S2: our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the 801 00:44:29,380 --> 00:44:32,440 S2: Lord is your strength. This is when we would have 802 00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:35,050 S2: expected the people to head to the temple to finally 803 00:44:35,050 --> 00:44:38,620 S2: celebrate the Feast of Trumpets, as God had commanded. But 804 00:44:38,620 --> 00:44:43,300 S2: that's not what happened. Nehemiah 812 records what took place next. 805 00:44:43,300 --> 00:44:45,730 S2: Then all the people went away to eat and drink, 806 00:44:45,730 --> 00:44:49,000 S2: to send portions of food, and to celebrate with great joy, 807 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:51,850 S2: because they now understood the words that had been made 808 00:44:51,850 --> 00:44:54,969 S2: known to them. And as the plaza empties out, we're 809 00:44:54,969 --> 00:44:59,140 S2: left scratching our heads. What just took place? The answer 810 00:44:59,140 --> 00:45:02,450 S2: is that the people discovered an important lesson. God was 811 00:45:02,450 --> 00:45:05,719 S2: more concerned about their own hearts than he was about ritual. 812 00:45:05,750 --> 00:45:08,719 S2: Isaiah had made this clear hundreds of years before, when 813 00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:12,230 S2: he announced God's Word to a rebellious nation in Isaiah one, 814 00:45:12,260 --> 00:45:14,989 S2: the multitude of your sacrifices, what are they to me? 815 00:45:14,989 --> 00:45:17,569 S2: Says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the blood 816 00:45:17,570 --> 00:45:20,000 S2: of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to 817 00:45:20,030 --> 00:45:22,880 S2: appear before me. Who asked this of you, this trampling 818 00:45:22,880 --> 00:45:27,140 S2: of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings. As the people 819 00:45:27,140 --> 00:45:31,040 S2: resumed the religious festivals, God zeroed in on three lessons 820 00:45:31,040 --> 00:45:34,610 S2: he wanted them to master first. The focus was to 821 00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:38,299 S2: be on God and His word, not themselves. It began 822 00:45:38,300 --> 00:45:42,350 S2: with bowing down to God and then listening to His Word. Second, 823 00:45:42,380 --> 00:45:44,660 S2: God wanted them to view this festival as a time 824 00:45:44,690 --> 00:45:47,990 S2: of celebration rather than mourn or weep. God said, do 825 00:45:47,989 --> 00:45:50,840 S2: not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. 826 00:45:50,870 --> 00:45:54,319 S2: And finally, a practical result was to share with and 827 00:45:54,320 --> 00:45:57,470 S2: care for others. Go and enjoy choice food and sweet 828 00:45:57,469 --> 00:46:00,890 S2: drinks and send some to those who have nothing prepared. 829 00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:03,200 S2: And those are good lessons for us as we think 830 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:06,350 S2: about the coming week. Take time to read God's Word 831 00:46:06,350 --> 00:46:09,799 S2: and to worship him. Look for opportunities to rejoice in 832 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:12,890 S2: what God has provided, and then look for ways to 833 00:46:12,890 --> 00:46:15,440 S2: share with those around you. In fact, that's not a 834 00:46:15,440 --> 00:46:18,169 S2: bad way to celebrate every day of the year, even 835 00:46:18,170 --> 00:46:19,400 S2: without a trumpet. 836 00:46:19,430 --> 00:46:22,430 S1: And that's a great reminder. Thank you Charlie. You can 837 00:46:22,430 --> 00:46:25,100 S1: hear the entire program again at our web site, The 838 00:46:25,100 --> 00:46:29,090 S1: Land and the book.org. You know, a lot of listeners 839 00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:31,970 S1: are well outside the range of a radio station that 840 00:46:31,969 --> 00:46:34,730 S1: might carry the land and the book, but the podcast 841 00:46:34,760 --> 00:46:38,210 S1: goes everywhere. So thanks for passing the word along about that. 842 00:46:38,210 --> 00:46:43,040 S1: It's available at The Land and the book.org. Thanks so 843 00:46:43,040 --> 00:46:45,230 S1: much for being a part of today's broadcast. Want to 844 00:46:45,230 --> 00:46:48,380 S1: thank Dan Anderson, our producer, our host Charlie Dyer. I'm 845 00:46:48,380 --> 00:46:51,500 S1: John Gager. The land and the book is a production 846 00:46:51,500 --> 00:46:55,100 S1: of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.