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S1: Predictably, we meet them only during the Christmas season. Herod

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S1: the Great and Mary, the mother of Jesus, both play

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S1: an enormous role in that story, but a deeper look

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S1: at their lives and legacies is a journey, I think,

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S1: worth taking. So coming up, we're going to explore facets

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S1: of Herod and Mary that will surprise and amaze. So

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S1: join us now for the land and the book. It's

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S1: your weekly visit to the Middle East with travel guide

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S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer. And I'm John Gager. You know, Charlie

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S1: is the end of this year approaches. Many world events

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S1: have left us wondering what God's plan is for the future.

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S1: And that's, I suppose, especially true when it comes to Israel.

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S1: Despite its small size, people around the world are just

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S1: intensely focused on what takes place there. Our today's headlines

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S1: connected in any way with the prophecies in Scripture. And

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S1: how should followers of Jesus interpret current events as we

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S1: await his second coming?

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S2: Yeah, absolutely. John. And people are thinking that, especially in

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S2: light of events just even this past week. But to

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S2: help answer those important questions, our friends at Life and

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S2: Messiah encourage you to check out their book, God, Israel

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S2: and Bible Prophecy with Scripture as its foundation. This book

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S2: will take you on a journey into what God has

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S2: in store for the Jewish people and the nations. This

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S2: book is for anyone who wants to explore where modern

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S2: day events fit on God's grand timeline. Now, if that's

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S2: you or someone you know, this would be a great

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S2: resource or gift. Visit Life in Messiah org and click

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S2: on the Moody Radio button to find out how you

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S2: can receive your copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy.

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S2: That's life in messiah.org.

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S1: Much to talk about in the Middle East this past week.

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S1: Let's dig into our top stories. A week ago, judges

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S1: at the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli

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S1: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Yahoo and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.

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S1: What's the basis for the charges? How valid are they

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S1: and what could they impact?

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S2: Well, the court issued the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and

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S2: Galant for war crimes. Specifically, they're charged with using starvation

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S2: as a method of warfare and with crimes against humanity

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S2: through the use of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts,

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S2: including attacks against civilian populations. But the charges are based

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S2: on shaky legal ground. The court has no jurisdiction against

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S2: Israel since Israel, nor the US for that matter, are

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S2: members of the International Criminal Court, and the treaty that

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S2: established the court precludes the court from considering cases against

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S2: any country with a valid judicial system that's willing and

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S2: able to investigate alleged crimes on its own. As a result,

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S2: France said, Netanyahu and Galant should be immune from the

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S2: charges and that they wouldn't arrest them. The Wall Street

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S2: Journal noted that the precedent that's trying to be established

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S2: could actually harm all democracies, not just Israel, by making

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S2: it difficult to defend against terror groups or rogue states.

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S2: The laws of warfare by which war crimes are defined

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S2: were written when wars were fought by nations with standing armies.

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S2: The rise in terrorism has upended those rules. This war

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S2: began when Hamas invaded Israel, killing 1200 Israeli citizens, taking

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S2: 250 Israelis as hostages and committing other atrocities like rape

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S2: and torture, and firing thousands of rockets against Israeli towns

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S2: and cities. They also embedded their soldiers, command centers, rocket

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S2: launchers and weapons in and under hospitals, mosques, schools, homes

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S2: and apartments, using their own citizens as human shields. Yet

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S2: the low ratio of civilians to combatants killed illustrates the

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S2: reality that Israel didn't deliberately target civilians. The Wall Street

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S2: Journal study noted that the IDF may have achieved the

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S2: lowest ratio of civilian to combatant deaths in the history

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S2: of urban warfare, and rather than seeking to starve the

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S2: people of Gaza as the court has charged, Israel facilitated

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S2: the transfer of more than 57,000 aid trucks and 1.1

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S2: million tons of aid into Gaza in its fight against Hamas.

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S2: Israel has worked hard to avoid civilian casualties, but what

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S2: happens next? It's up to the leaders in the US

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S2: and the West. The West needs to stand up and

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S2: declare that Islamic fundamentalism and its fanatical hatred of Israel

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S2: and the Jews is the root cause of this conflict,

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S2: and that the so-called rules of war need to be

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S2: modified to enable countries to fight terrorists without facing legal

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S2: charges for doing so.

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S1: Story number two A cease fire between Israel and Hezbollah

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S1: was all the talk this week, approved by all parties,

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S1: went into effect early Wednesday. What are the details of

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S1: the truce and how likely is it to lead to

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S1: peace in the North?

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S2: Well, again, the US, with help from France and others,

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S2: developed a pathway forward that was acceptable to all parties.

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S2: That's based in part on the UN Security Council Resolution

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S2: 1701 that really never did take effect. Wednesday was the

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S2: beginning of a 60 day truce during which Israel will

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S2: withdraw from southern Lebanon, allowing the Lebanese Army and UN

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S2: forces to deploy there. Hezbollah will be prohibited from returning

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S2: south of the Litani River. A five country mechanism that

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S2: includes the US, France, the UN, Lebanon and Israel will

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S2: monitor the cease fire. The US issued a letter of

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S2: guarantee to Israel while the exact contents weren't made public.

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S2: Apparently it spells out specific situations where Israel can respond

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S2: to Hezbollah should they violate the agreement. There was some

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S2: opposition to the deal in Israel, because it doesn't allow

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S2: residents in the North to return immediately to their homes.

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S2: There were also concerns over Hezbollah's past violations of UN

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S2: resolution 1701. The agreement is only good if Hezbollah is

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S2: willing to honor it. The hope is that the Lebanese

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S2: army can now enforce it against a weakened Hezbollah. The

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S2: next 60 days are crucial. That's just about the amount

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S2: of time the Biden administration will remain in power. So

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S2: do they have the will to implement the agreement, or

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S2: will Hezbollah try to reestablish itself in the area before

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S2: the next administration takes office? Only time will tell. And

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S2: now we need to be watching to see if a

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S2: ceasefire can also be brokered in the South with Gaza.

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S1: Charlie, what's your guess as to the likelihood of this

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S1: cease fire truly being a ceasefire and and going all

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S1: 60 days?

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S2: I think it will last mainly because Hezbollah has been

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S2: hit so hard, and Israel has made it very clear

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S2: that they won't tolerate any violations of the agreement.

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S1: And I noted President Biden's support along those same lines

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S1: in a public statement. Absolutely. Story number three, the world

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S1: has been waiting for over a month for Iran's threatened

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S1: revenge attack against both Israel and the U.S. so what

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S1: exactly has been happening or in this case, not happening

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S1: with Iran.

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S2: You know, they continued to make threats. The International Atomic

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S2: Energy Agency adopted a resolution censuring Iran for failure to

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S2: cooperate with the agency. In response, Iran announced it would

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S2: immediately bring new, more advanced centrifuges online to enrich uranium.

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S2: But threats of a direct attack on Israel have given

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S2: way more to talk about improving Iran's economy, despite boasts

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S2: that Israel is heading toward the dustbin of history. Iran

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S2: is concerned about its own weakness right now. The election

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S2: of President Trump has raised concern that the US could

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S2: allow Israel to respond to any Iranian attack, and the

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S2: US might even join in. Apparently, Iran's Assembly of Experts

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S2: convened several months ago to secretly elect a new ayatollah

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S2: to replace Khamenei, and that new ayatollah is his son.

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S2: The decision, though, has been kept secret out of fear

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S2: it might spark national protests. Iran's economy is in shambles,

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S2: and Trump is threatening to reimpose drastic economic sanctions lifted

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S2: by the Biden administration in spite of its vast oil

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S2: and gas reserves. Iran is experiencing widespread blackouts. The electric

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S2: grid is unable to meet demand. Iran is also experiencing

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S2: a severe water shortage. Instead of investing in infrastructure, over

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S2: the years, the country has been investing in weapons in

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S2: its nuclear program and in its support for international terror,

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S2: and they are now fearful that Israel might retaliate to

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S2: another attack by eliminating several of their key nuclear facilities,

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S2: or by taking its oil refineries out of commission, plunging

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S2: the nation into absolute chaos. Iran might boast, but watch

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S2: carefully to see what the regime does, to try to

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S2: avoid conflict and to stay in power.

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S1: This is the land and the book moving just a

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S1: little further afield. Tensions continue to rise in Africa between Egypt,

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S1: Sudan and Ethiopia. What's causing all the tension and why

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S1: is it so important?

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S2: Yeah, you know, it's an area we don't focus on regularly,

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S2: but it does bear watching. The dispute between Egypt and

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S2: Ethiopia is primarily over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The

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S2: dam was completed in 2023 and has been generating electricity

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S2: for the past year. Egypt's fear is that the dam

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S2: will reduce the flow of the Nile River, and the

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S2: Nile supplies 98% of Egypt's water. But the dam isn't

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S2: the only area of contention. Ethiopia has reached out to

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S2: support Somaliland, a breakaway region in neighboring Somalia, in exchange

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S2: for giving Ethiopia access to the Red sea. Somalia is

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S2: upset over the deal, and Egypt and Somalia want to

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S2: form a coalition to block Ethiopia's growing influence. Ethiopia has

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S2: had 10,000 soldiers in Somalia to help fight against the

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S2: al-Shabab militant group. Somalia now wants the Ethiopian soldiers out

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S2: when the agreement ends at the end of this year. Meanwhile,

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S2: Egypt has sent a thousand of their own troops into Somalia,

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S2: and another 10,000 are scheduled to arrive in January. Egypt

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S2: has also been sending planeloads of arms and ammunition to Somalia.

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S2: Ethiopia is concerned that Egypt and Somalia could eventually attack them.

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S2: And as if all that's not enough trouble. Yemen and

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S2: the Houthis are just across the Red sea. These clients

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S2: of Iran have also had an interest in this region

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S2: in Africa. Now, it might not make our news, but

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S2: the region is crucial because it impacts shipping through the

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S2: Red sea and the Suez Canal.

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S1: Charlie, so much swirling around right now and just a

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S1: lot of trouble in the Middle East. I'm going to

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S1: invite you to pause and pray, as Scripture says, for

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S1: the peace of Jerusalem and the entire region.

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S2: Lord, we do pray right now for that region. Thank

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S2: you for this agreement that has just been brokered this week.

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S2: We do pray that it would take hold, that it

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S2: would be effective, that it would help save lives in

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S2: Lebanon and in Israel. And we pray that an agreement

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S2: could also be reached with Hamas that could bring the

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S2: hostages back home. Lord, we know you love peace. We

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S2: know you're the God of peace. And we ask that

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S2: you would bring that peace, even temporarily, to the region now. Amen.

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S1: Up next, a visit with Herod and Mary. You'll discover

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S1: things you never saw before on the land and the book. Predictably,

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S1: we meet them only during the Christmas season. Herod the

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S1: Great and Mary the mother of Jesus. And they both

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S1: play an enormous role in that story. But their lives

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S1: and legacies are much bigger than the birth of Christ. Hey,

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S1: welcome back to the land and the book segment two.

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S1: I'm John Gager. Coming up, the true story of the

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S1: tyrant king and the mother of the Risen Savior. Right now, though,

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S1: let's get fired up about a fresh idea for sharing

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S1: Jesus with a Jewish friend. So maybe you've tried reaching

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S1: out to your Jewish friend by way of thoughts on

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S1: on your own spiritual journey, and you find that they're polite,

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S1: but they don't seem to want to go any deeper

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S1: on the subject. Why are my Jewish friends so polite

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S1: about my faith in Jesus, but don't really want to

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S1: go any further along that conversation? Let's ask Eva Radonich

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S1: with Chosen People Ministries. What's the answer there?

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S3: Well, I think our Jewish friends are encouraged by our faith,

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S3: our spiritual practice. They're very broad in their acceptance of

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S3: any sort of spirituality or religious practice, and they're happy

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S3: that we have a relationship with God that is meaningful

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S3: to us. But for them, Christianity, Jesus is a closed door.

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S3: They want to be, oh, this is really good for you,

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S3: but it's not for me. And our challenge is to

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S3: say it's really for everybody. I'm not targeting you because

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S3: you're Jewish. I just want everybody to understand the promises

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S3: that God made in the Tanakh, the Old Testament, and

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S3: how they were fulfilled in Jesus, Yeshua. And they're for everybody.

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S3: For me, as a non-Jew and for Jewish people as well,

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S3: they don't want to offend us by saying, oh, don't

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S3: talk to me. They're very open and warm, but they're hesitant.

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S1: Yeah. Two thoughts about this closed door analogy. Number one

225
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S1: would be it's never polite to bang on a door.

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S1: So there's some sensitivity there for us. And number two,

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S1: Jesus still specializes in opening locked or slammed doors, is

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S1: he not?

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S3: Exactly. And I think our best tool is to love

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S3: people until they ask us why.

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S1: Eva Radonich serves with Chosen People Ministries. Thanks for your conversation.

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S3: Thank you John.

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S1: Doctor Brian Litvin grew up in Dallas, Texas, Oxford, England

234
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S1: and Memphis, Tennessee. It's a shame he doesn't get around.

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S1: He earned a degree in print journalism from the University

236
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S1: of Tennessee, a master's degree in historical theology at Dallas Seminary,

237
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S1: and a Ph.D. in the field of ancient church history

238
00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:34,200
S1: at the University of Virginia. The author of four non-fiction

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S1: books and six novels, Doctor Litvin now works as Professor

240
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S1: of Bible and theology at Rawlings School of Divinity at

241
00:13:41,550 --> 00:13:45,990
S1: Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He recently joined forces with

242
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S1: Kathie Lee Gifford to create the book Harold and Mary. Hey,

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S1: welcome to the land and the book. Brian.

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S4: Great to be here. John, thanks so much for having me.

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S4: It's an honor.

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S1: Well, Brian, why these two characters compared and contrasted in

247
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S1: the book?

248
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S4: Yeah. Well, you know, um, it's sort of a dark

249
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S4: versus light in some ways. And Kathie has had a

250
00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:11,309
S4: fascination for a long time with Herod, ever since she's

251
00:14:11,340 --> 00:14:13,800
S4: kind of traveled in the land and wanted to tell

252
00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,829
S4: his story. She calls it the greatest story never told.

253
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S4: And as we began to think about, you know, how

254
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S4: do you tell the story of a of a tyrant

255
00:14:21,420 --> 00:14:24,150
S4: or how do you delve into kind of the evil

256
00:14:24,150 --> 00:14:26,609
S4: mind of someone like this? Is that just going to

257
00:14:26,610 --> 00:14:29,130
S4: be a big negative story? Well, what we realized is

258
00:14:29,130 --> 00:14:32,460
S4: that the Lord had arranged a kind of counterpoint in

259
00:14:32,460 --> 00:14:35,130
S4: the narrative where you've got this figure of Mary. If

260
00:14:35,130 --> 00:14:37,920
S4: you could tell her backstory as much as it could

261
00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:41,730
S4: be imagined or reconstructed, you'd have this kind of opposite

262
00:14:41,730 --> 00:14:45,810
S4: where you have this tyrant figure. But behind the scenes,

263
00:14:45,810 --> 00:14:49,260
S4: the Lord is doing something good with a more insignificant person.

264
00:14:49,290 --> 00:14:52,140
S4: And so, weaving their story together, we call the story

265
00:14:52,140 --> 00:14:55,890
S4: of Mary a golden thread that's weaving its way through

266
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S4: the dark fabric of Herod's life.

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S1: I absolutely love the timeline that you created for us

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S1: up front. A super job of juxtaposing secular history with

269
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S1: the biblical record. How difficult was that to create? Assigning

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S1: actual dates to so many things?

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S4: Well, it was not as difficult with Herod because we

272
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S4: have extensive sources, mostly Josephus, about his life, and his

273
00:15:20,190 --> 00:15:23,400
S4: life is correlating with Roman history. So you can kind

274
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S4: of anchor a few points with Mary. You don't have

275
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S4: that except in early Christian traditions about her life, where

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S4: you don't know for sure they're not coming directly from

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S4: the Bible. So of course they're not inspired. But, you know,

278
00:15:34,890 --> 00:15:37,170
S4: they might have nuggets of truth in them. And so

279
00:15:37,170 --> 00:15:40,140
S4: that was the more challenging part was to maybe anchor

280
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S4: some of Mary's backstory and imagine that. But we did

281
00:15:43,860 --> 00:15:46,020
S4: the best we could and tried to kind of tell

282
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S4: the story as best we can.

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S1: Herod and Mary, the true story of the tyrant king

284
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S1: and the mother of the risen Savior. This is the

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S1: land and the book. I'm John Gager, joined today by

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S1: Doctor Brian Litvin. Well, let's get to Herod, the man.

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S1: We know him, of course, for his infamous killing of

288
00:16:01,470 --> 00:16:05,130
S1: the baby boys in Bethlehem. But killing was really part

289
00:16:05,130 --> 00:16:08,130
S1: of his DNA. That wasn't the first incident. So who

290
00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:11,010
S1: were some of the more notable people on Herod's hit list?

291
00:16:11,190 --> 00:16:12,900
S1: There were a whole lot of them. Yeah.

292
00:16:12,930 --> 00:16:16,050
S4: There were. I mean, he started slow, you might say.

293
00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:17,730
S4: I mean, he didn't start out like that, you know,

294
00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:19,950
S4: like it's in his DNA in one sense. But in

295
00:16:19,950 --> 00:16:22,950
S4: some ways, it was that creeping decision to be that

296
00:16:22,980 --> 00:16:25,830
S4: kind of person. And he starts out by killing political

297
00:16:25,830 --> 00:16:29,640
S4: enemies or executing supposed criminals, but he begins to cross

298
00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,820
S4: those lines. And as you mentioned, he crosses the lines

299
00:16:32,820 --> 00:16:35,580
S4: even to his family. And so, you know, for example,

300
00:16:35,580 --> 00:16:38,160
S4: his favorite wife, Mariamne, and he has her put to

301
00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:42,000
S4: death along with her mother, as well as Mariamne's handsome

302
00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,090
S4: brother that he was threatened by, and then the two

303
00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:48,780
S4: sons that they had with them, and Herod's firstborn son

304
00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:52,350
S4: as well. Antipater. So you know the baby boys that

305
00:16:52,350 --> 00:16:54,720
S4: you see in the book of Matthew, in the Gospel

306
00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:58,050
S4: of Matthew are just kind of a culmination of, unfortunately,

307
00:16:58,050 --> 00:16:59,970
S4: a lifetime of killing. And so by the end, yeah,

308
00:16:59,970 --> 00:17:01,620
S4: he was a killing machine for sure.

309
00:17:01,650 --> 00:17:04,830
S1: Well, an important bit of family lineage here. Elaborate on

310
00:17:04,830 --> 00:17:06,690
S1: why this was such a big deal.

311
00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:09,359
S4: Well, you know, with Herod, I mean, in one sense

312
00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:11,340
S4: it was Jewish and in another sense it wasn't. And

313
00:17:11,340 --> 00:17:14,460
S4: so he was called a half Jew. So he was idumean,

314
00:17:14,460 --> 00:17:17,490
S4: which is really in the Old Testament. They were the Edomites.

315
00:17:17,490 --> 00:17:19,739
S4: And so they were the enemies of Israel, and they

316
00:17:19,740 --> 00:17:23,520
S4: lived in an adjacent kingdom. But over time that kingdom

317
00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:27,060
S4: had been captured by the Jewish state by the Hasmoneans,

318
00:17:27,060 --> 00:17:31,050
S4: and so it had been forced to convert. So theoretically,

319
00:17:31,050 --> 00:17:35,550
S4: now the Idumaeans were Jewish, but they weren't the inheritors of,

320
00:17:35,580 --> 00:17:39,120
S4: you know, of Judea and of Jerusalem. And so he

321
00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:41,490
S4: always felt that as trying to be the King of

322
00:17:41,490 --> 00:17:43,859
S4: the Jews, he was behind the gun, so to speak.

323
00:17:43,859 --> 00:17:46,200
S4: He didn't fit in. He was a half breed or

324
00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:49,859
S4: something like that. And he wasn't true royalty, true nobility.

325
00:17:49,859 --> 00:17:53,580
S4: And so it affected his confidence in that way, as

326
00:17:53,580 --> 00:17:56,460
S4: well as his wife, his wife, Mary. And they despised

327
00:17:56,460 --> 00:17:58,439
S4: him for not being truly royal.

328
00:17:58,470 --> 00:18:01,350
S1: Doctor Brian Litvin has teamed up with Kathie Lee Gifford

329
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S1: to write the book Herod and Mary. It's great to

330
00:18:04,140 --> 00:18:07,110
S1: have you with us today on the land and the book. Well,

331
00:18:07,109 --> 00:18:10,140
S1: let's swing the focus of this conversation toward the Christmas

332
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S1: season that we're in now. Brian, only when we understand

333
00:18:12,900 --> 00:18:16,439
S1: that Herod was named King of the Jews can we

334
00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:19,440
S1: understand how Herod's world was utterly rocked by the question

335
00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,620
S1: of the Magi who came to him asking, where is

336
00:18:22,619 --> 00:18:25,919
S1: he who was born King of the Jews? Brian, do

337
00:18:25,950 --> 00:18:28,619
S1: your best to climb inside Herod's head at that very moment.

338
00:18:28,619 --> 00:18:32,220
S1: What's he really thinking but would never say out loud?

339
00:18:32,250 --> 00:18:35,879
S4: Well, I mean, he's clearly paranoid. One of the things

340
00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:39,060
S4: that maybe readers don't know as they encounter the story

341
00:18:39,060 --> 00:18:41,760
S4: that Matthew puts forward because he doesn't mention it. But

342
00:18:41,790 --> 00:18:43,800
S4: Herod at that time was at the very end of

343
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S4: his life. He was sick. He was on his deathbed.

344
00:18:46,500 --> 00:18:49,290
S4: And so, you know, Herod wasn't worried someone's going to

345
00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:53,850
S4: supplant me right now, do an overthrow of my kingdom

346
00:18:53,850 --> 00:18:56,730
S4: right at this moment, because he knew he was dying.

347
00:18:56,730 --> 00:18:59,070
S4: What he was worried about at that point was, who

348
00:18:59,070 --> 00:19:01,800
S4: is going to take over after me? You know who's

349
00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,110
S4: going to be the follower? Am I going to leave

350
00:19:04,109 --> 00:19:07,800
S4: a legacy? Am I creating a dynasty? Will my sons

351
00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:11,399
S4: rule after me and show that my power continues? Or

352
00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,680
S4: am I kind of a one and done and someone

353
00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:15,180
S4: else is going to come in and be the new

354
00:19:15,180 --> 00:19:17,070
S4: king of the Jews and someone who might claim to

355
00:19:17,100 --> 00:19:20,100
S4: be born one, as opposed to a half breed. And

356
00:19:20,100 --> 00:19:23,699
S4: so he was really paranoid about securing his legacy. And

357
00:19:23,700 --> 00:19:26,070
S4: that helps to explain why he said, you know, wherever

358
00:19:26,070 --> 00:19:28,500
S4: this pretender is, I'm not going to let some peasant

359
00:19:28,500 --> 00:19:32,879
S4: boy in Nazareth come along or Bethlehem come along and

360
00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,540
S4: become the replacement for me. And so he went and

361
00:19:35,540 --> 00:19:37,460
S4: had his soldiers slaughter those babies.

362
00:19:37,490 --> 00:19:40,760
S1: You write in the book the struggles within Herod's household,

363
00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:43,790
S1: as well as God's redemptive work behind the scenes, have

364
00:19:43,790 --> 00:19:46,670
S1: many parallels today. Give me an example, if you could,

365
00:19:46,670 --> 00:19:48,139
S1: of a modern parallel.

366
00:19:48,470 --> 00:19:53,179
S4: So often you see that outer household, or the outer

367
00:19:53,180 --> 00:19:56,120
S4: people that are visible to the public eye look like

368
00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:59,780
S4: a disaster. But behind the scenes, God hasn't abandoned the

369
00:19:59,780 --> 00:20:02,060
S4: people that are involved. God is doing a work, and

370
00:20:02,060 --> 00:20:05,060
S4: so he's up to something good. And I think you

371
00:20:05,060 --> 00:20:07,040
S4: know that. I would answer that by just saying there's

372
00:20:07,070 --> 00:20:10,520
S4: kind of a general pattern in which God is doing something,

373
00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,250
S4: even when what looks to be terrible is happening on

374
00:20:13,250 --> 00:20:16,040
S4: the outside, he still has his purposes underneath it.

375
00:20:16,070 --> 00:20:18,320
S1: Well, let's swing our focus toward Mary for a moment.

376
00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:21,140
S1: Most of us think we know Mary fairly well. Share

377
00:20:21,140 --> 00:20:24,230
S1: a few life details that might have escaped some of us.

378
00:20:24,410 --> 00:20:27,500
S4: You know, we have the biblical record. And so that

379
00:20:27,500 --> 00:20:29,719
S4: is fairly clear. And I think most people know the

380
00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:31,939
S4: story of how she was visited by the angel and

381
00:20:31,940 --> 00:20:35,390
S4: how she's honored in that way and gives birth to Messiah.

382
00:20:35,420 --> 00:20:37,430
S4: What we have in the book here is we try

383
00:20:37,430 --> 00:20:39,619
S4: to use some other sources that we don't claim to

384
00:20:39,650 --> 00:20:45,050
S4: be 100% accurate, but they are the earliest recollections that

385
00:20:45,050 --> 00:20:47,930
S4: could be part of an oral tradition about who Mary was.

386
00:20:47,930 --> 00:20:51,080
S4: For example, that as a young girl she lived at

387
00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:55,220
S4: the Jewish temple and worked there and was perhaps a

388
00:20:55,220 --> 00:20:57,740
S4: musician or something like that, that she might have had

389
00:20:57,740 --> 00:21:00,230
S4: a a singing role. Because we do know that in

390
00:21:00,260 --> 00:21:02,780
S4: the Jewish temple that there were virgins, young virgin girls

391
00:21:02,780 --> 00:21:06,950
S4: who were part of musical ministries. And so maybe that

392
00:21:06,950 --> 00:21:09,020
S4: was part of Mary's life. And if you think about

393
00:21:09,020 --> 00:21:11,660
S4: one of the most prominent things that we find in

394
00:21:11,660 --> 00:21:14,660
S4: the gospel, in Luke's gospel is that Mary sings a song.

395
00:21:14,690 --> 00:21:17,060
S4: Where does that song come from? Well, maybe she's been

396
00:21:17,060 --> 00:21:20,720
S4: trained as a young girl to burst into worshipful songs.

397
00:21:20,750 --> 00:21:23,929
S4: And so that humility of Mary. And even in the

398
00:21:23,930 --> 00:21:27,800
S4: book we explore her parents, Anna and Joachim. So how

399
00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:30,590
S4: did her home life shape who she became? And we

400
00:21:30,590 --> 00:21:33,470
S4: try to imagine that and see what could be true there.

401
00:21:33,500 --> 00:21:35,270
S4: Those kind of things are, I think, one of the

402
00:21:35,270 --> 00:21:37,729
S4: real values of this book, to give the backstory of

403
00:21:37,730 --> 00:21:40,040
S4: Mary that most Christian readers don't know.

404
00:21:40,070 --> 00:21:43,430
S1: If Mary were given the stage at a National Women's

405
00:21:43,430 --> 00:21:46,820
S1: Christian conference today, what do you think she might say

406
00:21:46,820 --> 00:21:48,350
S1: in her message to other women?

407
00:21:48,590 --> 00:21:50,810
S4: I have to ask myself if she would even take

408
00:21:50,810 --> 00:21:55,400
S4: that stage. You know, that's kind of not who she is, right?

409
00:21:55,430 --> 00:21:59,030
S4: I mean, the purpose of understanding Mary is she's not visible.

410
00:21:59,030 --> 00:22:02,869
S4: She's not out front. She probably would have been very timid.

411
00:22:02,869 --> 00:22:05,840
S4: And that's kind of the point, is that, you know, like,

412
00:22:05,869 --> 00:22:09,199
S4: Herod is the one who builds the glamorous temple that

413
00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:13,400
S4: everybody sees, but who's the real temple of Messiah? This

414
00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:17,330
S4: peasant girl whose womb is the home of the Shekinah glory,

415
00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,580
S4: whose womb is the home of the presence of God.

416
00:22:19,609 --> 00:22:24,500
S4: So she's very humble. She's very offstage, like so many

417
00:22:24,500 --> 00:22:27,080
S4: Christians today, so many women out there that don't get

418
00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,080
S4: the notice of the world. But what they do get

419
00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:33,590
S4: is the notice of the Lord God who says, favored one,

420
00:22:33,590 --> 00:22:38,000
S4: blessed one, graced one. So I don't know that she

421
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:39,889
S4: ever would be a speaker like that. But in the

422
00:22:39,890 --> 00:22:42,740
S4: spirit of your question, I would say she would point

423
00:22:42,740 --> 00:22:45,980
S4: everyone to the glory of God and the mercies that

424
00:22:45,980 --> 00:22:48,530
S4: he has, even on the lowly of spirit.

425
00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,250
S1: Was this a difficult book to write? Why or why not?

426
00:22:52,580 --> 00:22:55,250
S4: Yes, it was a difficult book because you have to

427
00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:57,800
S4: delve into someone like Herod, and you have to kind

428
00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,350
S4: of watch his descent into evil because he doesn't start

429
00:23:00,350 --> 00:23:02,780
S4: that way. He's this really young prince, and he's handsome

430
00:23:02,780 --> 00:23:06,290
S4: and everyone loves him. And probably if you were around Herod,

431
00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,139
S4: especially in his early life, you'd have said, this guy

432
00:23:09,140 --> 00:23:11,419
S4: is cool. I love hanging around with him. And that

433
00:23:11,420 --> 00:23:14,119
S4: is actually how the Roman emperors thought. This guy is

434
00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:16,850
S4: so cool. I love hanging out. He's so easy to

435
00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:20,359
S4: be around and kind of a winsome personality, but he

436
00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:23,180
S4: descends into this darkness and that's part of what makes

437
00:23:23,180 --> 00:23:25,280
S4: the book hard. But on the other hand, you know what?

438
00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:27,050
S4: I got to admit, it was a great joy.

439
00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:30,050
S1: The the book reads far more like a novel than

440
00:23:30,050 --> 00:23:34,010
S1: a historical biography. Forgive the very trite expression. I really

441
00:23:34,010 --> 00:23:36,679
S1: was hard pressed to put it down. But what is

442
00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:39,560
S1: your highest hope for us as readers of this book?

443
00:23:39,590 --> 00:23:42,290
S1: I mean, it's it's easy and simplistic to say, well,

444
00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:44,929
S1: be nice like Mary, not mean like Herod.

445
00:23:45,410 --> 00:23:48,439
S4: Well, my greatest hope is the same that Kathy has,

446
00:23:48,470 --> 00:23:52,250
S4: and that is that readers would turn their eyes toward Yeshua,

447
00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:56,120
S4: Yeshua Hamashiach, Jesus the Christ. And so she and I

448
00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:59,929
S4: share that deep passion of pointing our readers to the

449
00:23:59,930 --> 00:24:03,859
S4: one that Mary wanted to point to. And so if

450
00:24:03,859 --> 00:24:06,830
S4: the reader comes away with a greater appreciation that Messiah,

451
00:24:06,859 --> 00:24:10,310
S4: that Jesus the King is not a king after the

452
00:24:10,310 --> 00:24:13,130
S4: pattern of someone like Herod who had to be out there,

453
00:24:13,130 --> 00:24:15,440
S4: he had to be dominant. He had to be the

454
00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:18,230
S4: man who left a legacy, and the man who conquered,

455
00:24:18,230 --> 00:24:20,600
S4: and the man who was praised, and the man who

456
00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:23,419
S4: was rich and had all those things that the world offers.

457
00:24:23,450 --> 00:24:25,640
S4: And so our readers might look and think, well, I'm

458
00:24:25,670 --> 00:24:28,879
S4: none of those things. I'm insignificant. I'm small. I'm in

459
00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:32,660
S4: a small town. My home is not magnificent. I guess

460
00:24:32,660 --> 00:24:35,810
S4: maybe God has passed me by or doesn't really use

461
00:24:35,810 --> 00:24:38,600
S4: people like me and Kathy and I want our readers

462
00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:41,419
S4: to say no. That's exactly who God uses. Look at

463
00:24:41,420 --> 00:24:45,440
S4: how he took the most excluded person a female, a

464
00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:48,980
S4: young female, a female who had shame on her. And

465
00:24:48,980 --> 00:24:52,010
S4: he said, I am going to make that my actual

466
00:24:52,010 --> 00:24:54,500
S4: temple for the presence of the Holy Spirit. Right. Because

467
00:24:54,500 --> 00:24:56,840
S4: that's what happens. The Holy Spirit comes into the womb

468
00:24:56,840 --> 00:25:02,629
S4: of Mary, and God Himself lives in that physical space.

469
00:25:02,660 --> 00:25:05,899
S4: He's not living anymore in the physical space of the

470
00:25:05,900 --> 00:25:09,109
S4: temple that Herod made. He's living in the physical space

471
00:25:09,109 --> 00:25:12,950
S4: of the most excluded person of that society, wrongfully shamed

472
00:25:12,950 --> 00:25:17,150
S4: but shamed, female young person. And so that's the message

473
00:25:17,150 --> 00:25:20,600
S4: right there. The readers might think I'm invisible and God says,

474
00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,179
S4: not to me. You're not. And just you wait until

475
00:25:23,180 --> 00:25:27,080
S4: I take your fish and your loaves and multiply that

476
00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:29,990
S4: into an amazing ministry and praise God for being just

477
00:25:29,990 --> 00:25:30,920
S4: that sort of God.

478
00:25:30,950 --> 00:25:33,919
S1: Doctor Brian Litvin, who along with Kathie Lee Gifford, has

479
00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:35,960
S1: written Herod and Mary, if you would like to come

480
00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,620
S1: to know these characters like you've never known them before,

481
00:25:39,650 --> 00:25:42,260
S1: this is the book for you. Herod and Mary a

482
00:25:42,260 --> 00:25:46,070
S1: link at our website. The land and the book. Org. Brian,

483
00:25:46,070 --> 00:25:47,450
S1: thanks for the conversation.

484
00:25:47,540 --> 00:25:49,310
S4: Great to be here. Thanks for having me.

485
00:25:49,340 --> 00:25:51,830
S1: And up next, our friend Charlie is back. You know

486
00:25:51,830 --> 00:25:54,740
S1: what it is. Questions and answers. Right here on the land.

487
00:25:54,740 --> 00:26:08,750
S1: And the book. From Moody Radio. This is the land

488
00:26:08,750 --> 00:26:11,720
S1: and the book. I'm John Geiger. Our host, Charlie Dyer,

489
00:26:11,750 --> 00:26:13,939
S1: is here. And. Well, for many people, this is a

490
00:26:13,940 --> 00:26:18,200
S1: fascinating segment, Charlie, because we all have puzzles, questions, things

491
00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:20,689
S1: that just kind of cause us to wonder as we

492
00:26:20,690 --> 00:26:23,210
S1: open the pages of Scripture. And this is the place

493
00:26:23,210 --> 00:26:25,609
S1: where we're able to take our time, take a look

494
00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:27,890
S1: at these questions and bring some answers that I think

495
00:26:27,890 --> 00:26:31,040
S1: are very encouraging. So with that said, just a quick

496
00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:33,290
S1: thought here. At the end of this year, as it approaches,

497
00:26:33,290 --> 00:26:36,860
S1: many world events have left us wondering what God's plan

498
00:26:36,859 --> 00:26:39,800
S1: is for the future. And this is especially true when

499
00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:42,620
S1: it comes to Israel. Boy, talk about questions, Charlie. And

500
00:26:42,619 --> 00:26:45,830
S1: despite its small size, people around the world are intensely

501
00:26:45,830 --> 00:26:49,070
S1: focused on what takes place there. So the question is,

502
00:26:49,070 --> 00:26:52,940
S1: are today's headlines connected in any way with prophecies in

503
00:26:52,940 --> 00:26:57,109
S1: the Bible? How should followers of Jesus interpret current events

504
00:26:57,109 --> 00:26:59,090
S1: as we await his second coming?

505
00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:01,939
S2: Well, to help answer those important questions, our friends at

506
00:27:01,970 --> 00:27:06,290
S2: Life and Messiah encourage you to check out their book, God, Israel,

507
00:27:06,290 --> 00:27:10,160
S2: and Bible Prophecy with Scripture as its foundation. This book

508
00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:12,379
S2: will take you on a journey into what God has

509
00:27:12,380 --> 00:27:16,010
S2: in store for the Jewish people and the nations. This

510
00:27:16,010 --> 00:27:18,619
S2: book is for anyone who wants to explore where modern

511
00:27:18,619 --> 00:27:22,730
S2: day events fit on God's grand timeline. If that's you

512
00:27:22,730 --> 00:27:25,730
S2: or someone you know, this would be a great resource

513
00:27:25,730 --> 00:27:29,570
S2: or gift. Visit Life in Messiah org and click on

514
00:27:29,570 --> 00:27:31,640
S2: the Moody Radio button to find out how you can

515
00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:36,470
S2: receive your copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's

516
00:27:36,470 --> 00:27:38,990
S2: life in messiah.org.

517
00:27:39,020 --> 00:27:42,260
S1: All right. Question number one from Jean. Will the marriage

518
00:27:42,260 --> 00:27:44,840
S1: supper of the lamb be in heaven during the seven

519
00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:48,350
S1: years or on earth during the millennium? Yeah.

520
00:27:48,380 --> 00:27:51,500
S2: This is a topic where good and godly people disagree.

521
00:27:51,500 --> 00:27:54,109
S2: So what I tell people in those cases take what

522
00:27:54,109 --> 00:27:56,900
S2: I'm about to say with a grain of salt. I

523
00:27:56,900 --> 00:27:59,359
S2: personally see the marriage supper of the lamb as a

524
00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:02,780
S2: figure of speech pointing to the Millennial Kingdom. Now, here's

525
00:28:02,780 --> 00:28:05,510
S2: why I say that. First, Jesus used the imagery of

526
00:28:05,510 --> 00:28:09,020
S2: the bridegroom's arrival for the wedding banquet in Matthew 25,

527
00:28:09,050 --> 00:28:11,270
S2: verses 1 to 13. And that's where he tells the

528
00:28:11,270 --> 00:28:14,180
S2: parable of the wise and foolish virgins. But he's picturing

529
00:28:14,180 --> 00:28:16,880
S2: his return to earth as king. He ends that parable

530
00:28:16,910 --> 00:28:19,370
S2: by telling Israel to keep watch because you do not

531
00:28:19,369 --> 00:28:22,310
S2: know the day or the hour. And second, the phrase

532
00:28:22,310 --> 00:28:26,110
S2: wedding supper of the lamb only occurs in revelation 19,

533
00:28:26,140 --> 00:28:30,159
S2: verses 7 to 9. Now, chronologically, those verses occur at

534
00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,369
S2: the end of the seven year tribulation period, following the

535
00:28:33,369 --> 00:28:36,580
S2: outpouring of the final bowls of judgment in chapter 16

536
00:28:36,580 --> 00:28:39,670
S2: and the destruction of Babylon in chapter 17 and 18.

537
00:28:39,670 --> 00:28:43,690
S2: Just after the wedding, supper's announced Jesus returns from heaven

538
00:28:43,690 --> 00:28:47,110
S2: to earth in chapter 19, verses 11 to 16. So

539
00:28:47,110 --> 00:28:49,390
S2: it looks to me as if the wedding feast, announced

540
00:28:49,390 --> 00:28:52,240
S2: in chapter 19, is intended as a picture of the

541
00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:55,090
S2: blessing and joy that are about to follow in the

542
00:28:55,090 --> 00:28:57,220
S2: Millennial Kingdom after his return.

543
00:28:57,250 --> 00:29:01,420
S1: Sadie asks, does the prophecy about Japheth being expanded by

544
00:29:01,420 --> 00:29:04,240
S1: God have to do with the historical fact that the

545
00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:08,620
S1: descendants of Japheth, whether they be Seleucids, Ottomans, Romans, British,

546
00:29:08,620 --> 00:29:11,620
S1: French and so on, have been effectively in control of

547
00:29:11,620 --> 00:29:12,550
S1: world history.

548
00:29:12,940 --> 00:29:16,840
S2: Well, I'm wondering if you might be confusing Japheth with Jabez.

549
00:29:16,930 --> 00:29:20,350
S2: There's nothing in Genesis ten about the descendants of Japheth

550
00:29:20,380 --> 00:29:23,350
S2: being expanded by God, only that they spread out into

551
00:29:23,350 --> 00:29:26,170
S2: their territory in verse five that they were occupying by

552
00:29:26,170 --> 00:29:29,950
S2: the time Moses wrote Genesis. Now, in contrast, Jabez, who

553
00:29:29,950 --> 00:29:31,900
S2: was from the tribe of Judah, did pray and ask

554
00:29:31,900 --> 00:29:34,959
S2: God to bless me and enlarge my territory. That's in

555
00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:37,870
S2: first Chronicles four. Now, in terms of the second part

556
00:29:37,870 --> 00:29:41,590
S2: of the question, while later history does connect Japheth's descendants

557
00:29:41,590 --> 00:29:44,770
S2: with powers that dominated much of the world, that's not

558
00:29:44,770 --> 00:29:48,280
S2: the complete picture of both Assyria and Babylon, which were

559
00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,010
S2: early world powers came from Nimrod, who was from the

560
00:29:51,010 --> 00:29:54,400
S2: line of Ham through Cush. He's mentioned in Genesis ten,

561
00:29:54,430 --> 00:29:58,480
S2: verses 8 to 11, and Egypt. Mitzrayim was another early

562
00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:01,270
S2: world power that was also from the line of ham.

563
00:30:01,420 --> 00:30:04,570
S1: Sadie wants to know, does the curse of Ham have

564
00:30:04,570 --> 00:30:08,350
S1: to do with the enslavement of blacks by Arabs, English, etc.,

565
00:30:08,350 --> 00:30:11,650
S1: as well as the fact that Ethiopians and cops going

566
00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:15,550
S1: into the Monophysite heresy early on in the church?

567
00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:17,980
S2: I do not see the curse of Ham referring to

568
00:30:18,010 --> 00:30:22,480
S2: the enslavement of blacks in Genesis nine, verses 24 and 25.

569
00:30:22,510 --> 00:30:25,630
S2: Noah didn't pronounce the curse on Ham, but on his

570
00:30:25,630 --> 00:30:29,620
S2: youngest son, Canaan. The descendants of Ham and Genesis ten

571
00:30:29,650 --> 00:30:32,980
S2: included Cush, which was to the south of Egypt. Mitzrayim,

572
00:30:32,980 --> 00:30:36,340
S2: which is Egypt, put the area around Libya and North

573
00:30:36,340 --> 00:30:39,490
S2: Africa to the west of Egypt and Canaan. But the

574
00:30:39,490 --> 00:30:42,580
S2: text clearly says the curse was placed on the descendants

575
00:30:42,580 --> 00:30:45,910
S2: of Canaan. We're not told why Canaan was cursed, since

576
00:30:45,910 --> 00:30:48,400
S2: Ham was the one who had seen his father's nakedness.

577
00:30:48,490 --> 00:30:51,700
S2: It's possible that something else took place that's not included

578
00:30:51,700 --> 00:30:53,950
S2: in the text, but it is clear that the curse

579
00:30:53,950 --> 00:30:56,860
S2: was just on Canaan and not on the other descendants

580
00:30:56,860 --> 00:31:00,370
S2: of Ham. And the Monophysite heresy, at least early on,

581
00:31:00,370 --> 00:31:03,370
S2: involved more than just the cops and Ethiopians. So I

582
00:31:03,370 --> 00:31:05,800
S2: don't believe it developed along racial lines.

583
00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:08,680
S1: It's the land and the book from Moody Radio. Charlie

584
00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:11,739
S1: Dyer is answering your questions. I'm John Gager, firing at

585
00:31:11,770 --> 00:31:14,350
S1: them as fast as I can because they come in

586
00:31:14,350 --> 00:31:17,110
S1: very fast over email. And you can get yours to

587
00:31:17,140 --> 00:31:21,820
S1: us at The Land and the At moody.edu ed wonders,

588
00:31:21,820 --> 00:31:24,070
S1: do you agree with those who say that the two

589
00:31:24,100 --> 00:31:27,580
S1: state solution would wipe Israel off the map?

590
00:31:27,610 --> 00:31:30,370
S2: Well, I need to answer two ways. First, I don't

591
00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:32,680
S2: agree with those who say a two state solution will

592
00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:35,860
S2: wipe Israel off the map. Rather, I see what's happening.

593
00:31:35,890 --> 00:31:38,950
S2: Aligning with what Zechariah said would take place in the

594
00:31:38,950 --> 00:31:41,800
S2: final days. He said, I'm going to make Jerusalem a

595
00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:45,100
S2: cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will

596
00:31:45,130 --> 00:31:48,219
S2: be besieged as well as Jerusalem on that day when

597
00:31:48,250 --> 00:31:50,620
S2: all the nations of the earth are gathered against her,

598
00:31:50,620 --> 00:31:54,070
S2: I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations.

599
00:31:54,070 --> 00:31:57,460
S2: All who try to move it will injure themselves. Second,

600
00:31:57,490 --> 00:32:00,160
S2: I do believe a two state solution as envisioned by

601
00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:03,670
S2: most of the world is simply unworkable and would result

602
00:32:03,670 --> 00:32:07,630
S2: in greater instability in the region. Israel would again be

603
00:32:07,630 --> 00:32:12,490
S2: under pressure, similar to what they experienced from 1948 to 1967,

604
00:32:12,490 --> 00:32:16,000
S2: when they faced attacks by terrorists from these same areas.

605
00:32:16,030 --> 00:32:18,970
S2: What we've seen happening in Gaza would end up taking

606
00:32:18,970 --> 00:32:21,370
S2: place in the West Bank, as Israel would be forced

607
00:32:21,370 --> 00:32:24,130
S2: to go on the offensive against the forces seeking to

608
00:32:24,130 --> 00:32:28,090
S2: attack her. And once again, Zechariah 12 describes the results.

609
00:32:28,090 --> 00:32:29,950
S2: He says, on that day, I'll make the leaders of

610
00:32:29,950 --> 00:32:33,190
S2: Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming

611
00:32:33,220 --> 00:32:36,370
S2: torch among sheaves. They will consume right and left all

612
00:32:36,370 --> 00:32:40,240
S2: the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her

613
00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:43,630
S2: place if forced to do so. Israel will defend herself,

614
00:32:43,630 --> 00:32:45,490
S2: and God will be with her.

615
00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:48,400
S1: Mark asks, my wife and I have been grappling with

616
00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:51,730
S1: Ecclesiastes seven, verse 18. It is good that you should

617
00:32:51,730 --> 00:32:55,030
S1: grasp one and not hold on to the other. We've

618
00:32:55,030 --> 00:32:57,310
S1: looked at this verse in the NIV and the ESV,

619
00:32:57,340 --> 00:32:59,470
S1: but just don't get it. Can you help?

620
00:32:59,500 --> 00:33:02,020
S2: Well, I think the key here is viewing verse 18

621
00:33:02,020 --> 00:33:05,080
S2: in light of the larger context. Solomon's been talking about

622
00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:08,890
S2: wisdom versus foolishness and wickedness in verses four and five

623
00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:11,800
S2: are good examples of the comparison he's making. But then

624
00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:14,530
S2: Solomon reminds the reader that not everything in life turns

625
00:33:14,530 --> 00:33:17,830
S2: out as we might expect. Wisdom like that displayed by

626
00:33:17,830 --> 00:33:21,520
S2: job's friends, says that being righteous always brings God's blessing,

627
00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:25,570
S2: while being wicked always brings judgment. And while that's generally true,

628
00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:28,000
S2: we know in job's case it wasn't. And that's the

629
00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:31,300
S2: point Solomon is making in verses 15 to 18. There

630
00:33:31,300 --> 00:33:34,000
S2: are some who try to live a perfectly righteous life,

631
00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,090
S2: which of course is humanly impossible, but they do so

632
00:33:37,090 --> 00:33:40,240
S2: assuming God will have to bless them. Others see people

633
00:33:40,270 --> 00:33:42,100
S2: who seem to get away with being evil, and then

634
00:33:42,100 --> 00:33:45,160
S2: assume there aren't consequences to actions in spite of what

635
00:33:45,190 --> 00:33:48,370
S2: God said. But living with a proper awe or respect

636
00:33:48,370 --> 00:33:52,270
S2: of God helps us avoid those two extremes. Wisdom is

637
00:33:52,270 --> 00:33:55,930
S2: realizing that life might present some apparent exceptions, at least

638
00:33:55,930 --> 00:33:59,980
S2: for a time, but that consequences do eventually follow. So

639
00:33:59,980 --> 00:34:02,680
S2: verses 18 and 19, then, are the conclusion. It's good

640
00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:06,640
S2: to remember both realities, depending on our own righteousness, will

641
00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:10,450
S2: not always guarantee success, and ignoring God's standards of right

642
00:34:10,450 --> 00:34:13,150
S2: and wrong. To do whatever we want won't always bring

643
00:34:13,180 --> 00:34:16,989
S2: immediate judgment. The wise person won't forget or let go

644
00:34:16,989 --> 00:34:20,200
S2: of either reality, in spite of what might appear to

645
00:34:20,200 --> 00:34:21,640
S2: be true for a time.

646
00:34:21,670 --> 00:34:24,189
S1: Carl takes us to the book of Joel, chapter three,

647
00:34:24,219 --> 00:34:28,090
S1: verses nine through 14 describe the battle of Armageddon. Verse

648
00:34:28,090 --> 00:34:32,110
S1: ten describes the weapons as spears, not missiles. Isaiah 29

649
00:34:32,140 --> 00:34:35,650
S1: three also speaks of siege works. My question when do

650
00:34:35,650 --> 00:34:38,410
S1: you think that the earth loses their access to weapons

651
00:34:38,410 --> 00:34:39,939
S1: of modern warfare?

652
00:34:40,300 --> 00:34:43,570
S2: The answer is I don't know. I believe it's possible

653
00:34:43,570 --> 00:34:46,120
S2: to answer two ways, and I'm not sure we know

654
00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:49,180
S2: which is correct. Now, the first possibility is to take

655
00:34:49,180 --> 00:34:53,830
S2: those references literally to suggest everything from transportation to warfare

656
00:34:53,830 --> 00:34:57,400
S2: will become much more primitive during the tribulation period. The

657
00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:00,310
S2: devastation pictured in the book of revelation, from half the

658
00:35:00,310 --> 00:35:04,630
S2: world's population being destroyed, to the almost unimaginable devastation of

659
00:35:04,630 --> 00:35:07,360
S2: the land and the seas, to the total disruption of

660
00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:11,259
S2: food supplies and even drinking water, could completely undo what

661
00:35:11,260 --> 00:35:13,990
S2: we think of as our modern way of life. Imagine

662
00:35:13,989 --> 00:35:15,690
S2: what it would be like if the power grid was

663
00:35:15,690 --> 00:35:20,219
S2: taken down, along with the banking system, refineries, fuel distribution systems,

664
00:35:20,219 --> 00:35:23,609
S2: and even basic services like trash collection and fire and

665
00:35:23,610 --> 00:35:27,750
S2: police protection. A nuclear war or other world wide conflagration

666
00:35:27,750 --> 00:35:30,960
S2: early in the tribulation could quickly push the world back

667
00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:33,930
S2: to such primitive means, and then the words of these

668
00:35:33,930 --> 00:35:36,780
S2: prophets would make perfect sense at that time. At the

669
00:35:36,780 --> 00:35:39,420
S2: second possible answer, though, is to assume that the writers

670
00:35:39,420 --> 00:35:42,630
S2: describe events using words and images that made sense to

671
00:35:42,660 --> 00:35:45,450
S2: their audience in that day, but that might be understood

672
00:35:45,450 --> 00:35:48,990
S2: in a slightly different way today. For example, in Ezekiel 38,

673
00:35:49,020 --> 00:35:52,170
S2: he describes a future invasion against Israel by an army

674
00:35:52,170 --> 00:35:53,910
S2: from the North, and he says all of them are

675
00:35:53,910 --> 00:35:57,120
S2: riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. While

676
00:35:57,120 --> 00:36:00,180
S2: in Ezekiel's day most armies were foot soldiers, a vast

677
00:36:00,180 --> 00:36:03,780
S2: army all on horseback would have seemed as totally unstoppable.

678
00:36:03,810 --> 00:36:06,270
S2: The description in modern times might be like an army

679
00:36:06,270 --> 00:36:09,689
S2: that's totally mechanized and armored. Now, I need to say

680
00:36:09,690 --> 00:36:12,360
S2: that my normal approach to interpretation is to take the

681
00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:15,060
S2: first option. I believe it's entirely possible to see a

682
00:36:15,060 --> 00:36:18,060
S2: rapid decline in how the world will function during the

683
00:36:18,060 --> 00:36:21,240
S2: tribulation period. And that could involve going back to more

684
00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:24,450
S2: primitive methods of warfare. But in either case, I believe

685
00:36:24,450 --> 00:36:26,760
S2: those alive at the time will understand exactly what the

686
00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:29,430
S2: biblical writers met with the words they wrote.

687
00:36:29,430 --> 00:36:31,170
S1: And that's a look at some of the questions that

688
00:36:31,170 --> 00:36:33,330
S1: you've shared with us. Thank you for doing that, by

689
00:36:33,330 --> 00:36:36,270
S1: the way. It keeps the program going, keeps it very interesting.

690
00:36:36,270 --> 00:36:42,330
S1: Our email address for your question. The land and the book@moody.edu. Well,

691
00:36:42,330 --> 00:36:45,840
S1: Charlie Dyer's devotional is next. It's always something intriguing. I

692
00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:48,390
S1: hope you'll stay with us on the land and the book.

693
00:36:59,219 --> 00:37:04,440
S1: Has a bumper sticker says don't hassle me. I'm easily confused.

694
00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:07,440
S1: Hi John Gager here at The Land and the book.

695
00:37:07,469 --> 00:37:10,290
S1: Our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, has a devotional that has

696
00:37:10,290 --> 00:37:12,720
S1: everything to do with confusion. Where are we going today?

697
00:37:13,020 --> 00:37:15,120
S2: We're going to be heading to acts chapter 16 to

698
00:37:15,150 --> 00:37:17,009
S2: talk about the man from Macedonia.

699
00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:19,500
S1: I'm looking forward to that. But first, let's pause for

700
00:37:19,500 --> 00:37:22,320
S1: a testimony from somebody who's been to Israel and wanted

701
00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:24,030
S1: to share this with you and me.

702
00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:32,940
S5: I'm Jack from Coral Gables. My Holy Land experience was multifaceted,

703
00:37:32,940 --> 00:37:36,779
S5: but the one thing that strikes me again today is

704
00:37:36,780 --> 00:37:42,359
S5: the proximity of Israel's enemies in this very small part

705
00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:46,440
S5: of the world, that Syria is right on top of Israel.

706
00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:50,820
S5: And so that underscores the great danger there, and the

707
00:37:50,820 --> 00:37:55,440
S5: courage of the people of Israel to live there and

708
00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:58,379
S5: to put up with that danger on an hourly basis.

709
00:37:58,410 --> 00:38:01,620
S6: Hello, my name is Israel Garcia and my Holy Land experience,

710
00:38:01,620 --> 00:38:05,160
S6: as there's many experiences that happen in Israel, and seeing

711
00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:07,200
S6: the Bible come to life was definitely when I was

712
00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:08,850
S6: at the in the boat trip to the Sea of

713
00:38:08,850 --> 00:38:11,340
S6: Galilee and just sitting there and as the boat was

714
00:38:11,340 --> 00:38:14,520
S6: playing actually Christian music and worshiping God. And just to

715
00:38:14,550 --> 00:38:17,580
S6: think that Jesus walked over those waters and walked into

716
00:38:17,580 --> 00:38:19,590
S6: the storm and seeing the calmness of it and just

717
00:38:19,590 --> 00:38:22,830
S6: knowing that Jesus was there and did all these miracles

718
00:38:22,950 --> 00:38:26,130
S6: and the experience of worship was just overwhelming, that tears

719
00:38:26,130 --> 00:38:28,110
S6: just came out of my eyes and say, wow, this

720
00:38:28,110 --> 00:38:30,840
S6: is the place where my Savior walked and he's walking

721
00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:33,270
S6: with me now. So that was my Holy Land experience.

722
00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:37,860
S1: All right, Charlie, I'm looking forward to your devotional today.

723
00:38:37,890 --> 00:38:41,580
S1: Acts 16. The man from Macedonia. Take it away.

724
00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:44,040
S2: Thank you. John. And I could use that bumper sticker

725
00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:46,320
S2: you were talking about. I need to briefly start though,

726
00:38:46,350 --> 00:38:48,420
S2: by sharing two stories and see if you can find

727
00:38:48,420 --> 00:38:52,020
S2: the common thread linking them together. Story number one. About

728
00:38:52,020 --> 00:38:55,440
S2: six months after receiving my driver's license, my best friend

729
00:38:55,440 --> 00:38:59,070
S2: and I drove to southeastern Pennsylvania to visit his girlfriend.

730
00:38:59,070 --> 00:39:01,680
S2: It was only 90 miles from home, but I'd never

731
00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:04,500
S2: driven to the area before, and my dad gave strict

732
00:39:04,500 --> 00:39:08,250
S2: instructions to be home before dark. We had a great visit,

733
00:39:08,250 --> 00:39:10,890
S2: but we stayed too long. No problem though, because the

734
00:39:10,890 --> 00:39:14,370
S2: girl's father wrote out directions for a shortcut to get

735
00:39:14,370 --> 00:39:16,800
S2: us back to the main highway. It was a warm

736
00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:19,020
S2: day and we had the windows rolled down in the car.

737
00:39:19,290 --> 00:39:21,360
S2: Traffic was heavy, but it was moving along at a

738
00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:24,270
S2: pretty good clip, and then a gust of wind sucked

739
00:39:24,270 --> 00:39:27,420
S2: the directions from the dashboard and right out the passenger

740
00:39:27,420 --> 00:39:30,780
S2: side window. We had no idea where we were and

741
00:39:30,780 --> 00:39:33,270
S2: no idea where we should go. And this was back

742
00:39:33,270 --> 00:39:37,710
S2: in the dark ages. No GPS, no cell phone. A

743
00:39:37,710 --> 00:39:40,500
S2: story number two. Two years later, I was a freshman

744
00:39:40,500 --> 00:39:43,770
S2: in college. Harry Balbach from Word of Life was flying

745
00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:46,320
S2: to our school for meetings, and I was asked to

746
00:39:46,350 --> 00:39:50,819
S2: drive to National Airport. Now Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

747
00:39:50,820 --> 00:39:53,790
S2: in D.C. to pick him up. I had never been

748
00:39:53,790 --> 00:39:56,580
S2: to National Airport, nor had I ever met Harry Balbach,

749
00:39:56,580 --> 00:39:59,370
S2: but in my naive state, I wondered how hard this

750
00:39:59,370 --> 00:40:02,070
S2: could be. I mean, after all, in our airport back home,

751
00:40:02,070 --> 00:40:04,529
S2: we only had a very limited number of planes arrive

752
00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:06,720
S2: each day. I would just watch for a plane to

753
00:40:06,750 --> 00:40:09,480
S2: land and look for someone wearing a suit. Right. And

754
00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:11,939
S2: then I walked into the first major airport I'd ever

755
00:40:11,940 --> 00:40:16,049
S2: seen and experienced a wave of panic. There were scores

756
00:40:16,050 --> 00:40:19,109
S2: of flights and gates and hundreds of people in suits.

757
00:40:19,110 --> 00:40:21,510
S2: I didn't know the airline he was flying on, or

758
00:40:21,510 --> 00:40:24,540
S2: the arrival time, or the gate number or what Harry

759
00:40:24,540 --> 00:40:28,259
S2: Balbach even looked like I knew nothing. So what's the

760
00:40:28,260 --> 00:40:31,080
S2: common element between the two stories? Well, apart from my

761
00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:34,830
S2: own stupidity, it's that growing sense of uncertainty or unease

762
00:40:34,830 --> 00:40:38,040
S2: bordering almost on panic when you suddenly realize you have

763
00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:40,680
S2: no idea what you're doing or what you're supposed to

764
00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:42,960
S2: be doing. Now, before I go on, let me quickly

765
00:40:42,960 --> 00:40:46,290
S2: provide the happy ending to both stories. Somehow, my friend

766
00:40:46,290 --> 00:40:48,180
S2: and I saw a sign telling us the way to

767
00:40:48,210 --> 00:40:51,390
S2: the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I didn't know where that went, and

768
00:40:51,390 --> 00:40:53,820
S2: I knew what exit to take to get home. I

769
00:40:53,820 --> 00:40:55,920
S2: made it home just as the sun was starting to

770
00:40:55,950 --> 00:40:59,640
S2: set and Harry balbach well, I shot up a desperate

771
00:40:59,640 --> 00:41:03,239
S2: prayer to heaven. Lord, help me find Harry Balbach. And

772
00:41:03,239 --> 00:41:05,549
S2: as I turned around, there was a man standing and

773
00:41:05,550 --> 00:41:09,360
S2: holding a handwritten sign that said I'm Harry Balbach. He

774
00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:12,060
S2: had the presence of mind to anticipate the lack of

775
00:41:12,060 --> 00:41:15,870
S2: experience of a typical college freshman. Now, what does all

776
00:41:15,870 --> 00:41:18,330
S2: this have to do with our journey today into Asia minor?

777
00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:21,870
S2: The western part of modern Turkey. We're here today traveling

778
00:41:21,870 --> 00:41:25,230
S2: with a very perplexed Apostle Paul. He's on his second

779
00:41:25,230 --> 00:41:28,380
S2: missionary journey, and things haven't been going as well as

780
00:41:28,380 --> 00:41:31,440
S2: he had hoped. The trip hadn't even started before Paul

781
00:41:31,440 --> 00:41:34,620
S2: and Barnabas got into a heated discussion over whether they

782
00:41:34,620 --> 00:41:37,140
S2: ought to take a Long John Mark, who had abandoned

783
00:41:37,170 --> 00:41:41,549
S2: them on their earlier journey. Acts 1539 records the result.

784
00:41:41,550 --> 00:41:45,300
S2: They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.

785
00:41:45,330 --> 00:41:49,500
S2: Paul chose Silas and headed into Asia minor, but their

786
00:41:49,500 --> 00:41:52,230
S2: journey was as roundabout as the one my friend and

787
00:41:52,230 --> 00:41:55,710
S2: I took on those back roads in Pennsylvania. Here's how

788
00:41:55,739 --> 00:41:59,700
S2: Luke described their itinerary. Paul and his companions traveled throughout

789
00:41:59,700 --> 00:42:02,549
S2: the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by

790
00:42:02,550 --> 00:42:05,190
S2: the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province

791
00:42:05,190 --> 00:42:07,799
S2: of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia,

792
00:42:07,830 --> 00:42:10,680
S2: they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus

793
00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:13,620
S2: wouldn't allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and

794
00:42:13,620 --> 00:42:16,470
S2: went down to Troas. Now most of those names are

795
00:42:16,469 --> 00:42:19,170
S2: unfamiliar to the average person, and that's where a good

796
00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:22,620
S2: Bible atlas can help. Leaving behind the cities Paul had

797
00:42:22,620 --> 00:42:26,730
S2: visited on his first missionary journey, the intrepid travelers initially

798
00:42:26,730 --> 00:42:30,000
S2: planned to head west into the province of Asia. This

799
00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:33,750
S2: is where the major cities like Ephesus and Pergamum were located,

800
00:42:33,750 --> 00:42:37,379
S2: but God prohibited them from heading in that direction. The

801
00:42:37,380 --> 00:42:40,440
S2: two travelers and their entourage then pivoted to the north,

802
00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:43,770
S2: passing through Phrygia and Galatia. They reached the border of

803
00:42:43,770 --> 00:42:48,030
S2: Mysia and assumed the most logical destination would then be Bithynia,

804
00:42:48,060 --> 00:42:51,419
S2: along the southern shore of the Black Sea. But once

805
00:42:51,420 --> 00:42:54,120
S2: again God set up a spiritual do not enter sign

806
00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:57,330
S2: to block their way. The one direction that now remained

807
00:42:57,330 --> 00:43:01,440
S2: open was due west along the border between Mysia and Bithynia,

808
00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:04,140
S2: but they soon found themselves running into a dead end

809
00:43:04,190 --> 00:43:07,430
S2: When they reached the port city of Troas, about 15

810
00:43:07,430 --> 00:43:10,430
S2: miles from the ancient city of Troy. I wonder if

811
00:43:10,430 --> 00:43:12,739
S2: Paul might have felt similar to how I felt when

812
00:43:12,739 --> 00:43:16,460
S2: trying to find Harry Balbach. Now what Lord, were you

813
00:43:16,460 --> 00:43:19,760
S2: trying to send us? And that night, God provided an

814
00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:22,130
S2: answer even more dramatic than turning to see a man

815
00:43:22,130 --> 00:43:25,460
S2: holding a sign with his name on it. During the night,

816
00:43:25,460 --> 00:43:27,980
S2: Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing

817
00:43:27,980 --> 00:43:31,700
S2: and begging him, come over to Macedonia and help us.

818
00:43:31,910 --> 00:43:34,490
S2: Now I suppose God could have told Paul his final

819
00:43:34,489 --> 00:43:37,370
S2: destination at the very beginning. Likely it would have saved

820
00:43:37,370 --> 00:43:40,730
S2: Paul both time and perhaps some confusion had he known

821
00:43:40,730 --> 00:43:44,870
S2: to head straight to Macedonia. But God's directions aren't always

822
00:43:44,870 --> 00:43:48,170
S2: that direct. So why did God use a roundabout way

823
00:43:48,170 --> 00:43:51,920
S2: to get Paul to Macedonia? We're not told directly, but

824
00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:54,020
S2: there are some details in the account that do offer

825
00:43:54,020 --> 00:43:56,480
S2: a few clues. First, if Paul had known from the

826
00:43:56,480 --> 00:44:00,230
S2: very beginning that Macedonia was to be his final destination,

827
00:44:00,230 --> 00:44:03,980
S2: he might have traveled there directly by boat from Syrian Antioch.

828
00:44:03,980 --> 00:44:06,680
S2: But had he done that, he wouldn't have encountered young

829
00:44:06,710 --> 00:44:09,799
S2: Timothy in Lystra. And Timothy plays a large part in

830
00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:13,400
S2: Paul's later ministry. And then there's a tiny detail with

831
00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:17,780
S2: great significance. Once Paul finally arrived in Troas. Listen carefully

832
00:44:17,780 --> 00:44:21,320
S2: to the change in pronouns in the account. Verse eight.

833
00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:26,180
S2: So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. Paul, Silas,

834
00:44:26,180 --> 00:44:29,810
S2: and Timothy went to Troas. Now verses 10 to 12,

835
00:44:29,840 --> 00:44:32,720
S2: after Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at

836
00:44:32,719 --> 00:44:35,779
S2: once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called

837
00:44:35,780 --> 00:44:39,320
S2: us to preach the gospel to them. From Troas we

838
00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:42,290
S2: put out to sea, and sailed straight for Samothrace, and

839
00:44:42,290 --> 00:44:45,680
S2: the next day on to Neapolis. From there we traveled

840
00:44:45,680 --> 00:44:49,640
S2: to Philippi. The switch from third person to first person

841
00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:53,629
S2: marks the entrance of Luke into Paul's life and ministry.

842
00:44:53,660 --> 00:44:56,930
S2: We're not told the circumstances, but that slight change lets

843
00:44:56,930 --> 00:44:59,660
S2: us know that Luke was a believer, that he lived

844
00:44:59,660 --> 00:45:02,450
S2: in Troas, and that this is where he first joins

845
00:45:02,450 --> 00:45:07,460
S2: Paul on his travels. God orchestrated this divine rendezvous between

846
00:45:07,460 --> 00:45:11,000
S2: Paul and Luke. Finally, God arranged for Paul to arrive

847
00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:13,640
S2: in Philippi at just the right time. A few days

848
00:45:13,640 --> 00:45:16,940
S2: after his arrival, Paul and his entourage went outside the

849
00:45:16,940 --> 00:45:19,550
S2: city gate to the river, where we expected to find

850
00:45:19,550 --> 00:45:21,980
S2: a place of prayer. We sat down and began to

851
00:45:21,980 --> 00:45:24,320
S2: speak with the women who had gathered there. One of

852
00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:28,040
S2: those listening was a woman named Lydia. The city apparently

853
00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:30,410
S2: didn't have a synagogue, but it did have some women

854
00:45:30,410 --> 00:45:32,930
S2: who wanted to know and follow the God of the Bible.

855
00:45:32,930 --> 00:45:36,529
S2: And one of those women was Lydia. She heard and believed,

856
00:45:36,530 --> 00:45:39,890
S2: and she provided a place to stay for Paul, Silas,

857
00:45:39,890 --> 00:45:43,280
S2: and Timothy and Luke. So who was the man from

858
00:45:43,280 --> 00:45:46,370
S2: Macedonia who begged Paul to come? Some think it was Luke,

859
00:45:46,370 --> 00:45:49,129
S2: but were never told that that's the case. It was

860
00:45:49,130 --> 00:45:51,620
S2: a vision, so it might simply have been a supernatural

861
00:45:51,620 --> 00:45:55,040
S2: dream given by God to Paul. We tend to focus

862
00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:57,259
S2: on that vision, but I'm amazed at all the other

863
00:45:57,260 --> 00:46:01,550
S2: details God brought together to connect Paul and Silas with Timothy,

864
00:46:01,550 --> 00:46:04,550
S2: and then with Luke in Troas, just in time to

865
00:46:04,580 --> 00:46:07,940
S2: direct them to Philippi, to encounter a very special woman

866
00:46:07,940 --> 00:46:11,690
S2: who became the first convert to Christianity in Europe. So

867
00:46:11,690 --> 00:46:14,570
S2: what's the lesson in all this for us? Perhaps this.

868
00:46:14,600 --> 00:46:19,070
S2: Don't get frustrated when life seemingly becomes messy, cluttered, and

869
00:46:19,070 --> 00:46:22,219
S2: even a bit disorganized. God could be working behind the

870
00:46:22,219 --> 00:46:25,250
S2: scenes to direct you to just the right place, and

871
00:46:25,250 --> 00:46:28,610
S2: just the right person at just the right time. Keep

872
00:46:28,640 --> 00:46:31,580
S2: trusting God and keep moving forward.

873
00:46:31,670 --> 00:46:35,000
S1: Well, that's practical and really love those stories. Glad you

874
00:46:35,030 --> 00:46:37,460
S1: made your way back home and glad you finally did

875
00:46:37,460 --> 00:46:41,359
S1: discover who Harry Baalbek was. Well, our time is gone,

876
00:46:41,360 --> 00:46:43,970
S1: but you can hear the entire program again at our website.

877
00:46:43,969 --> 00:46:48,589
S1: The land and the book.org for Charlie Dyer and Dan Anderson.

878
00:46:48,620 --> 00:46:51,230
S1: I'm John Geiger, the land and the book is a

879
00:46:51,230 --> 00:46:55,040
S1: production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.