S1: World War two and the Holocaust. Everyone knows what happened
S1: to Jews living in Germany, Poland, Hungary or Romania. But
S1: the untold story of Jews in Bulgaria is one you've
S1: got to hear. Just ahead, we'll share the odyssey of
S1: a Jewish rabbi and an Orthodox priest who teamed up
S1: to save 50,000 lives. It's an amazing story. Welcome to
S1: the land and the book with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer,
S1: noted Old Testament scholar, Middle East expert. I'm John Gager,
S1: and Romans 116 reminds us that the gospel is to
S1: the Jew first and also to the Gentile. But how
S1: do you share the gospel with a Jewish person? Because
S1: of cultural, historical, and religious differences, it's sometimes challenging to
S1: navigate a gospel conversation with someone from a Jewish background.
S1: You ever wondered how the professionals do it?
S2: And to answer that question, our friends at Life in
S2: Messiah want one Amelia samples of the tracks their staff
S2: use as they share the gospel. This will serve a
S2: dual purpose of equipping you with methods of presenting the gospel,
S2: while also supplying you with tracks you can share with
S2: your Jewish friends and neighbors. Life in Messiah's Prayer is
S2: that these tracks will help further the spread of the
S2: gospel among the Jewish people. To receive this helpful assortment
S2: of tracks, all you need to do is visit Life
S2: in Messiah org and click on the radio button for
S2: more information. And that's life in Messiah. Don't miss out
S2: on this great opportunity.
S1: All right, let's swing our focus now toward current events
S1: in the Middle East. With the war between Israel and
S1: Iran now in the rear view mirror. Early speculation is
S1: finally giving way to a more fact based analysis of
S1: what really took place. What do we know so far? Charlie?
S2: Well, Israel released an official summary of their operation. It
S2: began with intelligence gathering that showed Iran was rapidly enriching
S2: uranium to the 60% level, which would allow them to
S2: produce multiple nuclear bombs in a very short period of time.
S2: Intelligence also uncovered Iran's plans to advance nuclear weapon research,
S2: as well as plans to triple its supply of missiles
S2: from 2500 to 8000. Israel's opening strike allowed them to
S2: achieve complete surprise and establish air superiority over Iran. During
S2: those next 12 days, Israel flew 1200 missions, striking over
S2: 900 targets. Israel destroyed over half of Iran's ground to
S2: ground missile launchers and about a thousand missiles before they
S2: could be launched. They also eliminated 30 senior Iranian defense officials,
S2: including the top three commanders and at least 14 top
S2: nuclear scientists. Iran launched 550 missiles at Israel. Most were
S2: shot down, but 31 impacted population areas, killing 28 and
S2: leaving about 9000 homeless because of the apartment buildings that
S2: were hit. Iran also launched over a thousand drones at Israel,
S2: although only one made it through and hit a house.
S2: There's been a debate over the ultimate success of Israel's
S2: attack in stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Now, it's
S2: not yet known what happened to the nearly £900 of
S2: uranium enriched to 60%. Did it get buried under the
S2: rubble of the facilities, or did Iran manage to spirited
S2: away and hide it? And right now, no one really knows.
S2: Despite reports that Iran could resume enriching uranium within a
S2: few months, it appears that most of their centrifuge production
S2: lines were destroyed, so their ability to enrich uranium will
S2: be greatly reduced. More significantly, their ability to convert enriched
S2: uranium gas back into a solid metal form, which is
S2: necessary for assembling a warhead, was destroyed. This bottleneck alone
S2: could set Iran's nuclear program back years. And even as
S2: Iran vows to reconstruct its nuclear program, their economy was
S2: already hurting because of all the sanctions. Israel has also
S2: started rebuilding, though it will take time for them to
S2: repair the hospital in Beersheba, as well as the apartments
S2: and other buildings that were damaged. But in the end,
S2: Israel really scored a major victory in this attack.
S1: What impact will the end of war have on the
S1: conflict with Gaza and with the rest of the Middle East?
S2: Well, this week could see some dramatic announcements. Both President
S2: Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu would like to have the
S2: hostilities in Gaza come to an end. That will be
S2: a key topic in their meeting Monday in Washington. A
S2: proposal on the table is for a 60 day cease
S2: fire that would include the release of ten hostages and
S2: 18 deceased ones in phases during that time, leaving an
S2: additional ten hostages and 12 deceased still in Gaza. Israel
S2: has apparently agreed to an American demand that the talks
S2: will lead to the war's complete end. Some coalition members, though,
S2: oppose that deal. They want the fighting to continue until
S2: Hamas is eliminated. Hamas has demanded that any deal lead
S2: to a complete end to the fighting, which in theory
S2: could allow them to remain in Gaza. Now, a second
S2: topic on the agenda this Monday will be the Abraham Accords.
S2: Trump and Netanyahu both want the Abraham Accords to expand
S2: to include Saudi Arabia and Syria. Saudi Arabia has said
S2: removing Hamas from Gaza and developing a pathway to a
S2: Palestinian state are conditions for normalization with Israel. An agreement
S2: with Syria could formally end years of hostilities between the
S2: two countries and allow Israel to keep the Golan Heights. Now,
S2: a third topic that will be discussed will be Iran.
S2: Israel would like the U.S. to give the green light
S2: for future Israeli attacks on Iran, should they become necessary.
S2: Of all those issues, the demand for Palestinian statehood and
S2: what to do with Hamas and Gaza are probably the
S2: most difficult right now. It's unclear how they can be resolved,
S2: how we'll have to wait and see what comes out
S2: of the meetings in Washington on Monday.
S1: You're listening to the first of four segments in a
S1: broadcast we call The Land and the book very Middle
S1: East focused. And our host is Doctor Charlie Dyer, who's
S1: traveled there nearly a hundred times. I'm John Gieger. This
S1: is story number three. In our continuing look at current events.
S1: In 2005, Egypt began construction on the Grand Egyptian Museum,
S1: originally scheduled to open in 2012. The project has faced
S1: more than a decade of delays. What's the latest on
S1: when this new museum will finally be open?
S2: Well, John, let me start with the positive. When this
S2: museum is fully open, it will be spectacular. The overcrowded
S2: museum in downtown Cairo, which I loved. It was like
S2: going through grandma's attic, except with King Tut being one
S2: of the pieces that's in there. Well, that's going to
S2: be replaced with this magnificent building which is located near
S2: the pyramids. Unfortunately, the project has been plagued by a
S2: series of delays, including the Arab Spring, the uprising that
S2: started and then followed by Covid and then a financial crisis.
S2: It finally opened partially in October 2024, but some of
S2: the main exhibits, like the Tutankhamun treasures, are still located
S2: in the old museum at that time. When it first opened,
S2: they announced the museum would be fully open on July 3rd, 2025.
S2: This past week, but then on June 14th, an announcement
S2: was posted on the museum's website saying the opening has
S2: once again been delayed, this time till the fourth quarter
S2: of 2025. No explanation was given. Well, that puts it,
S2: at least in theory, sometime between October and December of
S2: this year. But their inability to meet past deadlines doesn't
S2: instill confidence in those wanting to plan a trip when
S2: the museum is open. The treasures on display in Egypt
S2: are simply amazing. And the new museum, it's going to
S2: provide some much needed space right now. G the Grand
S2: Egyptian Museum is still a gem in the rough, but
S2: hopefully and I say that hopefully it will be polished
S2: and ready for display before the end of the year.
S2: And when it's ready, I think it will be one
S2: of the truly great museums in the world, and it
S2: really will be one of the top things to visit
S2: if someone goes to Egypt.
S1: Charlie, it sounds wonderful, but I think, is it not
S1: true that the global concern regarding security of a basic
S1: American or any other citizen visiting there is a top concern?
S2: Well, it is, and I say it this way. You know,
S2: when you go to Israel or go to some other countries, uh,
S2: there are, uh, struggles between the Israelis and the Arabs
S2: or between other groups. But the tourists weren't the subject
S2: of attack in Egypt. They've had a history of attacking
S2: tourists because tourism is such a vital part of the economy. Uh,
S2: the last couple of years it's been relatively safe. But
S2: that still is a problem, and certainly this will make
S2: it one of the targets for terrorists who want to
S2: try and bring the Egyptian government down.
S1: How safe is your financial information online? Did the recent
S1: discovery of 16 billion passwords and credentials released online make
S1: you nervous? Well, an Israeli startup called Unibeam believe they
S1: have the answer. Tell us about this company from Amazing Israel.
S2: Yeah. Did it make us nervous while I was changing
S2: passwords like crazy as a result of that announcement? And
S2: my wife would just like to get her hands around
S2: the necks of those who released them. But companies are
S2: working overtime to try and stop the theft of data.
S2: And sometimes that involves real money being taken away from
S2: unsuspecting individuals. Now, if you bank or shop online, you've
S2: probably experienced two factor authentication and the use of one
S2: time passwords to prove you are who you claim to
S2: be when logging into your account. But cyber criminals are
S2: also working overtime to stay one step ahead. and one
S2: of their latest attacks involves SIM swapping. They trick your
S2: mobile phone carrier into transferring your phone number to a
S2: SIM card they control, allowing them to intercept calls and texts,
S2: including those two factor authentication codes sent to your number,
S2: which then lets them into your account. And that's where
S2: Israeli startup Unibeam comes in. Using the security built into
S2: every mobile phone SIM card, they link a person's identity
S2: to the actual phone number, the SIM card ID, and
S2: the actual mobile device ID. A person might try to
S2: steal your phone number, but if they don't have your
S2: actual SIM card and your mobile device, they can't break
S2: into your account. Unibeam has developed this authentication system that
S2: banks and other financial institutions can purchase and implement, to
S2: make it impossible for someone to steal your identity by
S2: hijacking your phone number. And that sounds like another great
S2: idea coming our way from Amazing Israel.
S1: Thank you Charlie. Sure appreciate your attention to current events
S1: in the Middle East. Always a great segment. a second
S1: one coming your way. As we sit down and talk
S1: about what happened in the nation of Bulgaria during World
S1: War two. An amazing rescue story. Next. Some heroes are
S1: in the spotlight. Others are hidden. You're about to meet
S1: some lesser known folks whose bravery saved countless Jewish lives
S1: during the Holocaust of World War Two. This is the
S1: land and the book. I'm John Yeager, and before we
S1: launch into today's story, let's think about ways that you
S1: and I can show the love of Christ to Jewish
S1: friends right in our own neighborhood. Antisemitism is a growing problem,
S1: but is it a fit subject for you and your
S1: Jewish friend for conversation? Roy Schwarz of Chosen People Ministries,
S1: what say you?
S3: Well, I would say it's an opportunity to say, what
S3: do you think is the cause of anti-Semitism? And you
S3: could say from my perspective, the cause of anti-Semitism is
S3: the world, the flesh and the devil. All three things
S3: despise God and are at work against God. God has
S3: chosen the Jewish people for a purpose and for a reason,
S3: and they ultimately will be the ones that will lead
S3: the world to righteousness and to the Messiah, and to
S3: be a nation where God will bring all the nations
S3: of the world to celebrate his appointed times. And so
S3: anti-Semitism is a movement by the devil organizing the world system,
S3: as well as the fleshly nature of man to oppose
S3: God's will for the world. His will will be done.
S3: But the enemy is using the world, the flesh and
S3: the devil. And I might add that sometimes we as Christians,
S3: because we are fleshly, We become unwitting tools of the enemy.
S1: Words of caution and some good advice from Roy Schwartz
S1: with Chosen People Ministries. Thanks. World War two and the Holocaust.
S1: Everyone knows what happened to Jews living in Germany, Poland,
S1: Hungary or Romania. But the untold story of Jews in
S1: Bulgaria is our focus today, and helping us tell that
S1: story is Avi Mizrahi. Avi was born and raised in
S1: Tel Aviv. He served in the Israeli Air Force and
S1: also served as a reservist with the Israel Defense Forces.
S1: Avi is also the founding pastor of Adonai Roy Congregation
S1: and the visionary behind Dugit Outreach Ministries. His passion is
S1: to share the gospel with Israelis and to help believers
S1: grow in their faith. Avi has co-written legacy of Hope,
S1: A welcome to the land and the book. Avi.
S4: Thank you. Thank you.
S1: So take us to Bulgaria at the outbreak of World
S1: War Two. According to your book, there were about 50,000
S1: Jewish people living there then, and I'm assuming that they're
S1: involved in all levels of society. And to that point,
S1: living for the most part, harmoniously with their non-Jewish neighbors.
S1: Is that accurate, or how would you correct that?
S4: Yeah, there was a good relationship between the Jews in
S4: Bulgaria and the Christians in Bulgaria.
S1: And in your book, you reference a law that was
S1: ultimately presented by the Bulgarian government. Ironically, it was called
S1: the law for the protection of the nation. Yet somebody
S1: pointed out in a newspaper editorial, it was actually a
S1: means of oppression and persecution of the Jewish minority in
S1: the land. And for this, Stefan mentioned in your book,
S1: was publicly slandered and received all kinds of threats. Explain
S1: just a bit more here.
S4: Yeah, well, when the Nazis took over Europe and they
S4: came to Bulgaria, they enforced their laws where they took
S4: all the rights from the Jews and Jews had to
S4: wear the yellow star. For example, my grandfather. He had
S4: a business in downtown Sofia, and the Nazis kicked him
S4: out and took over his business. And basically, the Jews
S4: were ostracized. They were like they had no rights. They
S4: could not have a business. They couldn't be lawyers, they
S4: couldn't be teachers. And they were treated very bad by
S4: the Nazis. That's what they did. Wherever they went all
S4: over Europe. And that's what they did also in Bulgaria.
S1: In reading the book, I noticed that the persecution of
S1: Jewish people was a gradual thing, a process that took
S1: root over time. Do you see a parallel in the
S1: United States and in other places with regard to the
S1: rise of anti-Semitism?
S4: Very good question. After the war broke a year and
S4: a half ago in Israel with Gaza, and we have
S4: seen all over the world the rise of anti-Semitism and
S4: anti-Semitic slogans and riots against Jews. It really reminded us
S4: what happened in the early 30s, before the Second World War,
S4: as the Nazis came to power, the same evil spirit
S4: coming against the Jews and anti-Semitism. Now it's called anti-Israel. And, uh,
S4: we see definitely a parallel between those years and now.
S1: Legacy of Hope offers readers a gripping and inspiring testament
S1: to resilience, faith, and divine protection. We're talking with the
S1: book's co-author, Avi Mizrachi, here on the land and the book. Well,
S1: your story points out that Bulgarian politicians eventually committed to
S1: what the Nazis called the Final Solution at the end
S1: of 1941. Describe what that actually meant.
S4: Well, the Nazis, the leaders met in Wannsee. It's a
S4: well-known place in Germany. And that's where they made the
S4: decision that, uh, we need to kill this Jewish race
S4: as quickly as possible and eliminate them from all over
S4: Europe and all over the world. And that's where they
S4: start looking. Every country. How many Jews live and collected
S4: those numbers and names with a purpose to send them
S4: all to Auschwitz, to be gassed and murdered and slaughtered.
S1: You know, looking back, people would rightly ask, why would
S1: Bulgarian leaders agree to such an evil plan?
S4: That's a good question. Well, it was evil. There was
S4: darkness over Europe during the Second World War with the Nazis.
S4: But what's good is that the church and the leaders
S4: of the church of the Orthodox Church in Bulgaria, they
S4: rose up, especially the Metropolitan, who is the bishop of Sofia,
S4: Metropolitan Stefan. He rose up because he was a vulnerable believer,
S4: follower of Christ. And he believed the Bible. And he said, no,
S4: we need to stand with our Jewish brothers and we
S4: need to do everything we can to save them from
S4: being slaughtered. We're talking about 50,000 Jews who lived in
S4: Bulgaria at that time.
S1: Yeah. This is the land and the book. I'm John Yeager,
S1: joined today by Avi Miss Rocky. Okay, you mentioned Metropolitan Stefan.
S1: So help me understand the meaning of the word Metropolitan.
S1: We think of the word city when we hear that
S1: word metropolitan. What is his status, his role in the
S1: church at the time?
S4: At that time, he was the head of the church.
S4: He was the bishop of the whole church, all the
S4: churches in Bulgaria. And he had a great influence on
S4: all the churches and other places. And he called the
S4: all the leaders. When the Nazis came to Bulgaria, he
S4: called all the leaders into Sofia and told them, God
S4: is calling us in such a time as this. According
S4: to Romans 910 and 11, who knows that God wants
S4: to use us to welcome the window, to open the
S4: churches and welcome the Jews, and we need to provoke
S4: them to jealousy. And he had a heart for God,
S4: and he had a heart for the people of Israel.
S4: And he said, we need to issue them. Even a
S4: certificate of baptism will do that, so that the Nazis
S4: will not take them and kill them. He was a
S4: very strong believer and a protector of the Jewish people.
S1: He was not alone in this fight. Introduce us to
S1: a rabbi named Daniel Zion.
S4: Yes. They became a good friend even before the Second
S4: World War. In the 30s, he became a good friend
S4: of Rabbi Daniel Zion. And it was because he loved
S4: the Jewish people. So he became a friend. They will
S4: meet together, and of course, they will argue theology and
S4: all those things.
S1: Right.
S4: And in fact, he gave him once a whole Bible
S4: in Bulgarian. And Rabbi Daniel saw that he saw the
S4: New Testament. He taught the New Testament and threw it
S4: on the floor and said, Now I'll read your scriptures,
S4: which is only the Old Testament. But because of the friendship,
S4: Metropolitan Stefan said, Rabbi, don't do this to my scriptures.
S4: So out of respect and because of relationship, he picked
S4: up the New Testament and put it on a bookshelf
S4: and they continued their relationship. But one morning Rabbi Danielson
S4: was praying and he saw a vision of a white
S4: person and a light, and it really scared him. He
S4: didn't know what to do, so he went to Stefan
S4: and asked him, what do you think now? Stefan already
S4: knew because he'd been praying for him. Yes, he said, well,
S4: next time it shows up, why don't you say Hineni,
S4: here I am. Who are you? And Robert said, well,
S4: that's a good thing. Yeah. The next morning, again he
S4: prayed a vision and he saw a person, a light
S4: from a person coming. Bright light. So he asked Hineni,
S4: who are you? And? And the person said, I'm Yeshua,
S4: your Messiah.
S1: Hmm. And what was rabbi's response to that?
S4: The fear of God fell upon him and he realized
S4: that Yeshua Jesus is the Messiah. So he went to
S4: his bookshelf to pick up that New Testament that months ago,
S4: he threw it on the floor. He picked it up
S4: the New Testament and opened to Matthew chapter one and
S4: start reading it. And he said, oh, this is the
S4: Son of death, the genealogy of Jesus. This is Jewish.
S4: This is a Jewish book written by Jews. And he
S4: was amazed. So he read the New Testament and realized
S4: that indeed, Yeshua Jesus is the promised Messiah and he
S4: became a believer.
S1: Wow, what a story of conversion right in the middle
S1: of the tensions of World War Two. And that's an
S1: inspiring story. And yet this whole drama is still playing out.
S1: So what became of the Rabbi? What became of Metropolitan Stefan,
S1: and how did these two ultimately work toward the the
S1: rescue of these 50,000 Jews in Bulgaria? What happened next?
S4: This was totally the plan of God and the grace
S4: of God because they became friends, close friends, and they
S4: became believers even before 1939 when the Second World War started,
S4: when when Hitler invaded Poland. So they became friends. And
S4: when this happened, they made an agreement that Rabbi Danielson,
S4: who was the chief rabbi of Bulgaria, and Metropolitan Stefan,
S4: who was the bishop of the whole church, and they
S4: made an agreement like an agreement, like a covenant, saying,
S4: we're going to stand together. We're going to fight the
S4: evil one. We're going to pray, and we'll do everything
S4: we can to stop. And we have definitely the church
S4: rising up to stand with the Jewish people and not
S4: hand over their 50,000 Jews. That King Boris at that
S4: time promised to give it to Hitler. And that's how
S4: they work together.
S1: It's a rescue drama of lesser known heroes showing uncommon
S1: bravery today on the land. And the book where we're
S1: enjoying a conversation with Avi Mizrachi. Well, it's one thing
S1: to have this passion, this common bond in Christ, but
S1: quite another to pull off what they did. So what
S1: was the actual doing that spared these 50,000 Jews? What
S1: did they do?
S4: For example, they saw Metropolitan Stefan. He called all the
S4: leaders of all the churches in Bulgaria and Bulgaria to
S4: Sofia and told them, we must stand with the Jews.
S4: And according to the scriptures. And he will quote Romans
S4: 910 and 11. Okay. That does not cast away his
S4: people They for such a time as this. They were
S4: by their rejection salvation come to the nations. But now
S4: it's time for us to provoke them to jealousy and
S4: love them into the Kingdom of God. We need to
S4: stand with our brothers because they are cold. They are
S4: the chosen people and we need to stand with them.
S4: He understood that and really mobilized the church to stand
S4: with the Jews, the same way Robert called for prayer
S4: in the synagogue. And the people will pray there and
S4: then they had they even had a special day of demonstration.
S4: And the Nazis arrested Rabbi Daniel Zion and put him
S4: in a work camp and really beat him up and
S4: things like that. But the church opened their churches and
S4: they said, If Jews run to us, we're going to
S4: go and accept them and open our doors. And if
S4: the Nazis will try to take them, we'll issue even
S4: a certificate of baptism saying, no, they are part of
S4: the church and we will not let them take the Jews.
S4: They were very eminent. They they wrote letters to the
S4: parliament they met with high places in the government. They
S4: even met with King Boris. The King of Bulgaria at
S4: that time, they handed him a letter. They went to
S4: him without an appointment. You know, he could have really
S4: put him in jail, but somehow he accepted them. So
S4: Rabbi Daniel Zion and Metropolitan Stefan went to see the king,
S4: and they told him, King Boris, you know, if you
S4: cooperate with the Nazis, God will require their blood from
S4: your hands. Don't cooperate with them. And they really brought
S4: the fear of God upon King Boris. And from that
S4: point on, he changed his mind and decided not to
S4: cooperate with the Nazis.
S1: And thus 50,000 lives were saved. Amazing. So in the end,
S1: if I'm hearing you right, it was a combination of
S1: of a letter writing campaign. It was meetings with highly
S1: placed government officials. It was the issuance of certificates of
S1: baptism which made these people off limits to the Nazis.
S1: It was a combination of things that resulted in their deliverance,
S1: all of it to the glory of God and a
S1: tribute to the the great courage of these two men,
S1: Metropolitan Stefan and Rabbi Daniel Zion. What a fabulous story.
S4: Yes. And I'll just say this. In 1943, Hitler sent
S4: the trains three times. Three times he sent the trains
S4: to Bulgaria to collect the Jews. To make a long
S4: story short, three times those trains went back to Berlin
S4: and to Auschwitz. Empty because the church to the Jews
S4: and said, no, we're not going to let you have
S4: the Jews. And 50,000 Jews were rescued from being killed.
S1: But to me, that says the church today has a
S1: capacity to make a stand, the ability to make a
S1: loud noise and to stand up against anti-Semitism and evil
S1: of all kinds. Right?
S4: That's right. I believe in the one you meant the
S4: Jew and non-Jew. When we followers of true followers and
S4: disciples of Jesus, of Yeshua and we stand together in
S4: prayer and we win by, we overcome the evil by
S4: the word of our testimonies, by the blood of the lamb,
S4: and willing to lay down our lives for the gospel.
S1: Well, there's a lot more to this story, including some
S1: great photos as well that you can track in the
S1: book legacy of Hope Hidden Heroes from Generation to Generation.
S1: The story you probably haven't heard but probably need to hear.
S1: We'll post a link to that book at our website.
S1: The land and the book. Avi, thank you so much
S1: for digging into this story, for making it come alive.
S1: We appreciate you visiting with us.
S5: Thank you very much, sir. God bless you.
S1: And you as well. It's a visit with Gerald Peterman
S1: next to answer your Bible questions here on the land
S1: and the book. Hope your day is going well. This
S1: is the land and the book. I'm John Gager. It's
S1: about to get better for you because I think you'll
S1: be intrigued as you hear the questions that have come
S1: in from listeners all across the country who opened their
S1: Bibles just like you do, and wonder some of the
S1: same things that you do, or maybe something slightly different.
S1: Those questions being addressed, of course, by the one and
S1: only Doctor Gerald Peterman of the Moody Bible Institute faculty
S1: who's enjoying his summer, aren't you, sir?
S6: I certainly am. Yeah.
S1: Something to celebrate. Well. Romans 116 says the gospel is
S1: to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. But
S1: how do you share the gospel with a Jewish person?
S1: Because of cultural, historical and religious differences. It sometimes kind
S1: of challenging to navigate a gospel conversation with someone from
S1: a Jewish background. You ever wonder how the quote professionals
S1: do this?
S6: To answer this question, our friends at Life and Messiah
S6: want to mail you samples of the tracks their staff
S6: use as they share the gospel. This will serve a
S6: dual purpose of equipping you with methods of presenting the gospel,
S6: and also supplying you with tracks you can share with
S6: your Jewish friends and neighbors. Life in Messiah's Prayer is
S6: that these tracks will help further the spread of the
S6: gospel among the Jewish people. To receive this helpful assortment
S6: of tracks, all you need to do is visit Life
S6: in Messiah and click on the Moody Radio button for
S6: more information. That's life and Messiah. Don't miss out on
S6: this great opportunity.
S1: Gayle kicks off our Q&A segment today with a question
S1: about the chosen TV series. She says the number of
S1: Christians endorsing that show is disheartening. The Mormon aspect alone
S1: should be a red flag. Why are you endorsing it?
S1: And of course, there are people who are saying, wow,
S1: what Mormon? What? Red flag. Help us out here.
S6: Well, I appreciate Gayle's question, and I understand that The
S6: Chosen has some mixed reviews. Now, I personally don't endorse
S6: the show. If by endorse we mean I think the
S6: show always and only communicates biblical events and words. It
S6: doesn't do that. Many times the dialogue in the show
S6: is drawn straight from Scripture and I think that's good.
S6: Other times, the dialogue and even the characters are made
S6: up by the writers of the show. I understand how
S6: that works because something very similar happens with modern Christian songs.
S6: They don't just quote scripture or modern Christian books. They
S6: don't always just simply quote scripture. So I think since
S6: there are many times when the dialogue of the chosen
S6: is straight from the Word of God, I think God
S6: can use it if he chooses to, and he might
S6: even choose to use the portions that are made up
S6: or might not. I'm willing to leave that whole thing
S6: to him who endorses it or who doesn't. I don't
S6: think is the primary issue. Is it faithful to Scripture?
S6: I think is the primary issue?
S1: Yeah. Thanks for that thoughtful answer. Rona asks. With 300
S1: to 400 years between Rahab and Ruth, is there any
S1: way to know the missing information about how Rahab could
S1: be the mother of Boaz? Was she actually a great
S1: grandmother of Boaz?
S6: I think Rona is moving in a really good direction.
S6: I'm glad she's asking this. Apparently she's been reading Matthew
S6: chapter one, so good job. Keep in mind that genealogies
S6: in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, genealogies
S6: are selective. The writer chooses generations to talk about, and
S6: he chooses them with a purpose. If you read Matthew one,
S6: you read Luke three. They both have genealogies of Jesus,
S6: but they're very different. So I think the short answer
S6: is yes, Rahab is an ancestor. Boaz probably a great
S6: grandmother or a grandmother, but it's hard to know the
S6: rest of the details.
S1: You're listening to the Land and the book. It's our
S1: question and answer segment, and you should know right away
S1: that your question is welcome any old time. If you
S1: just send us an email, we'll get back to you
S1: with a personalized answer and then put your question in
S1: our queue for a future broadcast. Our email address to
S1: connect is the land and the book at the land,
S1: and the book at Moody's. In Genesis 614, the NASB
S1: version of the Bible says, make for yourself an ark
S1: of gopher wood. Okay. This is God's instructions to Noah.
S1: He goes on, you should make the ark with compartments
S1: and cover it inside and out with pitch. Carol says
S1: it appears that the ark should look black if it
S1: was painted inside and out with pitch. You know, we
S1: say pitch black. Can you tell me if the ark
S1: was painted inside and out with a black pitch? Or
S1: was the pitch some other color?
S6: I really love the question, but I'm afraid I cannot
S6: answer it. Almost certainly. The pitch is dark, very dark,
S6: maybe black, maybe a very dark brown, and it must
S6: cover the whole boat. Thus, as far as I can
S6: take it. In other words, if you look at a
S6: children's storybook about the Ark, almost certainly we see it
S6: as it's planks and we see the seams.
S1: The beautiful wood grain.
S6: Beautiful wood grain, almost certainly all that was covered. Thanks
S6: be to God to make it waterproof so it would
S6: keep Noah and his family safe.
S1: But the actual color? Not so sure.
S6: Hard to know. Yes.
S1: Andrew takes us to Isaiah 817, where it says, I
S1: will wait for the Lord who is hiding his face
S1: from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.
S1: And Andrew wants to know how can God hide?
S6: I'm so glad Andrew brings this question, because I've often
S6: thought about this and reread Isaiah and reread Isaiah. God
S6: hiding himself is a relational term. That is, when we
S6: are idolatrous, when God's people turn away from him, when
S6: they're deep in sin, he turns away, metaphorically speaking, relationally speaking.
S6: That's a kind of way of distancing. So now we
S6: should repent. Now we should seek him. Actually, God mentions
S6: several times in Isaiah this kind of hiding. Isaiah 4515
S6: is another one. The prophet says, truly you are a
S6: God who hides himself. In Isaiah 59 two, the prophet
S6: says about Israel, your sins have hidden his face from you.
S6: You know what's very interesting about this is in John's Gospel,
S6: it's the only gospel where Jesus is said to hide himself.
S6: You remember in John chapter eight when our Lord says,
S6: Before Abraham was, I am. And you know, the hostile
S6: crowd picks up stones to stone him, and he hides himself.
S6: That is, he turns away from the relationship because of sin.
S6: God sometimes does this.
S1: It seems to me that those Isaiah references, though, are
S1: not so much about a physical game of hide and
S1: seek as it is a a withdrawing of of one's
S1: connectedness and blessing. Yes, rapport. Would that be fair?
S6: Exactly right. Thanks for that way of describing it, John. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.
S1: Okay, let's go on to Glenn's question. Many times on
S1: the program, I've heard you mention to the Jew first
S1: and also to the Greek from Romans 116. So what
S1: is the first all about here?
S6: So I really appreciate Glenn's question. I take it that
S6: in part, Paul's theology of Jew first does get worked out.
S6: Just read the book of acts. When he goes into
S6: a new city, he goes to synagogue first. This is
S6: one way it works out. But I think there's another
S6: way it happens. And I really like how Michael Vanlandingham
S6: has talked about this in the Moody Bible Commentary. He
S6: says first is not just historical, but it's also theological,
S6: because the gospel of a Jewish Messiah, the gospel of
S6: an incarnate Jewish man who'd been becomes king of Israel
S6: that is deeply rooted in the Old Testament. And so
S6: it fits Jewish people first before it fits Gentiles like me.
S6: So for the Jew first is the gospel is just
S6: well suited to Jewish people.
S1: Pete asks. After Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead,
S1: he made two statements to two of his followers. First,
S1: in John 20 verse 17, Jesus says to Mary, do
S1: not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended
S1: to my father, but go to my brethren, and say
S1: to them, I am ascending to my father and your father,
S1: and to my God and your God. But then eight
S1: days later in John 20, verse 27, he said to Thomas,
S1: reach your finger here and look at my hands and
S1: reach your hand there and put it into my side.
S1: Do not be unbelieving, but believing. And the third thing is,
S1: did Jesus ascend between these two meetings?
S6: I'm really happy that Pete is really thinking and asking
S6: really good questions. So we've got three things that we
S6: need to respond to. First, what's going on with Jesus
S6: and Mary outside the tomb? I don't think our Lord
S6: is being harsh. I think he's saying something like, let's
S6: stop the hug for now because you have a task.
S6: You're the only one who's seen me alive. Now you
S6: should go tell the others. So let's stop that affection
S6: for this moment so you can get on that task.
S6: But then later, Jesus welcomes Thomas, touching him. Why is that? Well,
S6: because Jesus is omniscient and he knows what Thomas said
S6: he needed. Whether we think Thomas should have said that
S6: or not is irrelevant, right? Jesus sometimes gives us things
S6: that we think we need. And so this is how
S6: our Lord invites him to touch me. Don't be unbelieving,
S6: but be believing now. Peter has the third question does
S6: the ascension happen in that eight days between the encounter
S6: with Mary and the encounter with Thomas? I think the
S6: answer is no. I think the answer is no, because
S6: our Lord several times talks about things as present tense
S6: when they are pending, when they're the next thing on
S6: his agenda. So this is the way he's speaking in
S6: John's gospel. The next thing he's going to be doing
S6: is ascending. But that ascension, as we know from other
S6: places in Scripture, happens some many days after the resurrection,
S6: not between these two appearances.
S1: I want to go back to Thomas and his demand,
S1: you know, to to see and touch Jesus. And and,
S1: you know, I think he's gotten a bum rap. We
S1: call him Doubting Thomas, but we so easily dismiss the
S1: fact that he was the only one who wasn't there
S1: when the disciples were. They had the advantage of seeing
S1: him and they already had their touch moment perhaps themselves.
S1: So unfair, I think, to beat up on Thomas. What
S1: do you.
S6: Think? I think it's unfair to beat up on Thomas.
S6: But on the other hand, our Lord does say it's
S6: better to believe even if you don't see.
S1: Yes.
S6: So I want to be somewhere in between, you know. Yeah.
S6: I think Thomas often gets a bad rap. He indeed does.
S1: And that's a look at some of the questions that
S1: have come in. We're looking for yours. Email us at
S1: the land and the book at Moody's. Well, don't go away.
S1: We've got a great devotional from our host, Charlie Dyer.
S1: It's next. Welcome back to the land and the book.
S1: Does anybody remember the very colorful character on TV, Mr. T?
S1: I do remember his favorite saying, I pity the fool. Well,
S1: what's more foolish than a fool? Actually, there is an answer. And, Charlie,
S1: that's the basis of today's devotional.
S2: It is John.
S1: All right. I can't imagine where we're going, but I'll
S1: look forward to that after we hear this Holy Land experience.
S1: Check out this testimonial.
S7: I've been to the Holy Land twice and some of
S7: the surrounding area. And for me, as I think a
S7: lot of people who have been there, it's like taking
S7: the Bible from black and white and making it color.
S7: It really comes to life. Um, sitting in the Garden
S7: of Gethsemane, uh, one evening, as we were praying and
S7: talking about to partake of the Lord's Supper, it really
S7: became apparent to me, as my Lord that night was saying, uh, father,
S7: not my will, but thine be done if you can
S7: take this cup from me. And there I was, sitting
S7: in the same area, saying, Dear father, don't take this
S7: cup from me, but let me have this cup. And
S7: just how the the land becomes such an alive thing and,
S7: and fills in a lot of the gaps in Scripture.
S7: It's a very, very powerful a very meaningful experience to
S7: be able to go and to walk where Jesus walked.
S8: I have never been to Israel, but I was in Egypt,
S8: in Jordan, and I sort of got to trace the
S8: same path that Moses traced. I went through the Sinai desert,
S8: over the Red sea, up Jordan, and ended up in
S8: the Jordan River and on Mount Nebo. Um, and we
S8: weren't allowed to go into Israel because there was a
S8: State Department warning on Israel at the time. But I
S8: got to basically see the same perspective that Moses had,
S8: and to look out over the land from Mount Nebo
S8: and see the beauty of it from afar. And it
S8: was just a remarkable experience to yearn for the land
S8: and and to be so close to it, but not
S8: to be able to go in as Moses did and
S8: just to be in that part of the country.
S1: All right. Nobody wants to be a fool, but you
S1: can be even more foolish than a fool, I guess. Charlie,
S1: what do you got for us today?
S2: Well. Thanks, John. In fact, this is even older than Mr. T.
S2: Years ago, Bing Crosby sang a song called Would You
S2: Like to Swing on a star? Well, the song focused
S2: on the importance of education, and I still remember some
S2: of the lyrics. A mule is an animal with long,
S2: funny ears. He kicks up at anything he hears. His
S2: back is brawny, but his brain is weak. He's just
S2: plain stupid with a stubborn streak. And by the way,
S2: if you hate to go to school, you may grow
S2: up to be a mule. A great song, but is
S2: it true? Does school keep someone from growing up to
S2: be stubborn and stupid? Well. Not necessarily. Look at what's
S2: happening in some of our universities today. Many seem to
S2: be focused more on indoctrination than actual education. And even
S2: in those that don't, there's a vast difference between knowledge
S2: and wisdom. Education can help a person become more knowledgeable,
S2: but it won't necessarily make the person any wiser. The
S2: Bible distinguishes between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge refers to the facts,
S2: you know. Wisdom to the skills necessary to live life successfully.
S2: To be wise is to understand that God is in
S2: charge of the world, and that we need to align
S2: our lives to God's standards. In the Bible, a fool
S2: isn't someone without knowledge. It's someone who refuses to submit
S2: to God, who believes he or she is somehow smarter
S2: than God. The Book of Proverbs is God's textbook on wisdom.
S2: It explains how life works and how we need to
S2: respond to our destination. Today is Proverbs 26. The first
S2: 11 verses are a series of comparative statements about the fool.
S2: Solomon begins by explaining the danger of honoring a fool
S2: like snow and summer, and like rain and harvest. So
S2: honor is not fitting for a fool. Israel can get
S2: snow during the wet winter months, but snow in the
S2: summer is just out of place. The land is too
S2: hot and too dry. snow and summer is inappropriate, and
S2: rain during harvest was even worse. The winter rains have
S2: ended by harvest season. Farmers didn't want rain during the
S2: harvest because it would damage their crops. Rain at harvest
S2: wasn't just inappropriate, it was dangerous. And so is honoring
S2: those who oppose God. In verse eight, Solomon also spoke
S2: about honoring a fool. There he said, such honor was
S2: not only inappropriate and dangerous, it was also ineffective. Like
S2: one who binds a stone in a sling. So is
S2: he who gives honor to a fool. Imagine what would
S2: have happened to David if he had tied the stone
S2: to the inside of his sling before he faced Goliath?
S2: As Goliath charged, he would have twirled the sling, taken aim,
S2: let go of the one end, and then watched as
S2: the stone stayed inside the sling. The story would have
S2: had a different ending. Honoring a fool doesn't help him
S2: and it just might end up hurting you. Solomon has
S2: several other colorful descriptions of the fool. He says we
S2: don't need to get upset by a foolish person's threats,
S2: which he compares to a bird swooping this way and
S2: that while never actually landing. A fool shoots off his
S2: mouth so often that his words are no longer taken seriously.
S2: Fools never seem to get it until they experience the
S2: consequences of their actions. Just as someone might use a
S2: whip or bridle to get a horse or donkey to
S2: move in the right direction, so it seems as if
S2: personal consequences, like a rod on the back, was the
S2: only way to get a fool to pay attention. Two
S2: of my favorite proverbs appear next. They show why we
S2: need to view wisdom literature like Proverbs as principles showing
S2: how life generally works rather than as ironclad promises. Verses
S2: four and five actually seem to be saying just the
S2: opposite of each other. Do not answer a fool according
S2: to his folly, lest you also be like him. Answer
S2: a fool as his folly deserves, lest he be wise
S2: in his own eyes. Well, sometimes the best response to
S2: a fool is to ignore him rather than lashing back.
S2: But other times an answer is needed, lest the fool
S2: think his argument has validity. Which response is most appropriate? Well,
S2: it depends on the circumstances. And that's why both proverbs
S2: are necessary. Well, thus far Solomon has painted a very
S2: bleak picture of the fool. Honoring a fool is inappropriate, dangerous,
S2: and ineffective. A fool needs to be ignored or challenged
S2: based on the specific circumstances. A fool doesn't add value
S2: to a conversation and can actually complicate things if his
S2: advice is followed. Fools are undependable and seemingly incapable of
S2: learning from past mistakes. Wow. At this point, we feel
S2: like a fool is the bottom of the barrel the
S2: ultimate example of stupidity? The person Bing Crosby was singing about.
S2: And yet, in many ways, that's an accurate assessment. But
S2: that's why I find verse 12 so amazing. Having shown
S2: how destructive a fool really is, Solomon then describes someone
S2: who's even more foolish than a fool. Do you see
S2: a man wise in his own eyes? There's more hope
S2: for a fool than for someone who thinks he's smarter
S2: than he really is. But what does Proverbs 26 have
S2: to do with us today? Well, I'm glad you asked.
S2: We live in a time when many believe the words
S2: of the Bible are passé, antiquated, out of date. They
S2: say that those who believe the Bible are troglodytes, members
S2: of the Flat Earth Society. Impediments to true progress. Don't
S2: believe it. Even if everyone else seems to be heading
S2: in the same direction, if that direction runs contrary to
S2: what God has said in His word, then don't join
S2: the parade. Jesus said it best. Enter by the narrow gate,
S2: for the gate is wide, and the way is broad
S2: that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter
S2: by it. But the gate is small, and the way
S2: is narrow that leads to life, and few are those
S2: who find it. Stick with the standards laid out by
S2: God and His Word. The pathway might appear to be
S2: narrow and the number of travelers relatively few, but the
S2: destination to which it leads makes the journey worthwhile. And
S2: those who walk on that pathway are wise.
S1: Thank you Charlie. Great insights there from Proverbs. And you know,
S1: a lot of times we ignore what is so obvious
S1: in the Proverbs. It seems to me. It's amazing how
S1: we think we have better wisdom sometimes when God Himself
S1: has clearly spoken. We we have a better way. We think. Right, Charlie?
S2: That's exactly right, John. And yet, in the end, God
S2: is always proven correct.
S1: Yeah. Well, Charlie, talk about the importance of connecting with
S1: this station on a personal level with perhaps an encouraging card,
S1: email or letter even.
S2: Oh, absolutely. John. Yeah. The station that you're listening to
S2: right now puts us on by faith. They hope that
S2: we're making an impact on people's lives, but they don't know.
S2: And one of the ways they can get to know
S2: is if you take time right now to give them
S2: a call, write an email or send a letter to
S2: them just to let them know how much you appreciate
S2: the land in the book and the impact it has
S2: on your life. That will help them know that the
S2: program is effective and it will be an encouragement to
S2: them at the same time.
S1: Yeah, you know, the older I get, the more I
S1: tend to value a handwritten note. There's something about it.
S1: And as you look back in history, even in modern times,
S1: the great communicators seem to connect best, make the biggest
S1: impact with a handwritten note, and I think you'll have
S1: more influence than you know if you'll take the time
S1: to do that. So thanks for letting others know about
S1: your appreciation for the land of the book, specifically letting
S1: the people at this station know. Well, thanks for your
S1: time today. Always great to connect with you on behalf
S1: of our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, our producer, Dan Anderson,
S1: I'm John Geiger, inviting you back next week for another
S1: edition of The Land and the book The Land. And
S1: the book is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry
S1: of Moody Bible Institute.