S1: When the war broke out in Israel, we heard about
S1: safe rooms where families want to take refuge from the
S1: missile attacks. But what are those safe rooms really like?
S1: How big are they? What do they come equipped with?
S1: This week on the land and the work, we're heading
S1: for Israel, where we'll go inside a safe room. You'll
S1: feel like you're right there with us. Plus, we'll look
S1: at a great assortment of your Bible questions, and we'll
S1: end it all with a fishy tax story. Welcome to
S1: the land and the book with Middle East expert doctor
S1: Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger. How's your day going, Charlie?
S2: John, it's going great. Thank you.
S1: Well, I'm thinking that Passover will soon be upon us, Charlie.
S1: And one of the traditional Passover questions is what makes
S1: this night different from all others? Passover, of course, is
S1: an important biblical holiday that has great meaning for both
S1: Jewish people and believers in Jesus. So this is a
S1: great question to ask. I would think it is John.
S2: And if people want to learn what makes Passover so special, well,
S2: our friends at Life and Messiah are offering to mail
S2: them a free copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. The
S2: booklet will lead you through the celebration of Passover to
S2: see the rich connections to Jesus, our Messiah, and the
S2: Last Supper. You'll also receive a link for an interactive
S2: Passover Seder video with the Haggadah and video. You can
S2: celebrate Passover this year with your family and friends. Now
S2: to get this free offer, just go to Life in
S2: Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button there
S2: to find out more and to request your copy. That's
S2: life in messiah.org.
S1: All right, let's take a look at current events. And
S1: as we do so, we want to remind you that
S1: our moody radio one hour special, Inside Israel, is available
S1: for download at Moody Radio. Org forward slash specials. We'll
S1: tell you more about that at the conclusion of our
S1: current events segment. Charlie. The month of Ramadan ended without
S1: major incident, but the war between Israel and Hamas continues
S1: to take a series of unexpected twists and turns. So
S1: what are the latest developments?
S2: Yeah, you know, everyone was concerned about an explosion of
S2: violence during Ramadan. Both Hamas and ISIS had called on
S2: Muslims to march on Al-Aqsa and to target non-Muslims. But
S2: the final Friday of Ramadan was peaceful, with 120,000 people
S2: praying at the site. And the month end quietly ended
S2: this past Tuesday. In terms of the war with Hamas,
S2: Israel announced last Sunday it had concluded the active invasion
S2: stage of the war and had withdrawn its forces from
S2: Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. The IDF chief said the
S2: withdrawal doesn't mean the war has ended, but it's simply
S2: designed to help the army prepare for the incursion into Rafah. However,
S2: that might not be the full story. There could be
S2: several reasons for the announced withdrawal. The first might be
S2: Israel's response to the warning from President Biden that Washington
S2: would change its policy of supporting Israel in its war
S2: unless Israel implemented major changes. These included specific steps to
S2: address the humanitarian situation there in Gaza and more flexibility
S2: in reaching a ceasefire. Former speaker of the House Nancy
S2: Pelosi joined dozens of congressional Democrats calling on the president
S2: to halt weapons transfers to Israel. The second reason for
S2: the announcement could be a concession to Hamas for reaching
S2: a deal on the hostages. It's less than Hamas is demanding,
S2: but it provides a possible way to move the negotiations forward.
S2: There's also a third possible reason Israel announced the pullout,
S2: and it is it gives Israel an opportunity to rest
S2: its forces and repair its equipment for either an incursion
S2: into Rafah, as they've announced, or for war against Hezbollah
S2: in the north. Prime Minister Netanyahu said. Israel has a
S2: date on the calendar for the Rafah invasion, and they're
S2: purchasing tents to evacuate civilians from the area around any
S2: ground offensive there. At the same time, Israel is preparing
S2: their forces to meet challenges from Hezbollah and Iran in Lebanon.
S2: The warning that the US could withhold weapons and ammunition,
S2: especially in the face of Iranian threats, is a warning
S2: Israel takes seriously, especially since it's being voiced in other
S2: Western countries. In fact, in the UK, former British Prime
S2: Minister Boris Johnson called the threats being made. They're an
S2: example of the deathwish of Western civilization and sadly, his
S2: analysis appears to be right on the mark.
S1: Well, Charlie, you mentioned the impending threat from Hezbollah and
S1: Iran a moment ago. What is behind that current threat?
S1: How serious is it?
S2: Well, we know Iran has been behind much of the
S2: current tension in the Middle East. They've helped supply weapons
S2: and training to Hamas, even though Hamas are Sunni Muslims,
S2: while Iran is Shiite. But Iran's also supplied arms, including
S2: missiles and drones, to Hezbollah in Lebanon and to the
S2: Houthis in Yemen, who share Iran's Shiite brand of Islam.
S2: These two take orders from Iran. The current threat level
S2: escalated when Israel launched an airstrike in Damascus that killed
S2: a top Iranian general, who sat on Hezbollah's decision making body.
S2: This was a major blow to Iran and Hezbollah. Iran has.
S2: How to retaliate, and it's almost certain they will. The
S2: only question is how. One possibility is to respond in
S2: a similar fashion, trying to attack an Israeli embassy or
S2: diplomatic site somewhere in the world. And I've done that before.
S2: Back in 1992, Iran set off a car bomb that
S2: destroyed the Israeli embassy in Argentina. Now, the other possibility
S2: is that Iran might try a direct attack on Israel itself.
S2: You know, they're proxies in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq
S2: have launched drones and missiles here in recent past. Some
S2: believe Iran might try to launch a swarm of drones
S2: or cruise missiles against Israel. Israel has the ability to
S2: intercept drones and missiles, though if enough or launched, some
S2: might make it through. But that would also allow Israel
S2: to unleash its arsenal against Iran, and Israel could do
S2: far more damage. They could stop many, perhaps most of
S2: Iran's missiles and drones. But Iran doesn't have the ability
S2: to stop an Israeli counterattack. Israel could attack Iran's nuclear
S2: facilities as well as Iran's allies in Lebanon and Syria
S2: and Yemen. Iran's threat is real, but they're likely weighing
S2: the cost to their own country should Israel respond?
S1: You're listening to a conversation with Doctor Charlie Dyer, noted
S1: Old Testament scholar, Middle East expert, and yours truly, John Jaeger.
S1: A look at current events here on Moody Radio's The
S1: Land and the book. Turkey and Iran continue to struggle financially.
S1: How much of an impact did Turkey's finances have on
S1: their recent elections and what's happening financially in Iran?
S2: Well, finances did have a significant impact on Turkey's elections.
S2: President Erdogan's party suffered a major defeat in those municipal elections.
S2: He campaigned hard for his candidate in Istanbul to defeat
S2: the incumbent mayor from the opposition party, but the incumbent
S2: mayor won easily. Erdogan's party also lost another major cities
S2: like Ankara and Izmir. The dominant issue for voters were
S2: Erdogan's financial policies and their negative impact on Turkey's economy.
S2: Now switching from Turkey to Iran, they've also experienced a
S2: sharp crash in the value of their currency. In fact,
S2: over the last week or so, the currency dropped 30%
S2: in just one day. Inflation in Iran is out of control.
S2: A one example people gave 50,000 Iranian riyals would have
S2: bought 30 eggs a decade ago. Now it buys a
S2: single egg. There have been demonstrations across Iran because of
S2: the economic hardships. But the difference between Turkey and Iran
S2: is this. Turkey at least has free elections with different
S2: political parties. In Iran, the ayatollahs approve. Who gets to
S2: be on the ballot? Iran is in economic decline as
S2: a result, yet they continue spending to expand their military,
S2: advance their nuclear program and threaten Israel, all at the
S2: expense of the average Iranian just trying to make ends meet.
S1: Wow, it doesn't sound good. Archaeologists believe they have uncovered
S1: religious details of the ancient Philistines. What exactly have they discovered, Charlie?
S2: You know, John, this is a fascinating study. Archaeologists excavating
S2: the biblical city of Gath analyze the remains of plants
S2: and seeds found in a temple there. And they discovered
S2: the priests used psychoactive plants in their ceremonies. Now, these
S2: aren't psychedelic drugs, but rather drugs that cause changes in,
S2: you know, mood, awareness, feeling or behavior. Think of drugs
S2: like caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol rather than drugs like LSD.
S2: They were mood enhancers that they were using. But even
S2: more significantly, these drugs help connect the religious practices of
S2: the Philistines to rituals and myths associated with the ancient
S2: Greek gods and goddesses like Hera, the goddess of marriage
S2: and childbirth, and Artemis, the goddess of hunting, and Demeter,
S2: the goddess of agriculture and grain, and Asclepius, the god
S2: of medicine. The study points to a close relationship between
S2: the ritual practices of the Philistines and those practiced in
S2: the Aegean islands. Now these details help confirm what the
S2: Bible makes clear in Amos chapter nine. In Jeremiah 47,
S2: there God connects the origin of the Philistines to the
S2: region of Castor, which is the biblical name for Crete.
S2: These additional archaeological details about the Philistines religious practices just
S2: help authenticate their connection and their origin in the Aegean region.
S1: And that's a look at current events. Charlie, we are
S1: just back a few weeks from our tour of Israel.
S1: We traveled 1100 miles, spent five and a half days
S1: in the country, but we interviewed more than 30 people,
S1: bringing back more than 12 hours of conversations. All for
S1: this 54 minute special called Inside Israel a highlight moment
S1: for you. Or perhaps something that really is sobering to
S1: you that you think listeners must take advantage of as
S1: they listen?
S2: Well, I'll go from one extreme to the other. The
S2: horrors of Bieri was one as we walked through that town.
S2: It's hard to believe what happened on October 7th. But
S2: then on the other extreme, the inspiring stories we heard
S2: of hope and bravery and spiritual openness, they were truly
S2: encouraging to me, and I think they will be to
S2: those who listen to the program.
S1: Yeah, it is an. An intense experience as you listen
S1: to our special Inside Israel, available at Moody Radio. Org
S1: forward slash specials. Also, there are three bonus videos, including
S1: Charlie Dyer's look at the Hamas attack, comparing it to
S1: a biblical parallel event in history. That's all there at
S1: Moody Radio. Org forward slash specials. As you listen, you
S1: will feel shock at what you see and hear through
S1: our on the ground reports. You will hear agony from
S1: family members of hostages. Yep. We talked to some of those.
S1: Hope though, as Charlie points out, as you hear the
S1: wonderful impact that Christians are making and we hope a
S1: resolve to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the
S1: entire region. Again, our one hour special is called Inside
S1: Israel The War. And what's next? You'll find it at
S1: Moody radio.org/specials. Up next, we'll take you to a safe
S1: room in Israel. As the events of October 7th unfolded,
S1: you heard names like Ashkelon in the news down toward
S1: the Gaza border. Welcome back to the land. In the
S1: book segment two, I'm Jon Jaeger and you have joined
S1: us in Ashkelon. We're here on the balcony of a
S1: beautiful apartment. Tatyana Gurevich, you're an executive tour operator with
S1: several tours. You're in a beautiful neighborhood here.
S3: Welcome to Ashkelon. It's a beautiful city on the Mediterranean,
S3: which you can see straight ahead. We live in the
S3: northern part of the city. So to your right you
S3: can see the city of Ashdod that has been attacked
S3: many times during the war as well. We luckily live
S3: in the north of the city, so this part of
S3: the city was not so badly hit as the southern,
S3: which is closer to the Gaza Strip, and the center
S3: of the city, where they have a lot of houses
S3: that are not properly equipped for the bad things that
S3: can happen during the war. We live in a very
S3: new neighborhood, and as you know well, um, decades ago,
S3: Israel has demanded that all the new construction must have
S3: a special security room with the reinforced walls and a
S3: special window. However, since the city, I guess it's surrounded
S3: by a very good protection. All the performance of the
S3: Iron Dome, we could see very well from this balcony,
S3: because all that was happening right in front of us, unfortunately. Well, maybe. Fortunately,
S3: we did not spend much time on this lovely balcony
S3: with this view during the first weeks of the war,
S3: because it was quite dangerous. And we'll walk into the
S3: apartment so I can show you what it was. Our
S3: daily routine during the first days and weeks of the war.
S1: Before we head into the home, though, we're out here
S1: on the balcony. People are probably hearing the wind blowing
S1: into our microphone, telling me about things that you have
S1: seen during the war. And even as the war continues
S1: to wind down.
S3: What was the most unusual besides of the rocket attacks,
S3: to which unfortunately, we are kind of used to living
S3: here in Ashkelon. But what did strike me during the
S3: first days and even weeks? It's the silence. It was
S3: a complete silence. The city was not isolated, but people.
S3: As I said, we didn't spend much time on the
S3: balcony because we were afraid to go out. And I
S3: guess that was the same thing with other people who
S3: live in the same neighborhood. Usually during the day, especially
S3: in the morning, you can hear children crying, parents hurrying
S3: them up to go to school, starting the engines, these
S3: and that. The sounds of human life. The first days
S3: and weeks you did not hear anything. It was absolutely silent.
S3: No cars, no people outside in the streets. More than that,
S3: you could not even hear the birds. Usually I wake
S3: up with a bird singing, hear no birds. So for
S3: me it was very sad because it was like you
S3: felt like you're in the middle of nowhere. You didn't
S3: see any people and you didn't hear any signs of
S3: human life around.
S1: But from this balcony, you saw rockets?
S3: Yes we did. If you look to your left, there
S3: was a direct hit near one of the private houses
S3: down there on the first day of war. A few
S3: days later, there was another house hit, one of the
S3: private houses. Besides, as I said, you could see all
S3: the rockets and the Iron Dome performance in front of
S3: our balcony. It was more picturesque, if I can use
S3: this word during the night, because in the day you
S3: don't see much. But in the night when the sky
S3: is black, you can see all the rockets going back
S3: and then Iron Dome hits them. Some apartment houses were
S3: also hit in our neighborhood, got saved us. Our building
S3: was not hit, but the building across the street on
S3: the other side was hit and they are now doing
S3: some renovation works outside the building. The southern part of
S3: the city, which is closer to the Gaza Strip and
S3: the center of the city, were worse and there were
S3: many houses destroyed by the rockets. And unfortunately there were casualties,
S3: of course, and you can still see those houses as
S3: you drive through the city.
S1: All right, let's go inside the home. We got to
S1: go to your safe room and feel what it's really
S1: like to be inside one of these. Passing through the
S1: living room. We're going to go down the hallway here.
S1: I see a black metal door here.
S3: Listen to the sound. That's how we clocks. And it
S3: should be locked. You should go there, lock the door
S3: and stay inside. Minimum ten minutes. Minimum. Here is the
S3: sound of unlocking the door. Okay. Heavy. Okay, so this
S3: is the room where we spent almost all the time.
S3: The first weeks when the rocket attacks were very heavy
S3: during the time of sirens, which the first days were
S3: almost non-stop, almost non-stop. So this is a special protected room.
S3: I'm not an engineer, but what I know is that
S3: they use a special concrete for the walls so that
S3: they are stronger than other walls in the building, and
S3: a special window. So the window is made of a
S3: special glass, and then it also has special iron shutters
S3: which are very heavy. All right, let's hear it.
S1: Oh, took the two of us to get that one.
S1: Let me see if we can get this one. This.
S4: This one is easier. Wow.
S1: They're thick though. It's like an inch thick.
S3: Thick? They are very thick. And we had them shut
S3: for almost three month, I think we did not even
S3: as we close them on the first days of the wars,
S3: I can't remember. Oktober seven eight and then we kept
S3: them shut for three month minimum. This room protects you.
S3: Of course it does give you the feeling of being protected. However,
S3: as we know the sound wave is is very. It's
S3: very easy to feel and get. So we could hear
S3: everything that was going around. And there were several attacks
S3: when I was sitting inside, locked, sealed here in this room.
S3: And when it was over, I was afraid to open
S3: the door and come out of this room, because from
S3: what I heard during the attack, it was almost a
S3: feeling like there is nothing outside this room. Honestly, I
S3: had a feeling if I opened the door I don't
S3: see anything. So the sounds of the attacks were so heavy.
S3: So we were sitting and praying here. Here are prayer
S3: cards in the security room. If you spend hours here,
S3: you can pray with this.
S1: Lovely.
S3: Yep. Today's prayer. Let's read it. He shields all who
S3: take refuge in him. Some. I don't have my reading glasses, John.
S1: Psalm 1830. He shields all who take refuge in him.
S1: What a what a fitting psalm that is.
S3: I did not put it on top. It was on top.
S3: You can see I did not make it. Let me
S3: ask you.
S1: This and take a seat here in your shelter. What
S1: is going on? Is your heart pitter patter? Ring 100
S1: miles an hour when you finally have to jump up
S1: and get in here. I mean, what's going through your mind?
S1: Are you. Are you terrified? You in control? Are you?
S3: Look, we played in Ashkelon for six years, I think
S3: it's not the first time. So when it all started
S3: on October 7th and before we got to know other
S3: horrible things that happen, we thought it's too bad to
S3: use this word, but we thought it's just an ordinary
S3: rocket attack that we had experienced many times before. And
S3: I would say the rocket attacks for us, for the
S3: people in Ashkelon, I would not speak for other people,
S3: but for me personally, they were not as bad, although
S3: they were scary. It's the first time in years that
S3: I lived here in Ashkelon when I did get scared
S3: sitting in this room, but I think the worst thing
S3: was the news that we started to hear. My husband
S3: and I did not watch the news. We only watched
S3: the news that was telling us what we need to
S3: do and that's it. And then a couple of days later,
S3: they started telling us what happened in the South, and
S3: that was when I was really hit by that war.
S3: That was the worst, worst feeling. Not the rockets, not
S3: the fear that I personally have sitting in the security room.
S3: I mean, I could not complain because there were so
S3: many people which were in a much worse situation that me,
S3: that I even felt that I don't have the right
S3: to complain. I mean, I have this room and I'm safe.
S3: How can I complain? There was even. Um, when we
S3: learned about the hostages, I remember for a couple of
S3: days my mind would refuse to eat and shower. I
S3: could not do those simple things because every time I
S3: was thinking, oh, let's go and have a shower, I said,
S3: oh my gosh, there are so many people who cannot
S3: do that. And then my husband would say, let's sit
S3: and eat something. At least. I said, how can I eat?
S3: I could not swallow the food on. Honestly it passed.
S3: It passed because every pain comes down. And, uh, of
S3: course we started doing daily things, showering, eating and everything.
S3: But I still remember those days when I could not
S3: do those simple things because I thought, I have no
S3: right to do that when other people are suffering so badly.
S3: When the first fear came down and we all realized
S3: that it's not an ordinary attack, that is something more serious.
S3: What happened is that everyone wanted to help. Like my
S3: husband and I cannot go to the army. But what
S3: can we do? There were so many people volunteering, cooking
S3: at home, taking the food to as close as they
S3: could to the soldiers. Because it's not like you could
S3: drive anywhere you want. But taking the food down. There
S3: were many people who do not have this special room,
S3: and they were afraid to leave their homes. So they
S3: were getting the phone numbers, the addresses of elderly people
S3: or handicapped people delivering food to them. So these are
S3: two things that my husband and I did try to
S3: get involved in. But I think that even though that
S3: it was as little as we could do, it was
S3: a common, this I can say for the whole country,
S3: not only for myself. That's what everyone could see in
S3: the country, the feeling of unity. And everyone wanted to
S3: contribute something, to contribute into the protection of our country,
S3: as well as to show solidarity and to show that
S3: we are united. And when we are united, we are
S3: much stronger. There was an interesting thing that happened a
S3: couple of weeks after the war started. There was uh,
S3: I think they called it Flash mob, but it was
S3: like an emotional deed from all the people. All the
S3: people in the evening at 8 p.m. went out to
S3: their balconies and they all sang the national anthem, uh, Hatikvah.
S3: I think my husband got it on his phone. He
S3: made it and show it. Like if we open the
S3: shutters again so that you can see it.
S1: Uh, grab your saw. Grab mine.
S3: Do you see? This one is closed too. But you
S3: see all those balconies, you can still see the Israeli flags.
S3: There were more of those during the first weeks. And
S3: all the people went out to their balconies and sang.
S3: It was so emotional. It was so touching. And yeah,
S3: it just helped us to know that you're not alone
S3: in your apartment, in your bedroom. There are other people around,
S3: even though you don't see and you don't hear them,
S3: but they are there and we are together.
S1: Wow. So what do you think Americans don't really understand
S1: about this war? What did they not quite grasp?
S3: I want not only Americans, but all people in the
S3: world not to know, but to realize and understand what
S3: come to this understanding. We don't need wars. Wars are
S3: terrible for all. It doesn't matter if you're right. All
S3: people suffer from the war. I would want all people
S3: around the world, no matter which country they are in,
S3: to know that wars are terrible. And as much time
S3: and effort as we spend on climate crisis, I would spend,
S3: for example, for United Nations to educating people that in
S3: the 21st century, after all the history we had, we
S3: should not even think of starting any wars anywhere.
S1: What else about this whole thing? Have I not asked
S1: you that's important to you? Anything, a story, a reflection,
S1: something you felt from God?
S3: I felt a lot of support from the Americans. Kathy
S3: and Charlie were the first ones to send me a
S3: message asking, how am I? I received so many support
S3: and care from the people that I met on the
S3: tours to Israel. Many of those were with Charlie, Kathy,
S3: some of them were with you, John, and many others.
S3: And uh, that helped also that helped knowing that you
S3: are not alone, knowing that there are brothers and sisters
S3: who will always support you and praying. I mean, what
S3: can you do if you're not in the army, if
S3: you cannot control things, the only thing you can do
S3: is to pray, because those prayers do materialize and we
S3: do see it here in Israel.
S1: God answers prayer.
S3: He does.
S1: Well, you've heard about the war. Now you've felt the war.
S1: You've heard about a safe room. We've taken you to one,
S1: and there's more to come. On today's edition of The
S1: Land in the book, we're about to head back into
S1: our studios, where Charlie Dyer is waiting with his Bible.
S1: He's looking forward to it, I am too. As we
S1: tackle more of your questions next here on the land
S1: and the book. It's segment three of the land in
S1: the book. I'm John Jaeger. Thanks for hanging out so far.
S1: I think you're gonna love what's coming next. What's next?
S1: It's questions. Yours. Perhaps one of those that you have
S1: emailed us as you've puzzled over something you've encountered in Scripture,
S1: maybe something you're wondering about prophecy. Maybe it's an issue
S1: related to the Middle East. Those questions are all fair
S1: game if you'll email us at the land and the
S1: book at Moody's Edu. Well, Charlie, Passover will soon be
S1: upon us. And one of the traditional Passover questions is
S1: what makes this night different from all others? Passover is
S1: an important biblical holiday that has great meaning for both
S1: Jewish people and believers in Jesus. So I think that's
S1: an important question to ask.
S2: It is John, and that's why if someone has more
S2: questions and wants to know what makes Passover so special, well,
S2: our friends at Life and Messiah are offering to mail
S2: a free copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. The booklet
S2: will lead you through the celebration of Passover to see
S2: the rich connections to Jesus, our Messiah, and to the
S2: Last Supper. You'll also receive a link for an interactive
S2: Passover Seder video with the Haggadah and video. You can
S2: celebrate Passover this year with your family and friends. Now
S2: to get this free offer, just go to Life in
S2: Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button to
S2: find out more and to request your copy. That's life
S2: in messiah.org.
S1: All right. Our question segment begins with a series of
S1: questions from a friend named Stan. He says, I'm witnessing
S1: to a couple of Jewish friends in my office, and
S1: something came up that I didn't have an answer for.
S1: In Isaiah 714, it talks about a virgin giving birth,
S1: and my friend pulled out a Bible or Torah, I'm
S1: not sure. And he read the Hebrew and said the
S1: actual Hebrew word or translation says A young woman, not
S1: a virgin. Can you shed some light on this?
S2: Yeah. And the Hebrew word used in Isaiah 714 is alma,
S2: which does indeed refer to a young woman of marriageable age.
S2: And your friend is right in that the Hebrew word
S2: for virgin is Baitullah. However, I believe there's a rather
S2: easy answer to the objection he's raised. First, the word
S2: alma is used eight other times in the Old Testament,
S2: and the woman or women it is describing. There are
S2: presumed to be chaste, not sexually active. For example, in
S2: Genesis 24, it's used to describe Rebecca during her first
S2: encounter with Abraham's servant at the well in Exodus two.
S2: It's used to describe Moses's sister Miriam. At the time.
S2: Moses was found in the basket in the Nile in
S2: Psalm 6825. It's used to describe maidens playing tambourines in
S2: the procession to God's sanctuary. In Proverbs 31 of my favorites,
S2: the writer speaks of the four mysterious ways, with the
S2: fourth being the way of a man with a maid.
S2: And that's the word there. But it's picturing the mystery
S2: of love and courtship. There's nothing sexual or immoral in
S2: that verse. In Song of Solomon six eight, the words
S2: used to describe one of the three groups of females
S2: in Solomon's household. It says there are 60 queens, 80
S2: concubines and maidens without number. I hear it's referring to
S2: the female attendants who took care of the women in
S2: the harem. But these maidens are quite distinct from those
S2: who are connected sexually to the king. Now, my point
S2: is that every time the word alma is used, it's
S2: used to describe a young woman with a focus on
S2: her age. But we might use the word teenager in
S2: a similar way, but even that's not a good comparison.
S2: And the next point is that young woman of marriageable
S2: age was presumed to be, in fact, was expected to
S2: be chaste in Deuteronomy 22. It describes a number of
S2: issues related to marriage and sexual immorality, and one key
S2: underlying issue is that sexual purity prior to marriage was
S2: extremely important, so much so that the death penalty was
S2: imposed on a young woman who wasn't chaste. In fact,
S2: it says in verse 21 there she's done a disgraceful
S2: thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her
S2: father's house. So in alma, a young woman of marriageable
S2: age was presumed to be a bachelor, a virgin. So
S2: I put all this together and look at one last thing.
S2: The Septuagint, the Greek translation of Isaiah 714, was made
S2: about a hundred years before the time of Jesus. They
S2: were trying to translate Isaiah 714 into Greek, and they
S2: translated alma as Parthenon, as the Greek word for virgin,
S2: rather than using the normal Greek word for maiden, which
S2: was correct. In other words, they felt the Greek word
S2: for maiden had too much baggage attached to it and
S2: the loose moral climate of Greece. So they used a
S2: word that conveyed the chastity that came with a young
S2: woman of marriageable age. In the Hebrew culture.
S1: Stan goes on, I shared with my Jewish friend Micah
S1: five verse two, that verse pointing to the Messiah being
S1: born in Bethlehem. And his Old Testament scripture did not
S1: have a Micah five verse one. He started with Micah five,
S1: verse two as the first verse in Micah. Just curious
S1: your thoughts about this. Yeah.
S2: Don't get rattled by your friend's Hebrew Bible not matching
S2: your Bible right at that point. It has all the verses,
S2: but the chapter and verse divisions in that spot are
S2: just slightly different between the Hebrew and English Bibles. What
S2: we have is Micah five one in our Bibles is
S2: actually Micah four, verse 14. In their Bibles. The chapter
S2: and verse divisions were added later in history and. They
S2: don't impact the meaning of what Micah was saying. So, uh,
S2: in this case, it's all they're just, uh, the verse
S2: divisions are slightly different, and, uh, that's what I think
S2: you can share with your friend.
S1: Are there other Old Testament scriptures like Isaiah 53 that
S1: would be appropriate to show my Jewish friend that Jesus
S1: is the Messiah and is also coming again a second time.
S1: They think the Messiah only comes once and believe of course,
S1: Jesus was not the Messiah, and so they're still waiting.
S1: What do you.
S2: Think? Yeah, well, in terms of showing the two comings
S2: of the Messiah, I think the problem is that the
S2: Old Testament does seem confusing and was so at the
S2: time of Christ. Two examples in first Peter 110 and 11,
S2: Peter writes concerning the salvation, the prophets who spoke of
S2: the grace that was to come to you, searched intently
S2: with the greatest care, trying to find out the time
S2: and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them
S2: was pointing, when he predicted the sufferings of Christ. There's
S2: the first coming, and the glories that would follow. That's
S2: the Second Coming. Peter's saying that the prophets who delivered
S2: the prophecies were themselves scratching their heads, trying to put
S2: the material together. They didn't quite have it all together. There. Now,
S2: having said that, here's my suggestion on how to address
S2: the issue with your friend. I point out the two
S2: sets of Old Testament prophecies related to the Messiah. So
S2: Isaiah 53, pictures of Suffering servant coming to bear our sin,
S2: and Zechariah nine and 11 describe the Messiah riding into
S2: Jerusalem on a colt, but being rejected and sold for
S2: 30 pieces of silver. Then point out the passages that
S2: picture a coming triumphant Messiah. Isaiah nine verses 6 to 7.
S2: This child's going to sit on David's throne, and Micah
S2: five two, which talks about him ruling. Then ask, how
S2: can the Messiah come to reign but also come to suffer,
S2: be rejected, and die for our sins? And before he answers,
S2: point out two other passages Daniel 924 to 27, which
S2: gives the time from the going forth of a command
S2: to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah, the Prince.
S2: But then says the Anointed One, the Messiah, is going
S2: to be cut off. And the word there carries the
S2: idea of being put to death. And then the second
S2: passage to read Zechariah 1210, it describes God's return to
S2: his people and says, they'll look on me, the one
S2: they've pierced, and mourn as one mourns for an only child.
S2: And here's the conundrum for him how can the Messiah
S2: be born as a child, though his goings forth are
S2: from of ancient times, but be rejected, cut off, killed
S2: only to return again, and people realize he's the one
S2: they pierced, and then explain it's not two different messiahs,
S2: it's two different comings. Which is what Peter was saying
S2: in that first Peter one passage.
S1: If you're just joining us, this is the land and
S1: the book from Moody Radio. Our host is Charlie Dyer, uh, pastor,
S1: an author, conference speaker, a guy who's been to Israel
S1: more than 100 times. I'm John Jaeger, tagging along, enjoying
S1: all of your questions like this one from Nancy, she
S1: says as I read about the offering system God ordered
S1: for Israel, it would seem that a huge amount of
S1: wood would be required for all of the burning. Was
S1: there a time when the country had large amounts of
S1: trees covering the land? On my tour of Israel, I
S1: saw a nation largely barren of trees and by the way,
S1: whose job was it to bring in the wood to
S1: the side of the offerings?
S2: Well, there definitely was more forested land in Israel in
S2: the past. And there's one passage, I think, that can
S2: help us with this. In Joshua 17, that's when they're
S2: assigning the land to the different tribes. And Joshua answers
S2: a complaint from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. They
S2: felt they hadn't gotten enough land. Well, when you look
S2: at a map showing the land that they had received,
S2: it's actually quite large. But in answer to their complaint,
S2: Joshua says, you're numerous and very powerful. You will have
S2: not one allowance but the forested hill country as well.
S2: There it is, the forested hill country. Clear it and
S2: its farthest limits will be yours. So evidently the mountainous
S2: area in the center of the country was sparsely inhabited
S2: and covered in forests, in terms of whose job it
S2: was to bring in the wood. Well, in Joshua chapter nine,
S2: verse 27, when Joshua made the deal with the Gibeonites
S2: who tricked Israel into making a peace treaty, he required
S2: them to be woodcutters and water carriers for the community
S2: and for the altar of the Lord at the place
S2: the Lord would choose. So it was the gibeonites job
S2: to gather all that wood for the altar.
S1: I like this question. Fascinating. Do we know how many
S1: years the tabernacle was actually used? It seems like a
S1: miracle of God that the fabric curtains didn't wear out
S1: during all those years of putting up and taking down.
S2: Yeah, you know, all of our clothes seem to wear
S2: out fast. So how did all that fabric for the
S2: tabernacle not wear out? Well, the tabernacle was built and
S2: placed in operation about a year after the exodus, so
S2: it should be around 1444 BC. We know it was
S2: set up in Shiloh and functioned there till the coming
S2: of Samuel. And Samuel was born around 1070 BC, so
S2: the tabernacle was around for three at least 375 years.
S2: Jewish tradition says the tabernacle was at Shiloh for 369.
S2: And then add the time in the wilderness. That's probably
S2: a function for around 400 years. So how could the
S2: fabric last that long? Well, it's possible some parts of
S2: the fabric did wear out and needed to be replaced,
S2: but we also know when it was at Shiloh, a
S2: more permanent structure was built. And I say that. Because
S2: in first Samuel 315 we're told, Samuel opened the doors
S2: of the house of the Lord. It suggests that the
S2: tent housing, that holy place, the Holy of Holies, had
S2: been replaced with a structure that had an entry door
S2: rather than a tent flap. Now, the tent might have
S2: still been draped over the top. We just don't know.
S2: But there appears to be a more permanent building by
S2: the time of Samuel, and that suggests to me that
S2: all the other materials might have been replaced as they
S2: were worn out.
S1: Well, you guys have certainly taken us all over the
S1: biblical map today with your questions, and we're grateful for it.
S1: We love this time and love chatting with you. Love
S1: answering your questions. Yours is welcome with a quick email
S1: to the land and the book at Moody Edu Charlie
S1: will read your question personally, answer it personally, send you
S1: back an email and then you'll be in the queue
S1: for a future broadcast. It's another great devotional from our host,
S1: Charlie Dyer. Next. Right here. Well, it's everybody's favorite time
S1: of year. Yeah. This week brings us tax day. Are
S1: you pumped? Are you excited? Are you ready? Are John
S1: Jager here? Pardon the foolishness, Charlie. I'm sure you had
S1: your stuff done weeks ago. Is that right?
S2: I did, John, I'm. That's one of those. That's. It's
S2: a game for me. It's therapy if you will, to
S2: get it all done and all in order and send
S2: in all of which.
S1: Is sort of a rather circuitous route to today's devotional topic.
S1: I love your title, A Fishy Tax Story. Where are
S1: we going in the scriptures? Well, we're.
S2: Heading to Matthew chapter 17.
S1: All right. It'll be a lot more pleasant, I guarantee,
S1: than whatever you've got to do with taxes this week.
S1: We'll get to that devotional after this Holy Land experience. Testimony.
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: All right. Thank you so much, Charlie. I'm looking forward
S1: to your devotional in Matthew 17. Take it away.
S2: Well, thanks, John. And as John mentioned, this coming week
S2: is tax day. It's that wonderful time of the year
S2: when millions of tax returns have to be filled out
S2: and mailed off to the Internal Revenue Service. In the
S2: modern version of render under Caesar the things which are Caesar's,
S2: and to help put us in the proper mood for
S2: our civic, legal and patriotic duty. We're traveling to Capernaum,
S2: on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. One
S2: of Jesus's 12 disciples had originally been a tax collector
S2: in Capernaum. Think of Matthew as the first century equivalent
S2: of an IRS agent. But by the time of our story,
S2: he had retired from government work to become a full
S2: time follower of Jesus. In fact, the change was rather dramatic.
S2: Having just healed a paralytic at Peter's house, Matthew himself
S2: records what happened next. Jesus saw a man named Matthew
S2: sitting at the tax collectors booth. Follow me, he told him,
S2: and Matthew got up and followed him without so much
S2: as even a two week notice. Matthew went from the
S2: IRS to the IRS in his service. But now, in
S2: Matthew 17, following a time of extensive ministry, we again
S2: find Jesus and the disciples back in Capernaum. And that's
S2: where this fishy tax story begins. But this time we
S2: encounter a different taxing authority, much like someone today paying federal, state,
S2: and sometimes even local taxes. So in Jesus's day, there
S2: were multiple taxing authorities. The Roman government was the most
S2: prominent and most despised, but the religious authorities also collected
S2: a tax for the upkeep of the temple. And it's functioning.
S2: And it's that taxing body that surprises Peter with a
S2: rather direct question. Matthew sets the scene this way. After
S2: Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of
S2: the two drachma tax came to Peter and asked, doesn't
S2: your teacher pay the temple tax? Caught somewhat off guard
S2: by the question, Peter didn't hesitate to respond. Yes, he does,
S2: he replied. Now Peter hadn't actually seen Jesus pay the tax,
S2: but he never hesitated in giving an authoritative answer, even
S2: if that answer might be wrong. When Peter finally made
S2: it back to the house where Jesus was staying, Jesus
S2: surprised him with an unusual question what do you think, Simon?
S2: He asked, from whom do the kings of the earth
S2: collect duty and taxes from their own sons or from others?
S2: Peter might not have understood why Jesus was asking such
S2: an unusual question, but once again he was quick to
S2: provide an answer from others. Jesus then explained the significance
S2: of the answer the sons of the king are exempt
S2: from paying taxes, and since the temple was God's house,
S2: God's Son was also not required to pay the tax.
S2: But Jesus followed his mild rebuke with a practical suggestion,
S2: but so that we may not offend them. Go to
S2: the lake and throw out your line. Take the first
S2: fish you catch, open its mouth and you will find
S2: a four drachma coin. Take it and give it to
S2: them for my tax and yours. End of story or
S2: so it seems to us. But there's something fishy about
S2: that answer. Peter was a fisherman, and most of the
S2: time fishermen around the Sea of Galilee used nets rather
S2: than a hook and a line. So is this some
S2: sort of practical joke on Jesus's part? It's not. But
S2: there is a joke from this story played out on
S2: most Christians who visit Israel and have a Saint Peter's
S2: fish lunch somewhere around the lake. It's a joke because
S2: the fish they eat wasn't the type caught by Peter.
S2: How do I know that? Well, it's not because of
S2: my love of fish or fishing, which, if you've listened
S2: to this program for any length of time, you already know. Know.
S2: For this bit of truth, I defer to Mendel Nuna,
S2: a Jewish kibbutz who fished the Sea of Galilee for
S2: many years. Here's his insight. It's because of this miracle
S2: that the mushed that's the Hebrew name of the fish
S2: that's today called Saint Peter's fish was given. However, from
S2: the realistic point of view, and in contradiction to all
S2: accepted tradition, it cannot have been the fish caught by
S2: Peter with a hook and line in this famous miracle.
S2: The reason is simple the mush feeds on plankton and
S2: is not attracted by other food. It's therefore caught with nets,
S2: not with hook and line. The fishermen on the lake
S2: have since time immemorial used hook and line with sardine
S2: as bait to fish for barbells, which are predators and
S2: bottom feeders. So the Saint Peter mushed or tilapia being
S2: served at the Sea of Galilee likely isn't the fish
S2: Peter caught with a hook and line. But back to
S2: our fishy story. Peter threw in his line along the
S2: water's edge, wondering what would happen next, but he shouldn't
S2: have been surprised because Jesus told him exactly what would happen.
S2: He caught this bottom feeder and as he opened its
S2: mouth to retrieve the hook there, lodged inside was a
S2: four drachma coin. In Greek, it says he found a
S2: small stater which was equivalent to four drachmas. The story
S2: actually ends before Peter carries out Jesus's command. So. So
S2: some believe Peter didn't actually catch a fish or pay
S2: the tax. But if that's the case, why did Matthew
S2: include the story at all? I think it's better to
S2: simply assume Peter did as Jesus commanded, caught the fish,
S2: found the coin, and paid the tax. And by the way,
S2: a drachma was the equivalent of a denarius or a
S2: day's wages. The annual temple tax was the equivalent of
S2: two days wages, and the coin inside the fish's mouth
S2: paid that tax for both Peter and Jesus. But as
S2: we stand here on the shore of the Sea of
S2: Galilee and Capernaum, we need to ask ourselves an even
S2: bigger question why did Matthew include this story? Certainly, his
S2: background as a tax collector might be part of the reason.
S2: But within this section of his gospel, Matthew focuses on
S2: Peter and Jesus five times. In chapter 14, he mentions
S2: that it was Peter who tried to walk on the
S2: water to Jesus. In chapter 15, it's Peter who asked
S2: Jesus to explain the parable to them. In chapter 16,
S2: Jesus blesses Peter for understanding who he was and then
S2: turns around and chastises Peter for denying Jesus's prediction of
S2: his coming death. And then here in chapter 17, Jesus
S2: explains to Peter why he didn't have to pay the
S2: temple tax because of his authority as God's Son. Whether
S2: or not Peter understood it at the time, Jesus was
S2: discipling him in a special way to help Peter master
S2: the lessons of living a godly life in a hostile world.
S2: So did Peter master those lessons? I think the answer
S2: can be found in first Peter two. There Peter wrote,
S2: submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted
S2: among men, whether to the king as the supreme authority,
S2: or to governors who are sent by him to punish
S2: those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
S2: For it is God's will that by doing good you
S2: should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as
S2: free men, but do not use your freedom as a
S2: cover up for evil. Live as servants of God. Show
S2: proper respect to everyone. Love the brotherhood of believers. Fear God,
S2: honor the King. And that brings us back to Tax
S2: Day and the IRS. What does God want from his
S2: followers today? He wants us to submit to civil authority
S2: and to do what's right in God's eyes. Or as
S2: Peter says, fear God and honor the King. So finish
S2: up those forms and get them mailed or sent electronically
S2: by the deadline. And then thank God for being able
S2: to do good and not use your freedom as a
S2: cover up for evil. Oh yeah, and when you're done,
S2: stop by your nearest fish joint for a fish sandwich.
S2: Or if you're like me, head out for a Saint
S2: Peter's pizza. Or maybe even a Saint Peter's grilled chicken sandwich.
S1: They all sound good to me. Charlie. Hey, if you've
S1: never checked out our podcast, it's waiting for you now
S1: at our website, The Land and the book.org, and you
S1: can share that podcast with your friends, folks who don't
S1: live anywhere near a radio station that carries our program.
S1: So let them know about the land in the book podcast.
S1: And again, you'll find it at the land and the book, dawg.
S1: What you won't find right now is more time. It's gone.
S1: But we'll be back, Lord willing, next week. At this
S1: same time for another edition of The Land and the book,
S1: a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.