S1: Jacob came to America from Israel with one goal in
S1: mind to make money and lots of it. But then
S1: he met the Messiah. Immediately Jacob lost his home, his job,
S1: and all hope for the future. Still, he shared about
S1: Christ fearlessly, even when physically assaulted. Coming up, the remarkable
S1: story of Jacob Garlinghouse. Plus, we'll bring you all the
S1: headlines from the Middle East from a biblical perspective. Welcome
S1: back to the land and the book. Our host is
S1: Israel expert Doctor Charlie Dyer, and I'm John Geiger. You know, Charlie,
S1: Passover will soon be upon us. And one of the
S1: traditional Passover questions is what makes this night different from
S1: all others? Passover, of course, is an important biblical holiday,
S1: has great meaning for both Jewish people and believers in Jesus.
S1: So I think this is a great question to ask.
S2: It really is John, especially with Passover just around the corner.
S2: And if you want to learn more about what makes
S2: Passover so special, our friends at Life in Messiah are
S2: offering to mail you a free copy of their Messianic
S2: Passover Haggadah. The booklet will lead you through the celebration
S2: of Passover to see the rich connections to Jesus, our Messiah,
S2: and the Last Supper. You'll also receive a link for
S2: an interactive Passover Seder video with the Haggadah and video.
S2: You can celebrate Passover this year with your family and friends.
S2: Now to get this free offer, just go to Life
S2: in Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button
S2: to find out more and request your copy. That's life
S2: in messiah.org.
S1: And now let's swing our focus toward current events from
S1: the Middle East. The top news story this past week
S1: was Iran's attack on Israel. Of course, last week you
S1: mentioned the likelihood of an imminent attack, and it actually
S1: took place last Saturday night. How successful was that attack
S1: and what do you think might come next?
S2: Well, in terms of what Iran hoped to accomplish, the
S2: attack was a failure. Iran launched 170 attack drones, 30
S2: cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles, and all but a
S2: handful were destroyed before ever getting close to their intended target.
S2: One key element in thwarting the attack was the dramatic
S2: show of support for Israel by the United States, Britain, Jordan,
S2: France and even some Gulf states. They helped shoot down
S2: over 100 drones as well as some of the other missiles,
S2: while Israel handled all the rest. Most of the ballistic
S2: missiles Iran fired were intercepted by Israel's long range arrow
S2: air defense system, though a few managed to hit an
S2: Israeli air base in southern Israel, causing minor damage. Apparently,
S2: the attack focused on a strategic air base in Israel.
S2: Iran hoped to severely damaged the base, but they failed
S2: to do so. What happens next is the more difficult
S2: question to answer. Israel said it will retaliate at the
S2: appropriate time. President Biden and the US administration are urging
S2: Israel not to respond militarily, because it could pull Washington
S2: into a wider Middle East conflict. The US said it
S2: wouldn't help in any response. The intervention by the US, Britain,
S2: France and Jordan helped Israel defeat Iran's attack. Had they
S2: not done so, the outcome could have been somewhat different. Now,
S2: as a result, Israel has acknowledged those who just came
S2: to their aid and who are now urging restraint. The
S2: lack of casualties gives Israel the freedom to be more
S2: selective in how to respond. The only serious casualty was
S2: to a young Bedouin girl injured by shrapnel from an
S2: intercepted ballistic missile. It's easier to exercise restraint and patience
S2: when there isn't a rising death toll. Still, Israel will respond.
S2: The only questions are when and how will they attack
S2: Iran directly? Or will they try to attack Iran's allies, Hezbollah,
S2: Syria and the Houthis to weaken Iran's grip on the region?
S2: The bottom line is that Iran launched a significant attack
S2: and it was repulsed with minimal damage. Right now, that's
S2: something of a victory for Israel. The systems they put
S2: in place and the alliance that's being forged in the
S2: Middle East were all working just as planned. But there's
S2: still another chapter in this drama that's yet to be written,
S2: and we'll have to wait and see what that's going
S2: to be.
S1: It seems to me, if Israel does not respond in
S1: some way, that only emboldens Iran further. Am I twisted
S1: in my thinking? What are your thoughts now?
S2: You're right on target. That's in fact what Israel's leadership
S2: is saying. We've got to show Iran there's a price
S2: to pay for doing something like this, because this is
S2: the first direct attack on Israel from Iran in Israel's history.
S2: And they can't let that pass by without responding.
S1: One last question. Had those missiles or some of them
S1: hit a hospital, hit a school, killed 150 people at
S1: that point, do you think Israel might have and should
S1: it happen in the future, would they go after Iran
S1: in a much bigger way, perhaps striking at their nuclear weapons?
S2: It would be a much larger response, and it would
S2: have been more immediate. It would have already taken place. Yeah.
S2: Israel has the luxury of taking their time and giving
S2: a measured response only because the attack was so futile
S2: in terms of what it accomplished.
S1: This is the land in the book from Modi Radio
S1: with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger. It's
S1: a look at current events from the week and this.
S1: Coming week is Passover. What impact do you think Passover
S1: will have on Israel in light of the current conflict
S1: in the Middle East? Charlie?
S2: You know, I'm reminded of an old joke in Judaism
S2: that summarizes Jewish history this way. They tried to kill us.
S2: We survived. Let's eat. And certainly that narrative fits Passover,
S2: the first of Israel's cycle of annual feasts. Israel's existence
S2: was threatened by Pharaoh. God provided deliverance, and the feast
S2: of Passover was instituted to remember that this year, the
S2: theme of Passover and God's deliverance seems, I think, especially
S2: appropriate from the genocidal attack on the Jewish people. On
S2: October 7th, through a rising tide of anti-Semitism worldwide to
S2: Iran's failed missile attack, and through it all, God continues
S2: to watch over his people. From a human perspective, Israel
S2: does face powerful enemies. I mean committed to their destruction.
S2: But Passover is a reminder that God's greater than those enemies.
S2: The current situation. It reminds me of the first three
S2: verses of Psalm 124 if the Lord had not been
S2: on our side, let Israel say, if the Lord had
S2: not been on our side when men attacked us, when
S2: their anger flared against us, then they would have swallowed
S2: us alive. Thankfully, God continues to deliver his people. And
S2: that's the reality emphasized in Passover. But we also know
S2: Passover pointed prophetically to the ultimate Passover lamb, Jesus, whose
S2: blood was shed to provide deliverance from sin. That reality
S2: isn't understood by most in Israel today, though there is
S2: an ever growing believing remnant and believers there are sharing
S2: the good news with many still struggling with fear. We
S2: need to pray for the witness of those believers, and
S2: we need to ask God to continue watching over his people.
S1: Well, the conflict between Israel and Iran crowded out most
S1: news coverage on the war with Gaza. But what's been
S1: happening in the negotiations with Hamas over those hostages?
S2: Now, sadly, the negotiations took a backseat to the threats
S2: of Iran. Hamas rejected the most recent proposal that would
S2: have released 40 hostages. One reason for the rejection is
S2: that Hamas might not have 40 live hostages they can
S2: even offer in the deal. U.S. and Israeli officials fear
S2: that most of the remaining hostages might be dead. Some
S2: might have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, but others died
S2: of wounds they received when they were captured by Hamas,
S2: and still others have apparently died from being tortured or
S2: executed by Hamas or Islamic Jihad fighters. Hamas might be
S2: unwilling to release some of the remaining hostages, because they're
S2: using them as human shields to protect their own leadership,
S2: or because of the reports these hostages would give up
S2: being tortured and sexually abused while in captivity. Some news
S2: reports are suggesting Prime Minister Netanyahu is just indifferent to
S2: the fate of the hostages, and a deal could have
S2: been reached if he'd had just been more willing. And
S2: I can understand the anguish of families making charges like that.
S2: But when the charges are being made by those just
S2: because they're opposed to Netanyahu, well, that's not helpful. First,
S2: the price being demanded by Hamas is just too great.
S2: It would require Israel to pull out of Gaza, leaving
S2: Hamas still in control with freedom to rebuild their military
S2: arsenal and their forces. It would embolden Hamas to attack
S2: again and continue to take hostages, knowing Israel will always
S2: back down. And also, Prime Minister Netanyahu has to balance
S2: the hostage negotiations against the greater needs of the nation.
S2: You know, 130 hostages are significant, but so are 80,000
S2: Israeli evacuees from the north who can't return home, or
S2: the nuclear threat from Iran, or the sacrifice already made
S2: by hundreds of Israeli soldiers who gave their lives trying
S2: to defeat Hamas. The prime minister needs to focus on
S2: the big picture, even if it sometimes makes him look uncaring.
S2: His older brother died rescuing hostages from Entebbe back in 1976,
S2: so he understands personally the price that sometimes needs to
S2: be paid and the impact it can have on a family.
S2: People might be able to criticize him on other issues,
S2: but saying he doesn't care about the hostages is a
S2: political cheap shot that I believe just isn't true.
S1: Charlie, with Hamas being as brazen as they are in
S1: holding out, it seems to me there apparently isn't yet
S1: enough pressure on them. Is there any scenario in which
S1: they would feel pressured to release at least more of
S1: those hostages?
S2: Sadly, I think an attack on Rafah is probably the
S2: one issue that will put that pressure on them. But
S2: right now, the US and others are trying to force
S2: Israel not to do that. Yeah.
S1: Well, we're being told that the future of transportation is
S1: electric cars, and for some they make sense. Others struggle
S1: with practical drawbacks like a lack of charging facilities and
S1: range anxiety, wondering if they'll have enough power to make
S1: it back home. And that's where an Israeli startup called
S1: Battery and Thomas come in. Tell us about this innovation
S1: solution from Amazing Israel.
S2: You know, I don't own an electric car. A major
S2: reason happens to be the stories of those who struggle
S2: to get their car recharged. Even if charging stations are available,
S2: they can be out of service or already taken by
S2: someone else who got there first. And that's where this
S2: new innovation from. Battery and Thomas comes in. Thomas is
S2: the name of a self-driving robot charger for cars. The
S2: company's plan is to set loose self-driving robots in parking garages,
S2: at corporations, residential buildings, shopping centers, hotels, anywhere there's a
S2: large number of cars. Thomas is a robotic charger that
S2: roams the parking garage and provides rapid charging. Each Thomas
S2: robot can charge up to 20 cars a day. The
S2: owner just uses a smartphone, enters the license plate number,
S2: indicates how much of a charge they need. Thomas locates
S2: the car by reading the license plate at night. Thomas
S2: then recharges itself. Now, electric vehicles might be more attractive
S2: to commuters if they know Thomas is on duty to
S2: automatically recharge his or her vehicle at the parking lot,
S2: so it'll be ready for the drive home. And that's
S2: another innovative concept from Amazing Israel.
S1: I love it. Great idea. Thank you. Up next, a
S1: conversation with Ed Frampton about the remarkable Jacob Garlinghouse here
S1: on the land and the book. After coming to Christ,
S1: he was disowned by his family, fired from his job,
S1: and evicted from his home. But that was just the
S1: beginning of the story and you'll hear it all next.
S1: Welcome back to the land and the book. I'm John Jaeger,
S1: and if you're new to the program, this second segment
S1: brings you a conversation with a difference maker, somebody impacting
S1: the kingdom on behalf of Jewish people. We're going to
S1: get to the Odyssey of Jacob Garlinghouse after we pause
S1: for this thought on learning how to more effectively share
S1: Jesus with Jewish folks at work, or maybe in your neighborhood.
S1: Listen to this. You want to connect with your Jewish friend?
S1: Why not? When Passover rolls around, ask that Jewish friend
S1: what Passover means to them. Roy Schwartz is with Chosen
S1: People Ministries. What do you think they'll say?
S3: Well, probably it means we get to eat a great meal,
S3: a time for family to get together and to remember
S3: that were Jews and, uh, have a wonderful family gathering.
S3: It's it's a time of thanksgiving and family.
S1: So how do we turn that around, then, to a
S1: conversation about Jesus?
S3: Well, I would suggest that, you know, as believers, you
S3: could celebrate Passover as well, because for us, it is
S3: a time of family. I mean, God never abrogated the Passover.
S3: He tells us to retell the story. And so you
S3: can share with your Jewish friends. We celebrate Passover as well,
S3: because for us, it points to our redemption from bondage
S3: and slavery. We are so thankful for the Jewish people
S3: and what God did with the Jewish people, because it
S3: set the stage for us to understand the good news
S3: that God redeems people from bondage and slavery. And so
S3: we celebrate it with our children and we retell the story.
S1: Roy Schwartz is with Chosen People Ministries here on the
S1: land and the book. Doctor Ed Frampton is the president
S1: and general director of the International Board of Jewish Missions.
S1: Prior to assuming that role in 2006, he served as
S1: an IBM church planning missionary in Johannesburg, South Africa, founding
S1: two Baptist churches there, including one in the heart of
S1: the city's Jewish community. It's really an honor for us
S1: to leave our land in the book studios and join
S1: you today, editor at the Everlasting Nation Museum. Thanks for
S1: being on the program.
S4: It's great to be here, John.
S1: Well, the guy who launched this ministry was in many
S1: ways an unlikely candidate. Seems to me describe the spiritual
S1: journey of Jacob Greenhouse.
S4: Oh, it was an amazing journey he saw. You can
S4: find this in a book called traitor because he gave
S4: his autobiography. But Jacob was just a young boy, grew
S4: up in a rabbi's home in Austria, and he would
S4: be taken every morning, sometimes several times a day, to
S4: the synagogue. And there he would read the scriptures, and
S4: often he would say this, that his father would put
S4: honey on his lips, and so he would associate sweetness
S4: with the Word of God. And so anyway, Jacob grew
S4: up and and there was an incident in his life
S4: that really brought a change. He accidentally ingested poison. And
S4: because of that, he had to be taken to Vienna, Austria.
S4: And he was left there for a number of months
S4: where he had to recover and have say he did recover.
S4: But what that did for him was help him to
S4: understand that as a boy he had been taught that
S4: Gentiles were and Christians were all, you know, against them,
S4: and that they would all be seeking his hurt. And
S4: what he found out was that actually they were loving
S4: and kind, and he was really that challenged his mind
S4: even as a young boy. And so when he got
S4: to be a teenager, he wanted to journey out. And again,
S4: he would encounter Gentiles and others that challenged his thinking
S4: about when he was growing up, about his association with Gentiles, even,
S4: and Christians in particular. But then because of that journey,
S4: his parents thought it might be well for him to
S4: go and spend some time in America. And he wanted
S4: to do that. And so he left Austria, but wanted
S4: the conditions in order to go to America, was that
S4: he would go visit his brother in Vienna when he
S4: went to visit his brother, who was somewhat of a
S4: celebrity because of his education, the brother began talking to
S4: him about the fact that someone had given him a
S4: little book and he was studying it. And lo and behold,
S4: this brother had become a believer in Yeshua and had
S4: been saved. And so that angered Jacob as a young man.
S4: He was just a teenager, really.
S1: He's angry that his brother has found the Messiah.
S4: Absolutely. He was a traitor, you know. And so even
S4: though he loved his brother, he didn't want to hear
S4: anything about it. So he went on and made his
S4: journey to America.
S1: In fact, wasn't that one of the conditions of this,
S1: of him welcoming him together? You know, you're welcome. But
S1: let's not talk about, you know, what exactly?
S4: And that was always the case. And his brother tried
S4: to honor that, but at times would help him on
S4: his journey. So anyway, he arrived in America. And the
S4: story is that, of course, that he went to work
S4: for his uncle and he began focusing on making money
S4: and so forth, but he began becoming connected with people
S4: who were very kind to him. And over time, his
S4: brother came actually to America also, and then helped him
S4: to become connected with some Christians. And he would go,
S4: but he really didn't want to have anything to do
S4: with it, but he was reading and studying also. So
S4: of course we know that it was that actually it
S4: was on Yom Kippur was one of the most significant
S4: days of his journey, where he went to a service
S4: a couple of days after that, and he actually testified
S4: that he had come to realize that Jesus is the Messiah,
S4: and he accepted him right there.
S1: Today on the land in the book, were enjoying the
S1: hospitality of the International Board of Jewish Missions. We're at
S1: their Chattanooga headquarters, having left our studios, talking with the
S1: president and director of IBM, Doctor Ed Frampton, our focus,
S1: a guy named Jacob Garlinghouse. You know, earlier in his journey,
S1: he had questions about his Jewish faith. This is long
S1: before he's interested in Messiah, but he was told by
S1: a rabbi, it's a sin to ask questions. A Jew
S1: is to believe and not question. How widespread do you
S1: think that mindset is today among Jewish people?
S4: Oh, I still think it's there. And especially when I
S4: was in Johannesburg, our ministry was primarily among the Lubavitch
S4: Jewish young people in their 20s and the older rabbis.
S4: And so, you know, were angry when they would even
S4: ask questions about it because they weren't, first of all,
S4: they were never to mention that name. And there were
S4: people who would even come to my meetings that would
S4: come listen, but would tell me, I will not say
S4: that name. So yes, it's still. That mindset of not
S4: even talking and not even questioning about is still there today.
S1: After getting saved in New York City, Jacob understood the
S1: need for further training. So he attended Moody Bible Institute
S1: in Chicago for two and a half years. How instrumental
S1: do you think that was in forming his theological foundations?
S4: Actually, he talks about that in his autobiography, where he
S4: talks about the impact. And, you know, it was during
S4: those years that actually his mother, his uncle, came to
S4: America while he was at Moody and literally tried to
S4: buy him out of that, you know, to purchase him out.
S4: And then, of course, they met with him. And, you know,
S4: I think what people need to understand is it's a
S4: very hard thing for him to break that bond. But
S4: he loved his mother and he honored her. But so
S4: he tells in detail in his story about how hard
S4: that was. When finally he came to grips with that,
S4: he had to go back to Moody. He had to
S4: go back to campus. And so that was the last time, really,
S4: that he had any significant conversation, anything with his mother.
S4: He didn't see her for years, saw one other time
S4: in the world, and then she died and they wouldn't
S4: tell him. So he's not sure that she ever came
S4: to faith. His dad did. I remember the story. He
S4: got back to the campus. There was a whole group
S4: of people that had been praying daily for him, knowing
S4: he was going through this, and he writes about how
S4: significant that was in formulating his whole platform and foundation
S4: of theology.
S1: Jacob had a fiery passion to reach Jewish people with
S1: the gospel, and he was also passionate about Israel returning
S1: to its biblical homeland. He even wrote a book about
S1: this titled The Rebirth of a Nation The Kicker. He
S1: sent a copy of that book to then president Harry Truman.
S1: Now Israel is not on the map as a nation
S1: at the time. Pick up the story from there.
S4: Doctor Ed, it was amazing. He was somewhat of a
S4: lone voice in those years. Among some of the even
S4: fundamental Christians in America tried to warn about what was
S4: happening during that Holocaust time. And so that was a
S4: very discouraging thing for him. So he did that. He
S4: bought to the book, to him, and then he was
S4: able to schedule an appointment, and he came and he
S4: met with the president literally just a short time before
S4: the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. And
S4: there he had a conversation with the president. The president
S4: asked him questions about his hope as a Jewish person.
S4: Did he still have this Zionist type of hope? And
S4: he said he did. President Truman actually wrote to him later,
S4: expressing his deep gratitude for what Doctor Barnhouse had shared
S4: with him about the state of Israel. And of course,
S4: we know that God used the president to confirm the
S4: state of Israel being the first in the whole world.
S1: Doctor Ed Frampton is the president and general director of
S1: the International Board of Jewish Missions. He joins us today
S1: on the land and the book. Jacob Garlinghouse founded IBM
S1: in 1949. So what does the ministry look like today?
S1: What do you guys do?
S4: We go around the world internationally, whether it be in
S4: Asia or in Mexico. We have different divisions. And there
S4: in those countries, we challenge the churches to be aware
S4: of the Jewish communities and the need to love them,
S4: and to reach out with them with the gospel of
S4: Yeshua Messiah.
S1: You guys today have a four day training event every year.
S1: Talk about.
S4: That. Okay, we have the four day focus and the
S4: four day focus is our flagship program that's been going
S4: on for many years now. It's available to anyone. We
S4: students are free to come and we have families that
S4: come in. It's four days of focusing on Israel, on
S4: why we should love Israel, the history of Christianity and
S4: Israel together, of course, in our theology and the intertwining,
S4: but also, of course, a lot of it's also of
S4: how to effectively reach out to Jewish people with the
S4: love of Messiah and with the gospel. So it's really exciting.
S4: We do a lot of our not only a lot
S4: of training and in our sessions, but also we practice
S4: and do things like that, you know, so there's a
S4: lot of role playing. We enjoy that. It's a lot
S4: of fun. There's even skits and things like that. So
S4: we we have a good time for four days.
S1: Tell us a story of somebody whose life has been
S1: changed because of this ministry.
S4: Okay. So the first one that comes to mind is,
S4: of course, in South Africa, because that's where I'm in
S4: his story now. Really. So I was down there. And
S4: this illustrates the importance of even discipleship and bringing people
S4: into the young man. Extinguished. Jonathan and Jonathan had been
S4: raised as an Orthodox Jewish person, and someone had given
S4: him a Bible, and his response was thanks, but no thanks.
S4: And he tossed it onto and he was like, oh,
S4: you know. But anyway, it was not only just a Tanakh,
S4: it was also the New Testament together. So Jonathan, who
S4: was somewhat of a Hebrew scholar and also knew Greek
S4: because he went to a Greek school, and Jonathan, he
S4: had a car accident. And because of that he promised
S4: God if God would deliver. Him from that car, he
S4: would go read the Bible and so he may have
S4: a deal. And so he went back and he read
S4: the Bible. And sure enough, as he read, especially Matthew,
S4: he said, tears were streaming down my eyes and and anyway,
S4: Jonathan came to know the Lord. Now, how this ministry
S4: impacted Jonathan was the fact that we came along and
S4: we began establishing a church there in Johannesburg. Jonathan had
S4: been disillusioned. He said, as a Jewish man, I did
S4: not believe there was any good church that I could
S4: ever go to. So he didn't. For a year. He
S4: just stayed home and he read messages. Interesting enough, he said,
S4: I read a guy that I didn't know who he was,
S4: but his name was Spurgeon. And and I said, Jonathan
S4: Spurgeon discipled you. I can't believe it. But anyway, Jonathan
S4: ended up coming to our church that had been established
S4: in the Jewish community, and that was almost 20 years ago.
S4: And he is still a leader in that church and
S4: has grown married. So when I think of how God
S4: has used a ministry especially, or working through the local
S4: church to impact someone, he comes to mind always.
S1: How can listeners get involved in the work of the
S1: International Board of Jewish Missions?
S4: Well, you know, there are several ways. Of course. We
S4: love to invite you to our four day focus. But obviously,
S4: you know, we visit churches, we go around and churches
S4: all around the nation and around the world, and we
S4: have focus on the Israel Sundays and, uh, we'll do
S4: Jewish evangelism seminars and things like that. Also, for those
S4: that are interested, we come to the city and if
S4: you have a significant Jewish population or identifiable Jewish population,
S4: we try to reach out with you in those communities
S4: and actually do hands on ministry. We also have times
S4: where we have groups that go to certain cities. For instance,
S4: we'll have an outreach in New York City yearly this year.
S4: We're in England, in London and different areas where there's
S4: significant Jewish populations. And you can go, you can come
S4: with us and go out. We'll we'll use a lot
S4: of different ways to connect with the Jewish community and
S4: to spread the gospel and to give out the Word
S4: of God. It's a wonderful time. It really is. And
S4: so those are some of the ways you can be involved.
S4: And of course, you know, obviously giving to the ministry
S4: and helping us. I just got back from Israel. We've
S4: been working there. There's some of the families that were
S4: affected with October 7th, and because of the generous giving
S4: of God's people, we were able to really help them,
S4: even getting resettled in homes for a while. So, you know,
S4: there's a lot of different ways humanitarian outreach in Israel.
S1: Well, if you sense some excitement, it's because it's real.
S1: That's Doctor Ed Frampton, president and general director of the
S1: International Board of Jewish Missions. Great to visit with him
S1: at their headquarters in Chattanooga. Up next, Charlie Dyer's answers
S1: to your Bible questions. Keep it right here on the
S1: land and the book. Thanks for joining us today on
S1: The Land and the book from Moody Radio, if you're new.
S1: This is our third segment, and our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer,
S1: is going to work his way through a stack of
S1: Bible questions that have come to us via email. I'll
S1: share how you can connect with us later. The point
S1: that you need to know is that we didn't invent
S1: these questions. They have come from listeners, every single one
S1: of them, and we're looking forward to those questions. But
S1: right now, you know, Passover Charlie is going to be
S1: upon us very soon. And one of the traditional Passover
S1: questions is, what makes this night different from all others? Passover,
S1: of course, is an important biblical holiday that has great
S1: meaning for both Jewish people and believers in Jesus. So
S1: I think that's a that's a key question to ask.
S2: It is. And if people want to know more about
S2: what makes Passover so special, well, our friends at Life
S2: and Messiah are offering to mail you a free copy
S2: of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. The booklet will lead you
S2: through the celebration of Passover to see the rich connections
S2: to Jesus, our Messiah, and to the Last Supper. You'll
S2: also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder video
S2: with the Haggadah and video. You can celebrate Passover this
S2: year with your family and friends. Now to get this
S2: free offer, just go to Life in Messiah org and
S2: click on the Moody Radio button to find out more
S2: and to request your copy. That's life in messiah.org.
S1: All right, I'm pumped. Charlie's Bible is open. Let's get
S1: right to our first question, this one from Elaine. She
S1: says during discussions regarding the Old Testament practice of temple sacrifice,
S1: a question arose among the members of my Bible study group.
S1: How do today's Jews atone for their sin and debate
S1: God's wrath?
S2: Most religious Jews today believe that personal repentance that is
S2: returning to God is the way God allows them to
S2: experience forgiveness for sin. This is practiced especially during the
S2: ten days of all between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,
S2: the Day of Atonement. The Talmud says that the person
S2: who studied the laws of sacrifice is considered as if
S2: he's actually offered a sacrifice. Since the Talmud was completed
S2: after the temple was destroyed, that seems a bit of
S2: hocus pocus, you know, to get around the reality that
S2: it was no longer possible to offer an animal sacrifice,
S2: some ultra-Orthodox Jews today wave a chicken over their head
S2: on the eve of Yom Kippur, while asking God to
S2: atone for their sin by the slaughter of this animal.
S2: They then kill the chicken and donate it to the
S2: hungry as a way to find atonement. Others waive money,
S2: which they then donate to charity. Now, the reality is
S2: that neither repentance alone, nor the sacrifice of a chicken,
S2: or the gift of money is sufficient to satisfy the
S2: Mosaic Law. It's interesting to me that the book of Hebrews,
S2: written shortly before the destruction of the temple, spoke of
S2: the sacrifice of Jesus as being the only sufficient sacrifice
S2: once for all for sin.
S1: Lenny asks, how do I explain what happened during the
S1: 400 years of God's silence? In a simplistic way, how
S1: do I explain the development of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, etc.?
S1: How do I also explain the Talmud and Mishnah? I
S1: know these are huge topics, but somebody asked me point
S1: blank today what happened during the 400 years of God's silence,
S1: and I didn't know where to begin.
S2: It reminded me of the, uh, the question. Somebody says,
S2: you know, explain creation in 500 words or less and
S2: give three examples. You know, it's a really tough to
S2: fit it together. So I'll try not to talk too
S2: fast here, but I like what Harold Hohner did in
S2: an article that he titled Between The Testaments. It's in
S2: the first volume of the Expository Bible Commentary. So here's
S2: a brief summary of what he did there, which I
S2: think is the best explanation I've seen. He focused first
S2: on the historical development. So he divided that time into
S2: the Persian period and then the Greek period, and then
S2: the Roman period to focus on how they impacted the
S2: land and the Jewish people. And then he focused on
S2: internal developments impacting especially the Jewish people. And that included
S2: the different parties that rose up in Judaism, the Pharisees,
S2: who grew out of the Maccabean Revolt against Antiochus Epiphanies,
S2: and the Sadducees, who centered around their control of the
S2: Second Temple that was rebuilt, and the Essenes, who separated
S2: from the first two with a focus on the Torah
S2: rather than the Oral law of the Pharisees or the
S2: temple corruption of the Sadducees. And then the final thing
S2: I'd add are some of the cultural developments, including Hellenism.
S2: You know, the Greek language and culture becoming a common
S2: especially for trade in that day. The development of the
S2: Jewish oral tradition, paralleling the rise of Pharisees and the
S2: development of a strong messianic expectation, with apocryphal books actually
S2: paralleling Daniel and Zechariah. They were written. And then these
S2: other books came along that also focused on the coming
S2: of the Messiah and the scenes in Qumran. The Jews
S2: definitely were looking for a messiah, but they saw him
S2: as another man who, at the start of the Maccabean
S2: revolt against the Tiresias. Well, they wanted another one like
S2: him who would defeat the Romans. So. But if you're
S2: looking for an overall theme for this, I think Galatians
S2: four four is a great summary. In the fullness of time,
S2: God sent forth His Son, and that 400 silent years
S2: so well, they may have been silent in the sense
S2: that Scripture wasn't being written, but God was definitely at
S2: work setting the stage for the entrance of his son.
S1: Question number two of the day. From Paul, he says.
S1: Psalm 130 speaks of the watchmen waiting for the morning.
S1: And that got me to wondering, how did they keep
S1: time in ancient Israel, especially at night?
S2: Yeah, well, at night the Hebrews divided that night into
S2: 3 or 4 watches, as they're called. The specific length
S2: of time for that watch would vary, you know, from
S2: summer to winter. Summer it's shorter, winter there's longer night.
S2: And Psalm 90, verse four, which is the earliest of
S2: the Psalms Moses wrote, A thousand years in your sight
S2: are like a day that has gone by, or like
S2: a watch in the night. In Matthew 14, the disciples.
S2: This is now the New Testament time. They were struggling
S2: on the lake while Jesus was in the mountain praying.
S2: And then it says in verse 25, there and in
S2: the fourth watch of the night he came to them,
S2: walking on the sea. So both the Old and New
S2: Testaments used this larger blocks to measure the passing of
S2: time at night and without the sun, to provide a
S2: more exact reference to the passing of time. This broader
S2: unit of measure, though inexact, provided a general way to
S2: divide the night up into these 3 or 4 blocks
S2: of time.
S1: You're listening to the land in the book from Moody Radio,
S1: our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, is answering questions that come
S1: to him via email. If you've got one you'd like
S1: to send, here's how you connect the land and the book@moody.edu,
S1: Brian says in first John 113 we're told born not
S1: of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
S1: of the will of man, but of God. Does the
S1: wording here seem a little redundant to you? Will of
S1: the flesh sounds an awful lot like the will of man.
S1: Is there a difference here I'm not seeing?
S2: Yeah, I see John sharing three negatives and then one
S2: positive to show that the new birth experience comes through
S2: faith as opposed to human effort. So he begins in
S2: verse 12 saying that those who received Jesus have the
S2: right to become children. And then he explains, these are
S2: those who believe in his name. And then he gives
S2: the three negatives. He says, these children of God are
S2: not born of blood, which I take that to be
S2: referring to a person's pedigree or bloodline. You know, some
S2: people still are born into royalty. And what he's saying, though,
S2: is that's not how someone becomes a child of God.
S2: You're not. It doesn't come because of who your parents
S2: were or who your relatives were. Then, he says, not
S2: born of the will of the flesh. And I see
S2: him referring there to human decision or human effort. Some
S2: believe they can work their own way into heaven or
S2: get into a relationship with God on their own, but
S2: they can't. And then the third, that's the one that's
S2: the most difficult born of the will of man. I
S2: take that in the sense of not just individual human effort,
S2: you know, the flesh, but more of a collective effort.
S2: That is, humans devise their own religious system or their
S2: own code of conduct that they believe will allow them
S2: to receive God's approval. So what I see John saying
S2: is there's no special advantage at birth or individual effort
S2: or organized effort that can bring someone into a relationship
S2: with God. God alone extends that privilege to individuals based
S2: on their faith in his son.
S1: Jeff has a question about the Most Holy Place, the
S1: place where the Ark of the covenant would normally rest
S1: at the time of Zacharias and Jesus, he says, I
S1: was wondering what was behind the veil. I understand that
S1: the last mention of the Ark was in Second Chronicles
S1: 35 and Second Kings 23, but was the room empty
S1: at the time of Jesus? I know the veil was
S1: torn in two at the death of Jesus, but what
S1: was in that room, or what did it reveal?
S2: Well, you know, you're right. And saying the last mention
S2: of the Ark of the covenant was at the time
S2: of King Josiah. Now, here are two additional pieces of
S2: information I think that could help answer the question. The
S2: first is Jeremiah 316 and looking beyond the time of
S2: impending doom to Israel's future restoration, Jeremiah writes, in those
S2: days when your numbers have increased in the land, men
S2: will no longer say the ark of the covenant of
S2: the Lord. It it will never enter their minds or
S2: be remembered. It will not be missed, nor will another
S2: one be made. Jeremiah is saying that in the future
S2: the ark wouldn't be needed or missed. The second piece
S2: of information comes from the Jewish historian Josephus in describing
S2: the temple of Herod. He says, but in the innermost
S2: part of the temple of all was 20 cubits. And
S2: he gives the sizes. And he says, it's divided by
S2: the outer part by a veil. In there was nothing
S2: at all. It was inaccessible and inviolable, and not to
S2: be seen by any. It's called the Holy of Holies now.
S2: So what he's saying is, in the Holy of Holies,
S2: there was nothing. And based on those two pieces of evidence,
S2: I believe that when God's glory left the temple at
S2: the time of Ezekiel and Jeremiah at the end of
S2: the First Temple period, the Ark of the covenant became
S2: nothing more than a gold covered box was likely taken
S2: to Babylon. The gold melted down, and that's why the
S2: Holy of Holies was empty in the temple that was
S2: rebuilt following the captivity. And that wasn't a problem, because
S2: Jeremiah said they wouldn't need the ark and they wouldn't
S2: make another.
S1: Dennis asks, what are some good books to recommend to
S1: point someone to the Messiah through studying the Old Testament?
S1: And is there a good book listing the messianic prophecies
S1: fulfilled by Jesus?
S2: Well, I can recommend three books that people can look at. Uh,
S2: for the first question that could be helpful. One is
S2: Isaiah 53 explained by Mitch Glaser of Chosen People Ministries.
S2: The second is who is this exploring the Tanakh in
S2: Search of the Messiah? And that's by Levi Hazen from life.
S2: In Messiah Ministries, and the third is Mashiach, the Messiah
S2: of the Hebrew Scriptures by Arnold Baum from Ariel Ministries. Now,
S2: in regard to the other part, there are a number
S2: of good books on that subject, but the one I
S2: like best and I keep on my shelf is the
S2: Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy, was edited by Michael Rudnick
S2: and Ed Bloom, and it has an exhaustive list of
S2: major passages and topics. It's more than just a listing
S2: of the passages. It gives a solid explanation for each one,
S2: and it's really a goldmine of information that will reward
S2: careful study.
S1: And that's a look at some of the questions that
S1: have come in recently. And again, if you'd like to
S1: get your question to Charlie, our email address is the
S1: land and the book at Moody Edu. One more segment
S1: to come. It's Charlie's devotional. That's next. Well, here we are,
S1: one week away from Passover, a significant time on all
S1: of our calendars. I'm John Jaeger, this is the land
S1: and the book and Charlie Passover very much at the
S1: heart of your devotional today.
S2: I understand it is in fact, it's Peter's second most
S2: memorable Passover that we're going to be talking about.
S1: I'm intrigued, and we'll get to that after we hear
S1: this thought from somebody who has been to the Holy
S1: Land and had a reflection that just has never left them,
S1: and they want to share it with us right now.
S5: Let me just say that as a follower of Jesus Christ,
S5: we are commanded to love what he loves. And there
S5: is no doubt from studying the Bible that God in
S5: Jesus Christ loved this land. Love the people in this land.
S5: And before I came here, of course, you know, we
S5: wanted to come here because we wanted to see what
S5: God loved. But now we've seen, we've seen the land.
S5: We've seen the people. We've seen so much that it
S5: is going to be now. Uh, of course we'll continue
S5: to love Israel, but we'll do it in a just
S5: a real way. And I'm looking forward to coming back.
S5: I don't know when that might happen or how that
S5: might happen, but I just know I of course, eventually
S5: we'll all be here forever. That's true. But before then,
S5: if the Lord tarries out, I'm just looking forward to
S5: the next trip.
S1: Acts. Chapter 12 is where we're headed. And, Charlie, I'll
S1: let you take it away.
S2: Thanks, John. This coming week is the start of the
S2: Jewish holy days of Passover and Unleavened Bread. And to
S2: commemorate them, we're heading to the ancient city of Jerusalem,
S2: ten years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, on
S2: the eve of this particular Passover season. The city is
S2: filled with a mixture of hope and fear, and many
S2: citizens are excited about the reign of King Herod Agrippa
S2: the First. Just three years ago, the Romans added Judea
S2: to the list of lands under his dominion. Though he
S2: was a client king of Rome, the territory over which
S2: he ruled was now virtually as large as that ruled
S2: by his grandfather, King Herod the Great. There were whispers
S2: that perhaps, just perhaps, Rome might again make Judea an
S2: independent kingdom under his rule. And now, with Passover here,
S2: the crowds arriving in Jerusalem bring with them a sense
S2: of excitement and anticipation. But for the followers of Jesus,
S2: the approach of this particular Passover comes with foreboding and fear.
S2: Acts 12 explains why it was about this time that
S2: King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending
S2: to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John,
S2: put to death with the sword. Judas had hung himself
S2: ten years ago, but James is the first of the
S2: original apostles to be martyred. Had his death just been
S2: an isolated incident, it would have caused great sorrow, but
S2: it was part of a larger state sponsored attack on
S2: the church, and apparently it was done to appease the
S2: more radical religious opponents of these followers of Jesus. Luke
S2: then continues his grisly account. When Herod saw that this
S2: pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This
S2: happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him,
S2: he put him in prison, handing him over to be
S2: guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended
S2: to bring him out for public trial. After the Passover,
S2: Peter was arrested and thrown in prison at the time
S2: of Passover and unleavened bread. The fact that both are
S2: mentioned suggests Peter's arrest coincided with the start of the
S2: eight days for these two back to back events. As
S2: believers gathered in Jerusalem for these festivals, there was little
S2: to celebrate. As Luke explains, Peter was kept in prison,
S2: but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
S2: But we can't be sure. But it's at least possible
S2: that Peter was confined in the same area where Jesus
S2: himself had been temporarily confined after being handed over to
S2: pilot by the Jewish religious authorities. But while Jesus's confinement
S2: was only for a few hours, Peter remained the entire
S2: time of Passover and Unleavened bread. I titled today's devotional
S2: Peter's Second Most memorable Passover. The most memorable must have
S2: been the final Passover with Jesus, the night he was
S2: betrayed from Jesus washing his feet to the shock over hearing,
S2: Jesus announces betrayal to the institution of the Lord's Table,
S2: to his falling asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane, to
S2: his feeble attempt at wielding a sword to rescue Jesus,
S2: to his three denials that Passover was one that still
S2: must have haunted Peter. It was the low point in
S2: his role as a follower of Jesus. But if that event,
S2: ten years before had presented Peter at his worst, this
S2: Passover presents Peter as a man under God's full control.
S2: The events since acts two have generally shown Peter as
S2: a leader, boldly standing for the Lord, empowered by the
S2: Holy Spirit, and now facing what from a human perspective
S2: was likely going to be his final days on earth,
S2: Peter displayed remarkable calmness and serenity. Luke continues, the night
S2: before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was
S2: sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains, and sentries
S2: stood guard at the entrance. This was the first century
S2: equivalent of a supermax prison. He was physically chained with
S2: two separate chains between two soldiers inside his prison cell,
S2: while still other soldiers stood guard at the doorway. King
S2: Herod Agrippa was taking no chances of anyone mounting an
S2: escape attempt, but did you notice Peter's response to it all?
S2: He was sleeping. God's rescue plan was as dramatic as
S2: any Mission Impossible movie plot. Suddenly, an angel of the
S2: Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He
S2: struck Peter on the side and woke him up. This
S2: bright light didn't arouse the notice of the guards at
S2: the door, or the guards on either side of Peter,
S2: or even. It seems that Peter himself. At least, that
S2: is until the angel hit Peter on his side to
S2: awaken him. The angel ordered Peter to get up quickly
S2: and to help make this possible, the chains fell off
S2: Peter's hands. I find the details in this account fascinating.
S2: The time of the year is March April and it
S2: can be cold at night in Jerusalem. The temperature will
S2: normally drop into the low 50s or even upper 40s,
S2: so the angel makes sure Peter is prepared for his escape.
S2: Put on your clothes and sandals, which Peter does. But
S2: then the angel adds, wrap your cloak around you and
S2: follow me. I imagine the angel saying something like bundle
S2: up tightly, Peter, we don't want to rescue you from execution,
S2: only to have you die from pneumonia. God had placed
S2: a supernatural stupor on all the guards while all this
S2: was happening. They remained asleep. In fact, Peter himself thought
S2: he was asleep. And this was all a dream. Or
S2: as Luke says it, Peter thought he was seeing a
S2: vision passing by both sets of interior guards. The angel
S2: brought Peter to the iron gate leading from the prison
S2: into the city. The gate opened by itself, and Peter,
S2: along with this angelic guide, passed through into a dark
S2: and deserted street. After a short distance, the angel vanished
S2: and Peter suddenly realized this wasn't a dream. God had
S2: rescued him from certain death. His first thought was to
S2: report what had happened to the disciples. He rushed to
S2: the home of John, Mark's mother, where they were gathered
S2: to pray for his release and knocked on the outer
S2: entrance door. In the humorous ending to this story, a
S2: servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. I'm
S2: sure it went something like this. Who is it?
S1: It's Peter.
S2: Peter who? Peter. The one God just rescued from prison.
S2: But Rhoda got so excited that instead of opening the door,
S2: she ran back to the group to tell them Peter
S2: was outside. They started arguing with her, saying she was
S2: out of her mind. Only Peter's continued knocking, made them
S2: stop and go check. Well, I think you can see
S2: why this had to be Peter's second most memorable Passover.
S2: But what lessons can we glean from this story to
S2: help us today? Not surprisingly, I see two. First, I
S2: see in Peter what it means to discover God's peace
S2: no matter what life brings our way. From a human perspective,
S2: his life was in mortal danger, but he knew his
S2: life was in God's hands, and so he was able
S2: to calmly sleep without having anxious thoughts disrupted slumber. He
S2: illustrated the truth. David wrote in Psalm four verse eight,
S2: I will lie down and sleep in peace for you alone.
S2: Oh Lord, make me dwell in safety. And second, I
S2: see in the other disciples the real life example of
S2: how we often respond when we pray. They prayed earnestly, fervently,
S2: constantly for God to rescue Peter. The word used by
S2: Luke in verse five carries that range of meaning. But
S2: when Peter showed up and wrote or ran to tell
S2: them he was at the door, their response was, you're
S2: out of your mind. Isn't it encouraging to know that
S2: God's answer to our prayers isn't as much dependent on
S2: the depth of our faith as it is on the
S2: power of the one to whom we're praying? Or as
S2: Paul said in Ephesians 320, God is able to do
S2: immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. That's what
S2: those first century saints discovered. And so can we.
S1: Wow. That's encouraging Charlie, I love that story. Come to life.
S1: And you really can hear that conversation between the servant
S1: girl and Peter. Wow. Hey, maybe you'd like to hear
S1: our broadcast again. This devotional again. Easy to do that
S1: at our website. Check out the land and the book.org.
S1: The land and the book.org. Hey, thanks for listening and
S1: thanks for sharing us with your friends. There's no ad
S1: budget here, so we appreciate the word of mouth endorsement
S1: that you bring to those in your circle. We really do. Well,
S1: our time has gone. I'm John Jaeger on behalf of
S1: our host, Charlie Dyer, our producer, Dan Anderson. Thank you
S1: for listening, for connecting with us. The land and the
S1: book is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of
S1: Moody Bible Institute.