1 00:00:07,190 --> 00:00:07,310 S1: I'm. 2 00:00:08,150 --> 00:00:11,300 S2: Sure you've heard. You're supposed to memorize the Bible. What 3 00:00:11,300 --> 00:00:14,000 S2: about the people in the pages of Scripture? Did they 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,900 S2: memorize whatever portions of the Bible they had back then? Ha! 5 00:00:17,930 --> 00:00:21,349 S2: Just ahead, a fascinating look at people in Scripture who 6 00:00:21,380 --> 00:00:24,980 S2: memorize scripture. We've got some compelling examples for you and 7 00:00:24,980 --> 00:00:28,730 S2: some bonus tips for your own Bible memory as well. Plus, 8 00:00:28,730 --> 00:00:31,340 S2: all the news from the Middle East here on the 9 00:00:31,340 --> 00:00:34,490 S2: land and the book. Thanks for connecting with us today. 10 00:00:34,490 --> 00:00:36,979 S2: I'm John Gager and our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer is 11 00:00:36,979 --> 00:00:39,830 S2: out on assignment, but he's still in touch with us 12 00:00:39,830 --> 00:00:42,260 S2: and shared his thoughts about the news stories that have 13 00:00:42,260 --> 00:00:44,960 S2: come out of the Middle East this week. But first, 14 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,690 S2: Passover will soon be upon us. And one of the 15 00:00:47,690 --> 00:00:51,260 S2: traditional Passover questions is what makes this night different from 16 00:00:51,260 --> 00:00:55,460 S2: all others? Passover is an important biblical holiday with huge 17 00:00:55,460 --> 00:00:59,060 S2: meaning for Jewish people and believers in Jesus. And if 18 00:00:59,060 --> 00:01:01,970 S2: you want to learn more about what makes Passover so special, 19 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,550 S2: our friends at Life and Messiah are offering to mail 20 00:01:04,550 --> 00:01:08,179 S2: you a free copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. This 21 00:01:08,180 --> 00:01:10,940 S2: is a booklet that will lead you through the celebration 22 00:01:10,940 --> 00:01:14,869 S2: of Passover to see the rich connections to Jesus, our Messiah, 23 00:01:14,870 --> 00:01:18,170 S2: and the Last Supper. You'll also receive a link for 24 00:01:18,170 --> 00:01:21,620 S2: an interactive Passover Seder video, and with the Haggadah and 25 00:01:21,620 --> 00:01:24,680 S2: the video together, you can really celebrate Passover this year 26 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,740 S2: with your family and friends. And to get this free offer, 27 00:01:27,740 --> 00:01:31,490 S2: just go to life in Messiah. Org and click on 28 00:01:31,490 --> 00:01:33,920 S2: the Moody Radio button there to find out more and 29 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:39,860 S2: request your copy. Again, that's life in messiah.org. All right, 30 00:01:39,860 --> 00:01:42,500 S2: let's swing our focus toward current events from the Middle East. 31 00:01:42,500 --> 00:01:47,210 S2: The threatened attack against Iran by Israel and possibly the U.S. 32 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:51,440 S2: is already impacting Iran. What preparations are they taking and 33 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:55,880 S2: how serious is the threat of such an attack actually happening? Well, 34 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,820 S2: in spite of their bluster and bravado, Charlie suggests that 35 00:01:58,850 --> 00:02:02,450 S2: Iran appears to be very concerned about a threatened attack. 36 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,540 S2: As we mentioned before, they were apparently secretly rushing to 37 00:02:05,570 --> 00:02:09,649 S2: develop the technology to produce several basic or crude nuclear 38 00:02:09,650 --> 00:02:13,010 S2: weapons just as quickly as possible. Now, the bombs don't 39 00:02:13,010 --> 00:02:16,130 S2: need to be ultra powerful or sophisticated. They simply need 40 00:02:16,130 --> 00:02:19,130 S2: to be small enough to mount on a missile and 41 00:02:19,130 --> 00:02:22,489 S2: deliver to a target. In threatening a small country like Israel, 42 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,550 S2: having a nuclear weapon that could be launched against Tel Aviv, 43 00:02:25,580 --> 00:02:30,230 S2: for example, could deter Israel from responding to future Iranian threats. 44 00:02:30,260 --> 00:02:34,400 S2: The ayatollah also suggested there should be no negotiations with 45 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,429 S2: the U.S. because of the apparent threats, but he apparently 46 00:02:37,430 --> 00:02:39,890 S2: left the door open to talks with the understanding that 47 00:02:39,889 --> 00:02:43,730 S2: they do not include any threats of attack. Iran also 48 00:02:43,730 --> 00:02:48,020 S2: launched its first drone carrier. The former container vessel has 49 00:02:48,020 --> 00:02:50,930 S2: been equipped with a runway for launching drones, and it 50 00:02:50,930 --> 00:02:55,010 S2: can also operate helicopters. This gives Iran more flexibility in 51 00:02:55,010 --> 00:02:59,060 S2: launch locations, however, it's also unclear how vulnerable the ship 52 00:02:59,060 --> 00:03:02,270 S2: will be. Should it stray too far from home waters. 53 00:03:02,270 --> 00:03:04,970 S2: But to the main question being asked here, how serious 54 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,869 S2: is the actual threat of an attack? President Trump posted 55 00:03:08,870 --> 00:03:12,320 S2: an online message saying reports that the United States, working 56 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,230 S2: in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into 57 00:03:15,230 --> 00:03:20,330 S2: smithereens are greatly exaggerated. However, it is unclear what is 58 00:03:20,330 --> 00:03:22,520 S2: his final word on the subject. Or is this simply 59 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:26,419 S2: a way to try to coax Iran into negotiations? President 60 00:03:26,450 --> 00:03:30,050 S2: Trump has made it clear that Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons. 61 00:03:30,050 --> 00:03:33,020 S2: The breakout time for Iran to actually build a nuclear 62 00:03:33,050 --> 00:03:37,010 S2: bomb once they start is likely measured in weeks, not months. 63 00:03:37,010 --> 00:03:39,860 S2: So the US and Israel are likely both preparing a 64 00:03:39,860 --> 00:03:44,000 S2: response should they receive intelligence suggesting Iran is moving forward. 65 00:03:44,510 --> 00:03:48,440 S2: Story number two. President Trump has proposed a trade corridor 66 00:03:48,470 --> 00:03:52,550 S2: linking India to Europe and the U.S. through Israel. Now, 67 00:03:52,580 --> 00:03:55,490 S2: what would such a trade corridor accomplish and is it 68 00:03:55,490 --> 00:03:58,460 S2: even feasible? Well, Doctor Dyer told me he thinks that 69 00:03:58,460 --> 00:04:02,420 S2: most in the US really didn't grasp the strategic significance 70 00:04:02,420 --> 00:04:05,060 S2: of this proposal. So let me share some of the background. 71 00:04:05,090 --> 00:04:08,390 S2: The US and China are in an economic war, no 72 00:04:08,390 --> 00:04:11,060 S2: doubt about it. China has been using its Belt and 73 00:04:11,060 --> 00:04:14,090 S2: Road Initiative to try to carve out its own worldwide 74 00:04:14,090 --> 00:04:18,170 S2: connections to diminish US influence. At the same time, the 75 00:04:18,170 --> 00:04:20,839 S2: Houthis have created a force in the Red sea that 76 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,560 S2: is disrupting trade and commerce through the Suez Canal. That's 77 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,529 S2: increasing the price of everything from goods to oil coming 78 00:04:27,529 --> 00:04:30,470 S2: from Asia to the west. China has also tried to 79 00:04:30,500 --> 00:04:34,010 S2: gain influence in the Panama Canal, another major choke point 80 00:04:34,010 --> 00:04:38,510 S2: for world commerce. India is a major counterbalance to China, 81 00:04:38,510 --> 00:04:41,179 S2: and at the same time, a peace treaty between the 82 00:04:41,180 --> 00:04:44,390 S2: Gulf states and Israel and a route through them connecting 83 00:04:44,390 --> 00:04:47,840 S2: the Arabian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea could bypass the 84 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:51,890 S2: Houthis and their attempt to block the Red sea as 85 00:04:51,890 --> 00:04:55,130 S2: envisioned by President Trump. This new trade route would run 86 00:04:55,130 --> 00:04:58,340 S2: from India to Israel and onward to Italy in the U.S., 87 00:04:58,339 --> 00:05:03,050 S2: and would include seaports, rail lines, and undersea cables. Now 88 00:05:03,050 --> 00:05:05,839 S2: the question is, is it feasible? The short answer is 89 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:09,530 S2: that it is. Though it will face some obstacles. For example, 90 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,440 S2: China will not stand idly by and allow India to 91 00:05:12,470 --> 00:05:15,830 S2: become the dominant power in Southeast Asia, though they don't 92 00:05:15,830 --> 00:05:19,490 S2: have the military capability to project power and control through 93 00:05:19,490 --> 00:05:23,660 S2: the area. Iran is one other potential block for the project, 94 00:05:23,690 --> 00:05:26,750 S2: like the Houthis in the Red sea. Iran sits at 95 00:05:26,750 --> 00:05:29,210 S2: the narrow band between the Gulf of Oman and the 96 00:05:29,210 --> 00:05:33,739 S2: Persian Gulf. They've blocked oil shipments there before. However, a 97 00:05:33,740 --> 00:05:37,100 S2: road and rail link through the United Arab Emirates, through 98 00:05:37,100 --> 00:05:40,790 S2: Saudi Arabia and Jordan to Israel's port at Ashdod could 99 00:05:40,790 --> 00:05:44,630 S2: help bypass that blocking point. Now, the major stumbling block 100 00:05:44,630 --> 00:05:47,510 S2: to such a deal remains lack of a peace treaty 101 00:05:47,510 --> 00:05:51,770 S2: between Saudi Arabia and Israel. But while Europe and the U.S. 102 00:05:51,770 --> 00:05:54,560 S2: have in the past tried to force a deal on 103 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,370 S2: Israel because of pressure from the oil producing states. President 104 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,980 S2: Trump is presenting a vision for a deal in which 105 00:06:00,980 --> 00:06:04,849 S2: everyone who participates comes out on top, and that's a 106 00:06:04,850 --> 00:06:08,720 S2: great incentive to get everyone to buy into it. If 107 00:06:08,750 --> 00:06:11,180 S2: you joined us midstream, you're listening to The Land and 108 00:06:11,180 --> 00:06:14,240 S2: the book. I'm John Gager, and in this opening segment, 109 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,150 S2: we're looking at current events based in the Middle East. 110 00:06:17,180 --> 00:06:20,330 S2: Our expert and host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, returns next week 111 00:06:20,330 --> 00:06:22,789 S2: from his assignment. But let's continue now with our look 112 00:06:22,820 --> 00:06:26,420 S2: at the top stories. Number three, watching the interaction of 113 00:06:26,420 --> 00:06:29,660 S2: all the countries and groups in the Middle East is 114 00:06:29,660 --> 00:06:33,020 S2: like watching the ever shifting shapes in a kaleidoscope. So 115 00:06:33,020 --> 00:06:34,250 S2: what do you say we take a kind of a 116 00:06:34,250 --> 00:06:38,360 S2: walk around the latest events in places like Syria, Turkey 117 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:42,500 S2: and Saudi Arabia? Here we go. In Syria, the army 118 00:06:42,500 --> 00:06:45,620 S2: that is now aligned with the new administration has openly 119 00:06:45,620 --> 00:06:49,520 S2: fought with Hezbollah. Hezbollah tried to advance into a stronghold 120 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:52,839 S2: they previously held in Syria, but were repulsed by the 121 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:56,050 S2: Syrian Army. The Syrian Army then entered a town on 122 00:06:56,050 --> 00:06:59,230 S2: the Lebanese side of the border, forcing the Hezbollah forces 123 00:06:59,230 --> 00:07:02,740 S2: to retreat further into Lebanon. Now there's no love lost 124 00:07:02,740 --> 00:07:06,370 S2: between the Sunni forces now controlling Syria and the Shiite 125 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:10,420 S2: Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, supported by Iran. This border war 126 00:07:10,450 --> 00:07:14,800 S2: could become more active as Iran tries to resupply Hezbollah. 127 00:07:15,010 --> 00:07:18,340 S2: Iran and Turkey are also vying for control in the region. 128 00:07:18,370 --> 00:07:22,000 S2: Turkey's President Erdogan is claiming that Iran is planning to 129 00:07:22,030 --> 00:07:24,850 S2: send drones to the Kurds in Syria to fight against 130 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:28,450 S2: Turkish forces. Now, the Kurds had been our ally, but 131 00:07:28,450 --> 00:07:31,360 S2: in their fight against Turkey, they will apparently seek help 132 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:35,650 S2: from any source willing to provide arms. Meanwhile, Turkey is 133 00:07:35,650 --> 00:07:38,380 S2: trying to build a modern version of the Ottoman Empire 134 00:07:38,380 --> 00:07:41,890 S2: with their brand of a Sunni religious caliphate controlling the 135 00:07:41,890 --> 00:07:46,300 S2: region from Istanbul. And Turkey's influence in Syria could bring 136 00:07:46,300 --> 00:07:49,570 S2: it into conflict with Israel should Turkish forces end up 137 00:07:49,570 --> 00:07:53,980 S2: on Israel's northern border. This is especially troubling given Turkey's 138 00:07:53,980 --> 00:07:58,270 S2: ideological alignment with groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and 139 00:07:58,270 --> 00:08:03,100 S2: even the jihadist al-Nusra group now controlling Syria. Saudi Arabia 140 00:08:03,100 --> 00:08:05,290 S2: would also like to be a major regional player in 141 00:08:05,290 --> 00:08:08,020 S2: the Middle East. They don't have the population of Turkey 142 00:08:08,020 --> 00:08:12,280 S2: or Iran, but they do have incredible oil wealth and 143 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:15,910 S2: closer connections to the Sunni Arab states and to the west. 144 00:08:15,940 --> 00:08:18,610 S2: Saudi Arabia would also like to be a major player 145 00:08:18,610 --> 00:08:22,420 S2: in a regional security arrangement between the Gulf states, Israel, 146 00:08:22,420 --> 00:08:25,960 S2: and the United States. The Abraham Accords are the initial 147 00:08:25,990 --> 00:08:28,780 S2: basis for such an agreement. But the main sticking point 148 00:08:28,780 --> 00:08:32,380 S2: is the issue of a Palestinian state. So can a 149 00:08:32,380 --> 00:08:37,000 S2: trade alliance like the one just mentioned help overcome those obstacles? Well, 150 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:40,240 S2: I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Story 151 00:08:40,270 --> 00:08:44,589 S2: number four. Archaeologists in Egypt have announced the discovery of 152 00:08:44,590 --> 00:08:48,099 S2: the lost tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose the second. Maybe you're 153 00:08:48,100 --> 00:08:52,840 S2: curious what exactly was discovered and how significant is this find? Well, 154 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:56,440 S2: it turns out the actual discovery isn't nearly as spectacular 155 00:08:56,440 --> 00:09:00,310 S2: as that of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun back in 1922. 156 00:09:00,340 --> 00:09:03,940 S2: There was no sarcophagus or golden face mask or other 157 00:09:03,940 --> 00:09:09,100 S2: hoard of chariots, beds, jewelry or intact alabaster jars. Truthfully, 158 00:09:09,100 --> 00:09:11,770 S2: the tomb was in a poor state of preservation, apparently 159 00:09:11,770 --> 00:09:15,340 S2: because of flood damage shortly after the king's death. However, 160 00:09:15,340 --> 00:09:19,360 S2: fragments of alabaster vases, along with texts and paint fragments 161 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:22,900 S2: were discovered, and they helped identify the tomb as that 162 00:09:22,900 --> 00:09:26,020 S2: of Pharaoh Thutmose the second, whose mummy had been discovered 163 00:09:26,020 --> 00:09:29,710 S2: in the 1800s. Now, what makes this find significant, at 164 00:09:29,740 --> 00:09:31,270 S2: least for those of us who take the book of 165 00:09:31,270 --> 00:09:34,540 S2: Exodus literally, is that throughout, most of the second plays 166 00:09:34,540 --> 00:09:37,270 S2: a minor role in the time of Israel. In Egypt, 167 00:09:37,300 --> 00:09:40,540 S2: his father, Thutmose the first, would seem to be the 168 00:09:40,540 --> 00:09:43,360 S2: pharaoh who gave the order to kill the Hebrew boys 169 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:46,510 S2: that were born. Thutmose the second was then married to 170 00:09:46,540 --> 00:09:50,380 S2: his sister Hatshepsut. Now follow this. She is likely the 171 00:09:50,380 --> 00:09:55,240 S2: pharaoh's daughter, the very one who rescued and raised Moses. Well, 172 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,459 S2: there's a lot more details to this whole story, but 173 00:09:57,460 --> 00:10:00,430 S2: the bottom line is this discovery might simply be the 174 00:10:00,429 --> 00:10:03,130 S2: tomb of a minor pharaoh, but it does help fill 175 00:10:03,130 --> 00:10:05,770 S2: in the details of the account of the first 40 176 00:10:05,770 --> 00:10:09,189 S2: years of Moses life in Exodus one and two. Boy, 177 00:10:09,190 --> 00:10:11,500 S2: that is amazing, right? Hey, we'd love for you to 178 00:10:11,530 --> 00:10:15,070 S2: visit our website, The land and the book. Org where 179 00:10:15,070 --> 00:10:17,830 S2: you can access our podcast. A great tool to stay 180 00:10:17,830 --> 00:10:19,660 S2: in touch throughout the week, and a neat way to 181 00:10:19,690 --> 00:10:22,240 S2: share this ministry with a friend. Somebody who doesn't live 182 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:25,300 S2: anywhere near a radio station that carries the program. So 183 00:10:25,300 --> 00:10:29,320 S2: check out the podcast at the Land and the book. Org. Also, 184 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:32,050 S2: we'd love for you to email your question. That question 185 00:10:32,050 --> 00:10:34,870 S2: that's been nagging you as you go through Scripture and wonder, 186 00:10:34,870 --> 00:10:38,770 S2: what's that there for? Email your question to the land 187 00:10:38,770 --> 00:10:44,530 S2: and the book@moody.edu. Just ahead, a fascinating look at people 188 00:10:44,530 --> 00:10:48,190 S2: in Scripture who memorize scripture. We've got some compelling examples 189 00:10:48,190 --> 00:10:51,250 S2: for you, and some bonus tips for your own Bible 190 00:10:51,250 --> 00:11:09,130 S2: memory as well. On the land and the book. Oh sure, 191 00:11:09,130 --> 00:11:11,980 S2: you've heard you're supposed to memorize the Bible, but what 192 00:11:11,980 --> 00:11:14,860 S2: about the people in the pages of Scripture itself? Did 193 00:11:14,860 --> 00:11:18,160 S2: any of them memorize whatever portions of the Bible they 194 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,640 S2: had back then? Coming up, a fascinating look at people 195 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:25,300 S2: in Scripture who memorized Scripture. We've got some pretty compelling 196 00:11:25,330 --> 00:11:28,540 S2: examples for you and some bonus tips as well. A 197 00:11:28,540 --> 00:11:31,420 S2: welcome to the second segment of Moody Radio's broadcast The 198 00:11:31,420 --> 00:11:34,900 S2: Land and the book. I'm John Gager, inviting you to 199 00:11:34,929 --> 00:11:37,600 S2: envision with me what it might look like to take 200 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,380 S2: just another step in walking with your Jewish friend or co-worker. 201 00:11:41,770 --> 00:11:44,589 S2: So I've noticed in the past that when I try 202 00:11:44,620 --> 00:11:48,939 S2: to bring up Messiah Yeshua with a Jewish friend. Invariably, 203 00:11:48,940 --> 00:11:52,870 S2: the conversation comes to a screeching halt. It's not like 204 00:11:52,870 --> 00:11:56,200 S2: there's an openness toward further discussion, even when there's a 205 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,890 S2: friendship that pre-exists. What's going on? Let me ask Justin 206 00:11:59,890 --> 00:12:02,470 S2: Cronin of Chosen People Ministries. What's going on? 207 00:12:02,500 --> 00:12:04,810 S3: Yeah, John, I think we need to understand that it's 208 00:12:04,809 --> 00:12:07,840 S3: been drilled into the hearts and minds of Jewish people 209 00:12:08,110 --> 00:12:13,000 S3: for decades, for centuries, that Jesus is not for Jews. 210 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,960 S3: And if a Jewish person were to embrace Jesus as 211 00:12:16,990 --> 00:12:21,160 S3: their Messiah, they're going to be rejected by their family, 212 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:25,780 S3: by their closest friends. And so when they weigh the cost, 213 00:12:25,780 --> 00:12:28,540 S3: their immediate thought is, no, I'm not going to lose 214 00:12:28,540 --> 00:12:31,449 S3: those friendships. I'm not going to lose my respect, if 215 00:12:31,450 --> 00:12:33,100 S3: you will, within my community. 216 00:12:33,130 --> 00:12:33,700 S2: My standing. 217 00:12:33,730 --> 00:12:36,730 S3: And my standing. And so it's just an immediate reaction 218 00:12:36,730 --> 00:12:38,619 S3: of nope, not interested, don't want to go there. I 219 00:12:38,620 --> 00:12:41,949 S3: don't want to deal with that pain or that struggle 220 00:12:41,950 --> 00:12:45,600 S3: that might come as a result of even considering that 221 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:47,250 S3: Jesus might be the Messiah. 222 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:50,310 S2: So what's a reasonable response to that? Well, just. And 223 00:12:50,309 --> 00:12:52,829 S2: I will have to pick that up in a conversation 224 00:12:52,830 --> 00:12:55,890 S2: in the future. Justin Crone is with Chosen People Ministries 225 00:12:55,890 --> 00:12:58,770 S2: and joins us today on the Land and the book. 226 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:03,660 S2: Professor Tom Meyer, the Bible Memory Man, is a guest 227 00:13:03,660 --> 00:13:07,110 S2: speaker at churches and conferences where he presents the Bible 228 00:13:07,110 --> 00:13:11,429 S2: spoken dramatically from memory in an engaging and powerful manner. 229 00:13:11,460 --> 00:13:15,000 S2: Tom is also a professor at Shasta Bible College and 230 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,689 S2: the author of the Memorization Study Bible. He's become kind 231 00:13:18,690 --> 00:13:21,360 S2: of a fan favorite here on the program. So welcome 232 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:23,520 S2: back to the land and the book. Tom. 233 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:25,470 S4: Thank you. Great to be back. 234 00:13:25,500 --> 00:13:30,450 S2: Well, the notion of people in Scripture, memorizing scripture goes 235 00:13:30,450 --> 00:13:32,730 S2: all the way back to the Israelites. Take us to 236 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:37,020 S2: Joshua chapter one and the scene that unfolds there. Tom. 237 00:13:37,140 --> 00:13:40,260 S4: Well, that's a great place to start. You know, we 238 00:13:40,260 --> 00:13:44,910 S4: have these verses in Deuteronomy that remind us of the 239 00:13:44,940 --> 00:13:49,050 S4: the family educational structure where we had verses in the 240 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:51,630 S4: Torah like, you know, repeat them again and again to 241 00:13:51,660 --> 00:13:53,910 S4: your children. Talk about them when you're at home, while 242 00:13:53,910 --> 00:13:57,089 S4: you're on the road, when you're getting up from Deuteronomy six, 243 00:13:57,090 --> 00:14:00,600 S4: as you know. And so with this knowledge that the 244 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:02,340 S4: children of Israel now have, of the word of the 245 00:14:02,340 --> 00:14:06,360 S4: living God, and just about to enter into Canaan, Joshua 246 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:10,380 S4: receives a divine revelation. And that is the instruction that 247 00:14:10,380 --> 00:14:12,720 S4: this book of the law shall not depart out of 248 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:15,390 S4: your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, 249 00:14:15,390 --> 00:14:17,309 S4: that you may be able to do according to all 250 00:14:17,340 --> 00:14:20,190 S4: that is written therein. Then shall you make your ways prosperous, 251 00:14:20,190 --> 00:14:23,100 S4: then shall you will have good success. So once that 252 00:14:23,100 --> 00:14:25,020 S4: seven year war, when you do the math, it's the 253 00:14:25,020 --> 00:14:27,450 S4: conquest of seven years. You can deduce that from chapter 254 00:14:27,450 --> 00:14:30,300 S4: 14 of Joshua. But after that seven year war, these 255 00:14:30,300 --> 00:14:33,840 S4: unconquered Canaanites that you're living next to are quote unquote, 256 00:14:33,870 --> 00:14:36,300 S4: going to work with. They don't think in practice like 257 00:14:36,300 --> 00:14:38,970 S4: you do. And in order for the ancient Israelites not 258 00:14:38,970 --> 00:14:41,520 S4: to become like them, they were to do what? To 259 00:14:41,580 --> 00:14:43,680 S4: have this book of the law not depart out of 260 00:14:43,710 --> 00:14:46,140 S4: their mouth. To have those words that their parents taught 261 00:14:46,140 --> 00:14:48,300 S4: them when they were children, that they repeated to them 262 00:14:48,300 --> 00:14:50,970 S4: over and over and over again, would have dwelt inside them, 263 00:14:50,970 --> 00:14:52,740 S4: and they would make the right choice when no one 264 00:14:52,740 --> 00:14:56,460 S4: is looking. Well, except God. That they would obey God's law. 265 00:14:56,490 --> 00:14:59,520 S2: Well, we see the command for a lifestyle of memorizing 266 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,550 S2: scripture as far back as the book of Deuteronomy. Take 267 00:15:02,550 --> 00:15:03,300 S2: us there. 268 00:15:03,420 --> 00:15:05,850 S4: It's true. Like I touched on earlier, you know, we 269 00:15:05,850 --> 00:15:08,730 S4: have that famous verse from chapter six, which is kind 270 00:15:08,730 --> 00:15:11,610 S4: of repeated again in chapter 11 where we have these, 271 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:16,320 S4: these admonitions again and again to recite God's instructions from memory, 272 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:18,960 S4: lest they be forgotten. And it's so easy to forget, 273 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,180 S4: isn't it? I mean, that's why the ancient Israelites, even 274 00:15:21,180 --> 00:15:23,370 S4: to this day, some of them wear tassels, don't they? 275 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:23,970 S2: That's right. 276 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,910 S4: And it's so easy to forget, because behind these wondrous 277 00:15:26,940 --> 00:15:30,990 S4: acts like, you know, the exodus out of Egypt and etcetera, right? 278 00:15:31,020 --> 00:15:33,960 S4: So the loving, faithful and fearful God who doesn't change, 279 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:38,280 S4: and these accounts of God's deliverance, these works of Yahweh, 280 00:15:38,310 --> 00:15:41,590 S4: were to be taught to all generations. This is the 281 00:15:41,590 --> 00:15:44,440 S4: basis for godly living. This is the basis for obedience. 282 00:15:44,470 --> 00:15:47,740 S4: This is our God. And then, you know, then they 283 00:15:47,740 --> 00:15:50,380 S4: could speak. And God spake all these words, saying, I 284 00:15:50,410 --> 00:15:51,910 S4: am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of 285 00:15:51,910 --> 00:15:54,310 S4: the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, etc. 286 00:15:54,340 --> 00:15:57,070 S4: because they were there, they were eyewitnesses. Many of them 287 00:15:57,070 --> 00:15:59,530 S4: were right at the giving of the Torah. And so 288 00:15:59,530 --> 00:16:02,530 S4: whether it's in Deuteronomy with this emphasis, like we touched 289 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:05,560 S4: on right in chapter six and 11 with the family education, 290 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:08,800 S4: or whether it's after that event in the wilderness wanderings 291 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:10,750 S4: and about to enter into the back door of Canaan 292 00:16:10,750 --> 00:16:13,600 S4: and attack Jericho from beginning to end, is that the 293 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:18,640 S4: spiritual condition of people's hearts was was most important to God. 294 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:20,950 S4: And having the word hidden in the heart, of course, 295 00:16:20,950 --> 00:16:22,510 S4: is the best way not to sin against them. As 296 00:16:22,510 --> 00:16:23,920 S4: David would later say. 297 00:16:24,100 --> 00:16:28,420 S2: People in Scripture who memorized scripture, that's our conversation on 298 00:16:28,420 --> 00:16:31,240 S2: the land and the book with professor Tom Meyer, the 299 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:34,480 S2: Bible Memory man. You know, David himself offered us one 300 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:37,510 S2: of the most famous statements about Scripture memory in Psalm 301 00:16:37,510 --> 00:16:40,560 S2: 119 verse 111. Some of our listeners can quote it, 302 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:42,090 S2: but why don't you take us there, Tom? 303 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:45,240 S4: That's a great passage to go to, John. Remember to 304 00:16:45,270 --> 00:16:48,240 S4: start in verse nine where it says wherewithal, or how 305 00:16:48,270 --> 00:16:50,640 S4: shall the young man cleanse his way? That's the million 306 00:16:50,670 --> 00:16:52,410 S4: dollar question that we want for us and our kids 307 00:16:52,410 --> 00:16:54,660 S4: and our grandkids, right? Right. How do we clean our way? 308 00:16:54,690 --> 00:16:56,280 S4: How do we walk with the Lord? How do we 309 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:59,400 S4: walk in the spirit, etc.? Wherewithal? Or how shall men 310 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,340 S4: cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word, 311 00:17:02,340 --> 00:17:05,070 S4: with my whole heart? O let me not wander from 312 00:17:05,070 --> 00:17:07,230 S4: thy commandments. And here we go, the famous one. Thy 313 00:17:07,230 --> 00:17:09,120 S4: word have I hid in my heart that I might 314 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:11,909 S4: not sin against thee. So that's the number one reason why, 315 00:17:11,910 --> 00:17:14,969 S4: whether we live in the economy, the era of the 316 00:17:14,970 --> 00:17:17,639 S4: children of Israel way back when, or the church today, 317 00:17:17,670 --> 00:17:20,400 S4: God's people have always been instructed to hide His word 318 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,400 S4: in their heart, so they don't sin against him. And 319 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:25,050 S4: God has, as you know, John, he has no greater 320 00:17:25,050 --> 00:17:27,900 S4: joy than his children walk in truth, just like we 321 00:17:27,930 --> 00:17:29,580 S4: who are parents have no greater joy than when our 322 00:17:29,580 --> 00:17:32,520 S4: children walk in truth. And what greater truth to walk 323 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:34,020 S4: in than the light of his word? 324 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,889 S2: King Solomon was big on Scripture memory. Where do we 325 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:39,570 S2: find the evidence for that, Tom? 326 00:17:39,930 --> 00:17:42,330 S4: Yeah, he does seem to be big on his scripture memory, 327 00:17:42,330 --> 00:17:44,490 S4: but when he got older, it seemed maybe like it 328 00:17:44,490 --> 00:17:46,919 S4: didn't stick as much as it did right when he 329 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:49,290 S4: was younger. You know, and that's a warning to us, right? 330 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:52,290 S4: Even the devil can quote scripture, right? Yeah. He quotes 331 00:17:52,290 --> 00:17:55,230 S4: Psalm 91, doesn't he? And Matthew chapter four, I believe 332 00:17:55,260 --> 00:17:58,650 S4: when he's tempting the Lord Jesus. But you're right. Solomon 333 00:17:58,650 --> 00:18:01,889 S4: was a product in many ways of his environment. That 334 00:18:01,890 --> 00:18:03,869 S4: is to say, he lived in a world where the 335 00:18:03,869 --> 00:18:08,250 S4: student was the son and the teacher's the father. That 336 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:11,400 S4: kind of mindset. And so we have that phraseology or 337 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,970 S4: proverbs a lot like my son, write these words upon 338 00:18:14,970 --> 00:18:18,990 S4: the table of thine heart. Well that's perfect. There it is. 339 00:18:19,260 --> 00:18:22,139 S4: Write these words on the tablet, depending on your translation 340 00:18:22,140 --> 00:18:24,420 S4: of your heart, because the author knows that the heart 341 00:18:24,420 --> 00:18:26,670 S4: is the inner control center of the person, you know, 342 00:18:26,670 --> 00:18:28,560 S4: the heart is the part of us that the Lord 343 00:18:28,590 --> 00:18:30,780 S4: is most concerned with, because out of it come all 344 00:18:30,780 --> 00:18:34,500 S4: the issues of life, and with a well-stocked heart, full 345 00:18:34,500 --> 00:18:38,459 S4: of Torah, of the oracles of the living God. Then ideally, 346 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:40,020 S4: we won't sin against him. 347 00:18:40,260 --> 00:18:43,500 S2: Professor Tom Meyer, the Bible Memory man, is a guest 348 00:18:43,500 --> 00:18:46,949 S2: speaker at churches and conferences where he presents the Bible 349 00:18:46,980 --> 00:18:51,240 S2: spoken dramatically from memory in an engaging and powerful manner. 350 00:18:51,270 --> 00:18:53,820 S2: Hey Tom, let's switch gears and move into the New 351 00:18:53,820 --> 00:18:58,139 S2: Testament in Matthew 538. Jesus told everyday people in the 352 00:18:58,140 --> 00:19:01,710 S2: first century, you have heard that it was said, sounds 353 00:19:01,710 --> 00:19:05,850 S2: to me like he's referring to commonly known scripture. Your thoughts? 354 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:08,280 S4: It is true, John. You know, they lived in a 355 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,950 S4: world so much different than ours, didn't they? In many ways, yes, 356 00:19:10,950 --> 00:19:14,250 S4: it's the same God yesterday, today and forever. Right? But 357 00:19:14,250 --> 00:19:15,570 S4: on the other hand, they lived on the other side 358 00:19:15,570 --> 00:19:18,600 S4: of the world in an oral world. We live in 359 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:21,179 S4: a in a written world in many regards. You know, 360 00:19:21,180 --> 00:19:25,109 S4: so these people in the first century way obviously before then. Right. 361 00:19:25,140 --> 00:19:27,510 S4: The only way to get access to the word of 362 00:19:27,510 --> 00:19:31,200 S4: the living God is to hear it read aloud in 363 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:33,570 S4: a church service. Once the church is born on Pentecost, 364 00:19:33,570 --> 00:19:37,340 S4: or one of the the high holy feasts in the temple, 365 00:19:37,340 --> 00:19:39,889 S4: as you know, three times a year. But by going 366 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:43,460 S4: to those events at the temple, you know, Josephus says 367 00:19:43,460 --> 00:19:46,340 S4: that they know the Word of God better than their 368 00:19:46,340 --> 00:19:49,400 S4: own name. And so these people, the Lord Jesus is 369 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:53,000 S4: talking to, they're not fools. These people are well versed, 370 00:19:53,030 --> 00:19:55,190 S4: even though they live far away from Jerusalem in the Galilee. 371 00:19:55,220 --> 00:19:59,030 S4: You know, they're well versed in the history of God's people. 372 00:19:59,030 --> 00:20:01,760 S4: And they knew his word. And when you have verses 373 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:03,229 S4: like that, it goes to show us that we have 374 00:20:03,230 --> 00:20:05,810 S4: people like King David, right. Who's a king who memorized 375 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:08,510 S4: God's Word. We have prophets, right, who memorize God's Word. 376 00:20:08,510 --> 00:20:11,390 S4: And we have common people here, perfect, right, who hide 377 00:20:11,390 --> 00:20:13,010 S4: God's Word in their heart, just like us. 378 00:20:13,100 --> 00:20:17,900 S2: Paul was probably the Scripture memory overachiever of his day. 379 00:20:18,170 --> 00:20:21,920 S2: Paul quotes Luke's Gospel in first Timothy 518, but there's 380 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:23,899 S2: a whole lot more than that. Take us, for example, 381 00:20:23,900 --> 00:20:26,960 S2: to Colossians 116. If I'm not being too specific to 382 00:20:26,990 --> 00:20:27,859 S2: draw on that. 383 00:20:28,340 --> 00:20:34,940 S4: Well, um, there are almost like 300 Quotes. Just like 384 00:20:34,970 --> 00:20:36,890 S4: direct quotes from what I can count from the Old 385 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:39,619 S4: Testament in the New Testament. Okay, by the author. So 386 00:20:39,619 --> 00:20:42,140 S4: that means the authors had all of those quotes memorized 387 00:20:42,170 --> 00:20:44,780 S4: when the Holy Spirit inspired them to move them along. 388 00:20:44,780 --> 00:20:47,630 S4: What they wrote, they wrote it without error, but they 389 00:20:47,630 --> 00:20:50,030 S4: used their own personality and backgrounds to draw upon all 390 00:20:50,030 --> 00:20:52,550 S4: those memorized verses that they had, and no one was 391 00:20:52,550 --> 00:20:54,650 S4: better at that, like you said, than than Paul, who 392 00:20:54,650 --> 00:20:57,230 S4: sat at the feet of Gamaliel. Right. As a young 393 00:20:57,230 --> 00:20:59,119 S4: Jewish student. Right. He would have known the Torah backwards 394 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:01,369 S4: and forwards, up and down, left and right. And he 395 00:21:01,369 --> 00:21:03,260 S4: brought that skill set, didn't he? 396 00:21:03,410 --> 00:21:05,570 S2: I just want to look at this. Verse 16. It says, 397 00:21:05,570 --> 00:21:08,360 S2: for by him all things were created in heaven and 398 00:21:08,390 --> 00:21:12,590 S2: on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or 399 00:21:12,590 --> 00:21:16,130 S2: rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and 400 00:21:16,130 --> 00:21:18,800 S2: for him. And that would include Scripture itself. 401 00:21:18,859 --> 00:21:21,290 S4: It would 100%. But I was thinking more along the 402 00:21:21,290 --> 00:21:22,850 S4: lines of like 316. 403 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:24,860 S2: Okay, go for 316 then. Yeah. 404 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:27,500 S4: Because that's the one that says that's a good one too. 405 00:21:27,530 --> 00:21:29,570 S4: You mentioned, but that the command to let the word 406 00:21:29,570 --> 00:21:33,710 S4: of Christ dwell in you. You know the word richly? 407 00:21:33,740 --> 00:21:34,310 S2: Yeah. 408 00:21:34,340 --> 00:21:36,290 S4: Where do we let the word of Christ dwell richly 409 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:41,030 S4: on our phone? No. On our bookshelf? No. In your heart. 410 00:21:41,030 --> 00:21:44,810 S4: In us. And then, as you know, he says it 411 00:21:44,810 --> 00:21:46,850 S4: a different way, doesn't he, in Ephesians, when he commands 412 00:21:46,850 --> 00:21:49,520 S4: us to to speak to one another in psalms and 413 00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:53,690 S4: hymns and spiritual songs. So during our downtime, when we're 414 00:21:53,690 --> 00:21:56,359 S4: standing in line at the store, whether we're in traffic 415 00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:59,030 S4: or whatever, one of the best ways to redeem that 416 00:21:59,030 --> 00:22:02,060 S4: time is not only to pray, to let our requests 417 00:22:02,090 --> 00:22:04,970 S4: be made known unto God, but also during that downtime 418 00:22:04,970 --> 00:22:07,399 S4: is to speak to ourselves in psalms and hymns and 419 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,609 S4: spiritual songs, and by doing that by reciting the Word 420 00:22:10,609 --> 00:22:12,800 S4: of God to ourselves, it puts the mind of the 421 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,619 S4: living God right there. And we don't always act on 422 00:22:15,619 --> 00:22:17,900 S4: what we know to be true. We know it's more 423 00:22:17,900 --> 00:22:20,600 S4: precious than rubies. We know it's more to be desired 424 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:24,830 S4: than anything. It's more precious than gold. The Word of God. Right? 425 00:22:24,830 --> 00:22:27,410 S4: And to be able in that downtime, to have that 426 00:22:27,410 --> 00:22:29,300 S4: and reach and think on it and dwell on it, 427 00:22:29,300 --> 00:22:32,060 S4: you do it all the time. You understand how it works, right? 428 00:22:32,090 --> 00:22:33,440 S4: The benefits are amazing. 429 00:22:33,470 --> 00:22:37,220 S2: Yeah. For sure. In Ephesians 519, Paul commands believers to 430 00:22:37,250 --> 00:22:41,900 S2: be speaking to yourself in Psalms. We've referenced this, uh, 431 00:22:41,930 --> 00:22:44,180 S2: you know, wouldn't you love to know how much scripture 432 00:22:44,180 --> 00:22:45,350 S2: Paul memorized? 433 00:22:45,859 --> 00:22:47,630 S4: Well, he would be the first one, probably to tell 434 00:22:47,630 --> 00:22:50,840 S4: you that he would have never counted the verses. I 435 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:54,290 S4: know verses don't come in until the 16th century AD, 436 00:22:54,290 --> 00:22:56,930 S4: and and chapters don't come in until approximately the 12th 437 00:22:56,930 --> 00:22:59,780 S4: century AD, but still, you know, he was the kind 438 00:22:59,810 --> 00:23:02,149 S4: of guy you would think, right, who was humble, who 439 00:23:02,150 --> 00:23:04,310 S4: was meek, right? Who believed in the power of the 440 00:23:04,310 --> 00:23:07,220 S4: word of God. And that's just it. You know, at 441 00:23:07,220 --> 00:23:09,859 S4: the early church services, he commanded them in first Timothy 442 00:23:09,859 --> 00:23:13,580 S4: chapter four, verse 13, until I come to devote yourself 443 00:23:13,580 --> 00:23:16,850 S4: to the public reading of Scripture, see, even to this 444 00:23:16,850 --> 00:23:19,190 S4: very day when I lived in Jerusalem for four years, 445 00:23:19,190 --> 00:23:23,119 S4: I would ask the cantors, the the leaders in the synagogue, 446 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:25,310 S4: how did the people memorize to this day in Jerusalem 447 00:23:25,310 --> 00:23:28,219 S4: and the synagogues? And they would tell me by hearing it, 448 00:23:28,220 --> 00:23:32,070 S4: read the scriptures, read aloud. So 2000 years later, this 449 00:23:32,070 --> 00:23:35,550 S4: tradition still exists. So by the public proclamation in first 450 00:23:35,550 --> 00:23:38,429 S4: Timothy 413 of the scriptures, that's how really in that 451 00:23:38,430 --> 00:23:40,679 S4: early church period where no one had a copy at home, 452 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:42,629 S4: where you could hear the Word of God, where you 453 00:23:42,630 --> 00:23:45,150 S4: could meditate it, and then you could memorize it. 454 00:23:45,390 --> 00:23:48,270 S2: Well, is it an overstatement to say that a Christian 455 00:23:48,270 --> 00:23:52,980 S2: cannot fully please God without an ongoing lifestyle of Scripture memory? 456 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:55,590 S4: Oh, I don't know about that. That's a big one there. 457 00:23:55,830 --> 00:23:57,600 S4: You know, it's like I grew up most of my 458 00:23:57,600 --> 00:23:59,940 S4: life when all I knew was John 316 and Genesis 459 00:23:59,970 --> 00:24:01,979 S4: one one, so I was I still please God. But 460 00:24:01,980 --> 00:24:04,560 S4: I think the way I would put it is I 461 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:07,290 S4: was I was not fully equipped. Yeah, but I was 462 00:24:07,290 --> 00:24:09,720 S4: just left so much on the table. Yes. You know, 463 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:11,490 S4: and to have that word in your heart, no matter 464 00:24:11,490 --> 00:24:13,590 S4: where you are, no matter what you're doing, it not 465 00:24:13,590 --> 00:24:16,020 S4: only puts the mind of God within reach, it provides 466 00:24:16,020 --> 00:24:19,140 S4: you with words of comfort for yourself, for others. It 467 00:24:19,140 --> 00:24:21,420 S4: provides us with our weapon of choice, etc.. 468 00:24:21,420 --> 00:24:23,820 S2: Well, what's a first step for somebody who says, you know, 469 00:24:23,850 --> 00:24:25,710 S2: I'm hearing what you're saying. I, you know, I'd like 470 00:24:25,710 --> 00:24:28,650 S2: to do this. I want to memorize, but I struggle. 471 00:24:28,670 --> 00:24:31,100 S2: My mind just doesn't seem to be able to retain scripture. 472 00:24:31,130 --> 00:24:34,460 S2: It doesn't retain anything anymore. What's your counsel for us? 473 00:24:34,580 --> 00:24:37,760 S4: Join the club. Welcome to humanity. I forget everything all 474 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:40,430 S4: the time. I have to write it down. But in 475 00:24:40,430 --> 00:24:43,219 S4: all seriousness, the best way to go about this ancient 476 00:24:43,250 --> 00:24:46,520 S4: but all important discipline is the number one. Ask the 477 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:49,250 S4: Lord Jesus to help you. Ask for help. I know 478 00:24:49,250 --> 00:24:51,950 S4: it sounds like. What? No, but seriously, ask him to 479 00:24:51,980 --> 00:24:54,620 S4: help you. Number one. Number two. Pick something with light 480 00:24:54,619 --> 00:24:57,800 S4: at the end of the tunnel. Like you memorize some psalms, John? Yes, 481 00:24:57,830 --> 00:25:01,280 S4: something like that. Something that's doable. Right. And then shoot 482 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:03,830 S4: for 1 or 2 verses a week and you'll see 483 00:25:03,830 --> 00:25:06,709 S4: that it's difficult. Okay. It's hard. It's like exercising. And 484 00:25:06,710 --> 00:25:08,810 S4: then some people do it when the new year starts, 485 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:10,400 S4: you know they don't want to do it, but they're 486 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,590 S4: glad they've done it down the road. Right. Because they 487 00:25:12,590 --> 00:25:15,320 S4: see the results. And this is just bodily exercise which 488 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:20,900 S4: profits little. Okay. Start memorizing chapters, verses, etc. and you'll 489 00:25:20,900 --> 00:25:24,410 S4: see over time how it's going to have more of 490 00:25:24,410 --> 00:25:26,750 S4: the mind of Christ in you. It'll transform your thinking. 491 00:25:26,780 --> 00:25:30,679 S4: It'll transform your practice. It will make you hopefully a 492 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:34,310 S4: better father, a better friend, a better, etc. because you 493 00:25:34,310 --> 00:25:35,899 S4: have more of that mind of Christ in you. 494 00:25:35,930 --> 00:25:36,470 S5: Yes. 495 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,290 S2: Well, that's a great encouragement, Tom, for all of us. 496 00:25:39,290 --> 00:25:42,020 S2: And I thank you for your insights. People in Scripture 497 00:25:42,020 --> 00:25:45,530 S2: who memorize Scripture. We're talking today with Tom Meyer, who's 498 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:48,320 S2: kind of the Bible memory man. Thanks for your conversation, Tom. 499 00:25:48,350 --> 00:25:49,040 S5: Thank you. 500 00:25:49,070 --> 00:25:51,020 S2: Coming up on the land and the book, we're looking 501 00:25:51,020 --> 00:25:53,660 S2: at a fresh set of Bible questions. Stick around for 502 00:25:53,660 --> 00:26:07,220 S2: more on the land and the book. Here at the 503 00:26:07,220 --> 00:26:09,950 S2: land of the book, we really love what we do, 504 00:26:09,950 --> 00:26:12,170 S2: and we really love it when people like you make 505 00:26:12,170 --> 00:26:15,200 S2: the effort to send your Bible questions our way, because 506 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:18,050 S2: there's nothing better than wrestling with some of these issues 507 00:26:18,050 --> 00:26:20,989 S2: and in most cases, finding some answers. Of course, we 508 00:26:20,990 --> 00:26:23,720 S2: can't find an answer to every single question you might have, 509 00:26:23,750 --> 00:26:25,790 S2: but there's an awful lot of it that we can. Hi, 510 00:26:25,790 --> 00:26:28,190 S2: I'm John Gager sitting with me in the studio, doctor 511 00:26:28,190 --> 00:26:32,359 S2: Gerald Peterman of the Moody Bible Institute. Faculty capable and qualified. 512 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:36,110 S2: He's got plenty of enthusiasm and his Bible is open. 513 00:26:36,109 --> 00:26:39,560 S2: And let's get right to our questions after I talk 514 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:42,320 S2: to you about a Seder. What does Passover mean for 515 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:45,560 S2: us as believers in Jesus? Some might remember the story 516 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:47,480 S2: from the book of Exodus, but there's a whole lot 517 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:50,060 S2: more to it. You know, the Last Supper was really 518 00:26:50,060 --> 00:26:52,850 S2: a Passover meal. And not only did Jesus and his 519 00:26:52,850 --> 00:26:56,840 S2: disciples celebrate Passover, it also foreshadowed his death on the 520 00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,020 S2: cross for our redemption. Jewish people, of course, have been 521 00:27:00,020 --> 00:27:03,410 S2: observing the feast of Passover for thousands of years. So 522 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:06,740 S2: understanding the history, the importance of this holiday will help 523 00:27:06,740 --> 00:27:09,980 S2: us better connect with our Jewish friends and neighbors. Boy, 524 00:27:09,980 --> 00:27:12,649 S2: what better way is there to learn about Passover than 525 00:27:12,650 --> 00:27:18,050 S2: to experience a Passover Seder yourself? If you've never celebrated Passover? Well, 526 00:27:18,050 --> 00:27:20,389 S2: our friends at Life in Messiah would love to partner 527 00:27:20,390 --> 00:27:24,260 S2: with you in hosting a Seder experience. Every year their 528 00:27:24,260 --> 00:27:28,460 S2: staff engaged churches and small groups in an interactive Messiah 529 00:27:28,460 --> 00:27:32,150 S2: in the Passover Seder, allowing participants to taste and see 530 00:27:32,150 --> 00:27:35,240 S2: the redemption story. And if you're interested in having somebody 531 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:37,700 S2: come to lead a Seder in your area, your church, 532 00:27:37,730 --> 00:27:40,940 S2: visit life in Messiah. Org and click on the Moody 533 00:27:40,970 --> 00:27:46,130 S2: Radio button there to learn more. That's life in messiah.org. 534 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:47,629 S2: Ready for our first question? 535 00:27:47,630 --> 00:27:48,440 S6: Yes, sir. 536 00:27:48,470 --> 00:27:51,260 S2: This one from Peggy, who is currently in a Bible 537 00:27:51,260 --> 00:27:54,410 S2: study about heaven. And she says one of the Catholic 538 00:27:54,410 --> 00:27:57,199 S2: ladies at our study brought up the Apostle's Creed and 539 00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:01,340 S2: the part that says Jesus descended into hell. Since Jesus 540 00:28:01,369 --> 00:28:05,060 S2: is God and hell is separation from God. I commented 541 00:28:05,060 --> 00:28:07,340 S2: that perhaps there's a different meaning to that part of 542 00:28:07,340 --> 00:28:10,609 S2: the Apostle's Creed. Another person tied this in with revelation 543 00:28:10,609 --> 00:28:14,209 S2: 118 and said, Jesus descended to hell to get the 544 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:16,520 S2: keys to free the saints who had been waiting to 545 00:28:16,550 --> 00:28:19,040 S2: go to heaven. Is there any scripture to back up 546 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:20,270 S2: any of these thoughts? 547 00:28:20,300 --> 00:28:23,389 S7: Creeds are very important, and there are creeds in and 548 00:28:23,390 --> 00:28:25,929 S7: outside of Scripture, and the Apostles Creed is one of 549 00:28:25,930 --> 00:28:28,090 S7: the oldest ones. But we should keep in mind that 550 00:28:28,090 --> 00:28:30,790 S7: the Creed developed over the course of time in the 551 00:28:30,790 --> 00:28:34,060 S7: early church. So the Apostles Creed is first developed in 552 00:28:34,060 --> 00:28:37,090 S7: the second century, and then it's changed and transformed. And 553 00:28:37,090 --> 00:28:39,790 S7: the oldest written version of that creed is called the 554 00:28:39,790 --> 00:28:44,410 S7: Old Roman Creed, that dates to around 340 A.D., and 555 00:28:44,410 --> 00:28:48,100 S7: this oldest version makes no reference to a descent into hell. 556 00:28:48,130 --> 00:28:50,620 S7: The descent into hell was added to the Creed about 557 00:28:50,620 --> 00:28:53,140 S7: a century later, and the Book of Common Prayer, used 558 00:28:53,140 --> 00:28:56,860 S7: by the Anglican Church uses the old version of the 559 00:28:56,860 --> 00:28:59,320 S7: Creed without the descent into hell. So I just want 560 00:28:59,350 --> 00:29:02,380 S7: to say that not all Christians believe in a descent 561 00:29:02,380 --> 00:29:06,640 S7: into hell, and no passage of Scripture specifically mentions one. 562 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:10,300 S7: Yet a verse that sometimes used is Ephesians four eight 563 00:29:10,330 --> 00:29:14,080 S7: and nine. They say, therefore it says, when he ascended 564 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:18,250 S7: on high, he led host captives, and then he gave 565 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:20,770 S7: gifts to men in saying he ascended, what does it 566 00:29:20,770 --> 00:29:24,190 S7: mean but that he also descended to the lower regions, 567 00:29:24,190 --> 00:29:28,750 S7: that is the earth. Here the descent is coming down 568 00:29:28,750 --> 00:29:32,739 S7: from heaven to earth in becoming human. Now about our 569 00:29:32,740 --> 00:29:35,650 S7: Lord Jesus freeing people from hell. There are very good 570 00:29:35,650 --> 00:29:38,770 S7: reasons to believe that rather than going to hell temporarily 571 00:29:38,770 --> 00:29:41,680 S7: when God's people die, they go instead to a place 572 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:45,580 S7: of comfort and blessing. Let me mention a couple of these. 573 00:29:45,580 --> 00:29:49,510 S7: In Luke 16, our Lord tells a parable about the 574 00:29:49,510 --> 00:29:52,000 S7: rich man and Lazarus. I suggest you read it. It 575 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:55,180 S7: is wonderful. After the death of the rich man, he 576 00:29:55,180 --> 00:29:58,240 S7: goes to a place of torment and punishment. But Lazarus 577 00:29:58,270 --> 00:30:02,800 S7: goes to a place of comfort next to Abraham. Likewise, 578 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:06,040 S7: in Luke, Jesus promises to the thief on the cross 579 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:09,430 S7: that at death he will be with Jesus in Paradise 580 00:30:09,430 --> 00:30:13,479 S7: that day. And in Philippians one, Paul says that at 581 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:17,950 S7: death he will be with Christ. Now, as for the keys, 582 00:30:17,950 --> 00:30:21,790 S7: this passage is revelation one, verses 17 and 18. I'm 583 00:30:21,790 --> 00:30:24,910 S7: going to read that. Then I saw him. I fell 584 00:30:24,940 --> 00:30:27,220 S7: at his feet as though dead. But he laid his 585 00:30:27,220 --> 00:30:30,370 S7: hand on me, saying, fear not. I am the first 586 00:30:30,370 --> 00:30:34,120 S7: and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold, 587 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:38,230 S7: I am alive forevermore. I have the keys of death 588 00:30:38,230 --> 00:30:42,880 S7: and Hades. When one has keys, one has power and authority. 589 00:30:42,910 --> 00:30:47,230 S7: So death and hell have no power over Jesus. He 590 00:30:47,230 --> 00:30:49,360 S7: has power over them. 591 00:30:49,390 --> 00:30:52,300 S2: That's Doctor Gerald Peterman, who's happy to answer your Bible 592 00:30:52,300 --> 00:30:57,580 S2: questions with an email to the land and the book@moody.edu. 593 00:30:57,610 --> 00:31:00,520 S2: Helen talks about a friend who was studying Joshua at 594 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:02,830 S2: the end of his life. He's challenging the people to 595 00:31:02,860 --> 00:31:05,200 S2: continue to follow the true God, and he set up 596 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:07,810 S2: a stone of witness. And she was thinking about Jesus 597 00:31:07,810 --> 00:31:10,420 S2: on Palm Sunday when he said that if the people 598 00:31:10,420 --> 00:31:13,810 S2: were quiet, even the rocks would cry out. And she 599 00:31:13,810 --> 00:31:15,880 S2: wonders if he was referring to the stones of witness 600 00:31:15,910 --> 00:31:18,370 S2: in the Old Testament. I'd never taken it that way, 601 00:31:18,370 --> 00:31:20,590 S2: but I was curious. Do we know if there were 602 00:31:20,590 --> 00:31:24,250 S2: any stones of witness near where Jesus was when he 603 00:31:24,250 --> 00:31:24,940 S2: said that? 604 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:27,580 S7: It's hard to say that so many centuries have passed 605 00:31:27,580 --> 00:31:30,460 S7: with comings and goings and buildings and war. There's no 606 00:31:30,460 --> 00:31:33,130 S7: evidence of ancient witness stones like the ones set up 607 00:31:33,130 --> 00:31:35,980 S7: at the time of Joshua. But if you've ever traveled 608 00:31:35,980 --> 00:31:37,990 S7: in Israel, and I hope you get a chance to 609 00:31:38,020 --> 00:31:40,360 S7: do that, then you know that the territory can be 610 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:44,470 S7: very rocky, very uneven, very difficult. And as our Lord 611 00:31:44,470 --> 00:31:48,040 S7: is coming in to Jerusalem in Luke 19, this is 612 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:51,280 S7: the triumphal entry. This is the passage we're talking about. 613 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:55,330 S7: The Pharisees hear the crowd saying about Jesus, Blessed is 614 00:31:55,330 --> 00:31:57,490 S7: the King who comes in the name of the Lord. 615 00:31:57,490 --> 00:32:01,150 S7: And they say, teacher, rebuke your disciples. And Jesus says 616 00:32:01,150 --> 00:32:04,600 S7: in response, I tell you, if they keep silent, the 617 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:07,840 S7: stones will cry out. There will be stones all around 618 00:32:07,870 --> 00:32:11,350 S7: on the path. And again, when our Lord is tempted 619 00:32:11,380 --> 00:32:15,340 S7: by the devil, he says, if you're the Son of God, 620 00:32:15,370 --> 00:32:18,520 S7: command these stones to become bread, because they're just all 621 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:21,610 S7: over the place. Right. So it's very rocky territory. 622 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:24,640 S2: Okay. This is the land in the book from Moody 623 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:28,390 S2: Radio doctor Gerald Peterman answering our Bible questions like this 624 00:32:28,390 --> 00:32:30,820 S2: one from Mary, who takes us to second Samuel 12, 625 00:32:30,850 --> 00:32:34,540 S2: verse eight, where Nathan tells David what God said of David, 626 00:32:34,540 --> 00:32:37,810 S2: I gave your master's house to you and your master's 627 00:32:37,810 --> 00:32:40,450 S2: wives into your arms, and I gave you the house 628 00:32:40,450 --> 00:32:43,060 S2: of Israel and Judah. And if that wasn't enough, I 629 00:32:43,060 --> 00:32:45,490 S2: would have given you even more. She wants to know 630 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:48,640 S2: is this verse saying that God gave David more than 631 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:52,420 S2: one wife, and that he approved of David's polygamy? Doesn't 632 00:32:52,420 --> 00:32:57,070 S2: Romans 325 indicate that God passed over some sins, particularly 633 00:32:57,070 --> 00:32:59,860 S2: that of adultery, among Old Testament saints? 634 00:32:59,890 --> 00:33:03,100 S7: Oh, thanks so much for the question. God did not 635 00:33:03,100 --> 00:33:06,790 S7: and does not approve of polygamy during the time period 636 00:33:06,790 --> 00:33:10,420 S7: of Israel's kings, God was tolerating it. One of the 637 00:33:10,420 --> 00:33:13,240 S7: reasons that Saul's family comes to David is that that 638 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:17,620 S7: family needs a provider and a protector. Saul dies, all 639 00:33:17,620 --> 00:33:20,590 S7: of Saul's sons die in war. Who's going to take 640 00:33:20,590 --> 00:33:23,110 S7: care of the family? So the family comes to David 641 00:33:23,110 --> 00:33:26,080 S7: so he can be their protector. But again, God does 642 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:29,470 S7: not approve of multiple wives. We know this. We know 643 00:33:29,470 --> 00:33:33,940 S7: this from Deuteronomy 17. In Deuteronomy 17, we hear this Israel, 644 00:33:33,940 --> 00:33:35,920 S7: when you go into the land and you want a king, 645 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:39,100 S7: this is what the king should do. The king should 646 00:33:39,100 --> 00:33:45,550 S7: not multiply wives for himself. Deuteronomy 1717. So monogamy, one husband, 647 00:33:45,580 --> 00:33:49,330 S7: one wife has always been God's pattern. We see that 648 00:33:49,330 --> 00:33:51,820 S7: in Ephesians five. We see that in the book of Proverbs. 649 00:33:51,820 --> 00:33:54,040 S7: And of course we see it in Genesis one and two. 650 00:33:54,070 --> 00:33:57,940 S7: Now there was also a question about Romans 325 about 651 00:33:57,940 --> 00:34:02,050 S7: God passing over sins. This is an important passage, so 652 00:34:02,050 --> 00:34:05,350 S7: let's read it in its context. Verses 24 and 25 653 00:34:05,380 --> 00:34:08,290 S7: say we were justified by his grace as a gift 654 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:11,500 S7: through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God 655 00:34:11,500 --> 00:34:14,380 S7: put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be 656 00:34:14,380 --> 00:34:18,850 S7: received by faith. This is to show God's righteousness, because 657 00:34:18,850 --> 00:34:23,590 S7: in his divine forbearance he passed over former sins. The 658 00:34:23,590 --> 00:34:26,890 S7: passing over former sins is not punishing them to the 659 00:34:26,890 --> 00:34:31,360 S7: degree they deserved. Old Testament sacrifices did not punish our 660 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:34,600 S7: sins to the degree they deserved that punishment. All of 661 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:35,920 S7: it went on. Jesus. 662 00:34:36,219 --> 00:34:39,520 S2: Eric takes us to Proverbs 18, which speaks about the 663 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:43,299 S2: mouth and the power of our words. Proverbs 18 verses 664 00:34:43,300 --> 00:34:45,850 S2: seven and 21. Eric wants to know, is the writer 665 00:34:45,850 --> 00:34:48,610 S2: referring to words coming from the mouth as having the 666 00:34:48,610 --> 00:34:51,460 S2: potential to be harmful for your soul, as well as 667 00:34:51,460 --> 00:34:54,730 S2: bringing forth good results or bad results in the lives 668 00:34:54,730 --> 00:34:55,420 S2: of others? 669 00:34:55,450 --> 00:34:58,540 S7: Yes, that is so right. Words have the potential to 670 00:34:58,540 --> 00:35:01,870 S7: be very helpful and very destructive. I'm sure many of 671 00:35:01,870 --> 00:35:05,440 S7: our listeners have experienced that. A harsh and critical word 672 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,590 S7: spoken in anger can be very discouraging or cause a 673 00:35:08,590 --> 00:35:12,010 S7: rift in a relationship, but a timely word of encouragement 674 00:35:12,010 --> 00:35:15,180 S7: can be just what is needed for someone who's discouraged, 675 00:35:15,180 --> 00:35:19,140 S7: I'm reminded of James chapter three. The tongue is a fire, 676 00:35:19,170 --> 00:35:22,710 S7: a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, 677 00:35:22,710 --> 00:35:25,380 S7: staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course 678 00:35:25,380 --> 00:35:28,589 S7: of life for every kind of beast and bird or 679 00:35:28,590 --> 00:35:31,799 S7: reptile or sea creature can be tamed and has been 680 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:35,730 S7: tamed by man. But no human being can tame the tongue. 681 00:35:35,730 --> 00:35:39,120 S7: It's a restless evil, full of deadly poisons. So we 682 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:42,570 S7: should be very careful. Speech is a gift of God. 683 00:35:42,570 --> 00:35:46,319 S2: Restless, full of deadly poison. That's our tongues. Wow. Good morning. 684 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:49,380 S2: Good words. There. Thank you, Doctor Peterman. Talk about the 685 00:35:49,380 --> 00:35:52,529 S2: value of an interlinear Bible as we search through these 686 00:35:52,530 --> 00:35:54,840 S2: questions that we've got. What is an interlinear Bible? Somebody 687 00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:55,440 S2: might ask. 688 00:35:55,469 --> 00:35:59,700 S7: An interlinear is where you have your first language. Say 689 00:35:59,700 --> 00:36:02,640 S7: your first language is English an English translation. And then 690 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:04,590 S7: right below it or right above it, you have the 691 00:36:04,590 --> 00:36:07,500 S7: original language, whether that language is Greek or Hebrew. So 692 00:36:07,500 --> 00:36:09,540 S7: you can kind of see how they're related. So you 693 00:36:09,540 --> 00:36:11,460 S7: can kind of begin to get a feel for your 694 00:36:11,460 --> 00:36:15,029 S7: Bible's original languages by way of using your interlinear. 695 00:36:15,060 --> 00:36:17,460 S2: So an interlinear Bible, if you were to purchase one, 696 00:36:17,460 --> 00:36:21,660 S2: is quite expensive. However, I routinely use one online. If 697 00:36:21,690 --> 00:36:24,839 S2: you just do a Google search for Interlinear Bible Bingo, 698 00:36:24,870 --> 00:36:26,220 S2: you're in and you're having fun. 699 00:36:26,219 --> 00:36:28,680 S7: Oh, absolutely. And they're going to be several web pages 700 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:29,700 S7: where you can access these. 701 00:36:29,700 --> 00:36:31,590 S2: So it's a great way to study the Bible for 702 00:36:31,590 --> 00:36:35,819 S2: yourself and get to the original languages for yourself. So 703 00:36:35,820 --> 00:36:39,300 S2: check out Interlinear Bible next time you're online. Well, we've 704 00:36:39,300 --> 00:36:41,340 S2: got another segment to come on the broadcast. Want to 705 00:36:41,340 --> 00:36:44,040 S2: say thank you to Gerald Peterman, who returns next week 706 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:46,799 S2: with Charlie Dyer is back with his devotional next here 707 00:36:46,800 --> 00:37:02,010 S2: on the land and the book. If you like the 708 00:37:02,010 --> 00:37:05,010 S2: book of Isaiah, I do. We're headed there next here 709 00:37:05,010 --> 00:37:07,410 S2: on the land and the book. Welcome back to this 710 00:37:07,410 --> 00:37:10,590 S2: fourth and final segment. It's Charlie Dyer's devotional. Charlie, I'm 711 00:37:10,590 --> 00:37:14,370 S2: intrigued with your title, Shebna Tomb. I'm saying to myself, 712 00:37:14,370 --> 00:37:17,460 S2: who is Shebna? Where is his tomb and why should 713 00:37:17,460 --> 00:37:18,420 S2: we care so much? 714 00:37:18,450 --> 00:37:20,250 S8: Yeah, and I think most people are going. Yeah, I 715 00:37:20,250 --> 00:37:22,980 S8: don't recall that name either. Hopefully by the time we're done, 716 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:24,960 S8: it'll be unforgettable for them. 717 00:37:24,989 --> 00:37:27,509 S2: All right. Let's pause first, though, and check in with 718 00:37:27,540 --> 00:37:30,600 S2: an Israel traveler who has an experience that they want 719 00:37:30,630 --> 00:37:32,730 S2: to relate to us now in this testimony. 720 00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:41,430 S9: This was an amazing trip. It just brings the Bible 721 00:37:41,430 --> 00:37:45,120 S9: to life. When I teach the children about places in 722 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:49,140 S9: the Bible, I can relate to them and tell them 723 00:37:49,140 --> 00:37:53,670 S9: where they've been and it. I've also known and learned 724 00:37:53,670 --> 00:37:57,660 S9: a lot that the wilderness is not a group of trees, 725 00:37:57,660 --> 00:38:03,480 S9: and it's just amazing how awesome the country of Israel 726 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:08,700 S9: is and just brings the Bible to life and really 727 00:38:08,700 --> 00:38:09,660 S9: enjoy it. 728 00:38:09,690 --> 00:38:12,630 S10: My name is Anne, and I would just like to 729 00:38:12,660 --> 00:38:16,020 S10: say in my 40 some odd years of studying the 730 00:38:16,020 --> 00:38:19,980 S10: Bible in a Bible teaching church, I never realized what 731 00:38:19,980 --> 00:38:24,540 S10: the wilderness really looked like. And on this trip, to 732 00:38:24,570 --> 00:38:28,680 S10: see that, and to know that Naomi and Ruth traveled 733 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:32,100 S10: over that land and that Christ was in the wilderness. 734 00:38:32,100 --> 00:38:36,210 S10: And just to see the difference in what I thought 735 00:38:36,210 --> 00:38:41,370 S10: was some area that had green trees and everything, and 736 00:38:41,370 --> 00:38:46,140 S10: to know that it's dry rocks, hard and such a 737 00:38:46,140 --> 00:38:50,520 S10: hard land to travel over. It just was very moving 738 00:38:50,550 --> 00:38:51,300 S10: to me. 739 00:38:53,310 --> 00:38:57,900 S2: All right. We're continuing your series 11 inscriptions in the Bible. Right, Charlie? 740 00:38:57,900 --> 00:39:00,270 S8: That's right, John. And we've reached the fourth week in 741 00:39:00,300 --> 00:39:05,009 S8: that series. We're exploring written inscriptions uncovered by archaeologists that 742 00:39:05,010 --> 00:39:08,730 S8: provide insight into our understanding of God's Word. And today's 743 00:39:08,730 --> 00:39:12,330 S8: inscription takes us to the British Museum. Now, I love 744 00:39:12,330 --> 00:39:15,839 S8: exploring the British Museum. It's a virtual treasure trove of 745 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:20,100 S8: artifacts tracing the history of civilization through the ages. We 746 00:39:20,100 --> 00:39:22,830 S8: could spend days here looking at all the different pieces, 747 00:39:22,830 --> 00:39:25,799 S8: but today we're heading to the upper floor to visit 748 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:28,800 S8: the rooms devoted to the Middle East. And our focus 749 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:32,009 S8: is an object that can easily be missed because it's 750 00:39:32,010 --> 00:39:35,070 S8: positioned just to the left and near the top of 751 00:39:35,070 --> 00:39:38,940 S8: the doorway leading into room 57. Now pause here with 752 00:39:38,940 --> 00:39:41,130 S8: me and look up at this rough hewn piece of 753 00:39:41,130 --> 00:39:44,910 S8: limestone just above our heads. That piece of stone was 754 00:39:44,910 --> 00:39:47,310 S8: hacked from the entrance to a tomb on the Mount 755 00:39:47,310 --> 00:39:50,430 S8: of Olives, just across the Kidron Valley from the original 756 00:39:50,430 --> 00:39:52,890 S8: city of David. You can see that it has an 757 00:39:52,890 --> 00:39:56,760 S8: inscription written in the ancient Hebrew script, and which was 758 00:39:56,760 --> 00:40:00,899 S8: partially destroyed when someone cut through the limestone to expand 759 00:40:00,900 --> 00:40:04,140 S8: the opening into the tomb. Now, do I detect a 760 00:40:04,140 --> 00:40:07,890 S8: look of disappointment on your face? There are many fascinating 761 00:40:07,920 --> 00:40:10,470 S8: objects here in the museum, and I get the impression 762 00:40:10,469 --> 00:40:14,310 S8: that this piece of limestone, with its chiseled inscription, doesn't 763 00:40:14,310 --> 00:40:18,300 S8: seem that interesting. And from watching others walk through the museum, 764 00:40:18,300 --> 00:40:21,120 S8: I know you're not alone. Most don't even stop to 765 00:40:21,150 --> 00:40:23,700 S8: look up at the piece, and those who do barely 766 00:40:23,700 --> 00:40:26,820 S8: give it a fleeting glance. But that begs the question, 767 00:40:26,820 --> 00:40:29,609 S8: so what are we doing here? Looking at it? Well, 768 00:40:29,610 --> 00:40:32,370 S8: for those who stop to read the translation and who 769 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:35,640 S8: know the Bible, this inscribed piece of limestone has a 770 00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:39,450 S8: fascinating story to tell. As I said before, this three 771 00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:42,720 S8: lined inscription was carved into the rock over the entrance 772 00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:45,750 S8: to a tomb just across from the city of David. 773 00:40:45,780 --> 00:40:49,319 S8: It was discovered by a French archaeologist and eventually made 774 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:53,910 S8: its way into the British Museum. Later, an Israeli epigraphist, 775 00:40:53,940 --> 00:40:57,930 S8: a person who specializes in studying inscriptions, determined that the 776 00:40:57,930 --> 00:41:01,110 S8: style of writing was the same as the inscription found 777 00:41:01,110 --> 00:41:04,590 S8: in Hezekiah's tunnel, meaning it was written about the same 778 00:41:04,590 --> 00:41:09,239 S8: time he reconstructed the inscription to read as follows. This 779 00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:12,989 S8: is the tomb of Shebna Yahu, the royal steward. There 780 00:41:12,989 --> 00:41:16,200 S8: is no silver or gold here, only his bones and 781 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:19,020 S8: the bones of his maidservant. With him cursed be the 782 00:41:19,020 --> 00:41:22,050 S8: man who opens this. A part of the person's name 783 00:41:22,050 --> 00:41:25,469 S8: was missing, but there are two clues as to his identity. 784 00:41:25,500 --> 00:41:28,350 S8: The last part of his name was Yah or Yahoo, 785 00:41:28,380 --> 00:41:32,219 S8: the covenant name of God, and the individual identified himself 786 00:41:32,219 --> 00:41:36,090 S8: as the royal steward. The royal steward was the treasurer, 787 00:41:36,090 --> 00:41:40,320 S8: or in today's terms, the comptroller or CFO. He's the 788 00:41:40,320 --> 00:41:43,620 S8: one who controlled the royal purse strings of Judah. And 789 00:41:43,620 --> 00:41:47,219 S8: those clues, along with the dating of the inscription, narrowed 790 00:41:47,219 --> 00:41:49,800 S8: down the search for the identity of this person to 791 00:41:49,830 --> 00:41:53,190 S8: just one man in the Bible, a man named Shebna 792 00:41:53,190 --> 00:41:57,089 S8: or Shebna Yahu. And we learn about Shebna and his 793 00:41:57,090 --> 00:42:01,109 S8: tomb in Isaiah 22. Last week we looked at Isaiah's 794 00:42:01,110 --> 00:42:03,750 S8: message to Hezekiah and the people of Judah as they 795 00:42:03,780 --> 00:42:07,690 S8: were making preparations to defend themselves against a threatened attack 796 00:42:07,690 --> 00:42:10,870 S8: by Assyria. It was a time of national calamity, a 797 00:42:10,870 --> 00:42:14,710 S8: time when people needed to. Refocus their priorities and turn 798 00:42:14,710 --> 00:42:17,710 S8: to God for help. But one of the major stumbling 799 00:42:17,710 --> 00:42:21,460 S8: blocks was a self-centered, materialistic. What's in it for me 800 00:42:21,460 --> 00:42:24,400 S8: attitude that stretched all the way up into the royal 801 00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:28,210 S8: court and the royal steward, Shebna was perhaps one of 802 00:42:28,210 --> 00:42:31,450 S8: the most flagrant examples of everything that was wrong with 803 00:42:31,450 --> 00:42:35,890 S8: the country. Here's the message Isaiah had for Shebna. Thus 804 00:42:35,890 --> 00:42:38,950 S8: says the Lord God of hosts, come, go to this 805 00:42:38,950 --> 00:42:42,340 S8: steward to Shebna, who's in charge of the royal household. 806 00:42:42,340 --> 00:42:45,040 S8: What right do you have here? And whom do you 807 00:42:45,040 --> 00:42:47,980 S8: have here that you have hewn a tomb for yourself here? 808 00:42:47,980 --> 00:42:51,610 S8: You who carve a resting place for yourself in the rock. 809 00:42:51,790 --> 00:42:56,950 S8: The nation was on its last legs militarily, economically and spiritually, 810 00:42:56,950 --> 00:43:00,250 S8: and Shebna was spending all his time working on a 811 00:43:00,250 --> 00:43:04,090 S8: lasting monument to himself at a time when Judah needed 812 00:43:04,130 --> 00:43:07,610 S8: trusted leaders, the head of the royal household was acting 813 00:43:07,610 --> 00:43:12,140 S8: like some pharaoh, diverting resources to build himself a tomb. 814 00:43:12,170 --> 00:43:17,239 S8: God's judgement was very direct and appropriate. God announced through 815 00:43:17,239 --> 00:43:20,719 S8: Isaiah that Shebna would be deposed from his office and 816 00:43:20,719 --> 00:43:24,320 S8: taken captive into a foreign country, where he would die. 817 00:43:24,350 --> 00:43:28,399 S8: All Shebna plans for a fancy burial would be for naught. 818 00:43:28,430 --> 00:43:30,710 S8: He wouldn't be using the tomb he had spent so 819 00:43:30,710 --> 00:43:33,710 S8: much time preparing, and the only part of his memorial 820 00:43:33,739 --> 00:43:36,920 S8: to himself that would survive the ages would be the 821 00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:40,520 S8: inscription over the doorway, with most of his name chiseled 822 00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:43,729 S8: out by someone thousands of years later who had no 823 00:43:43,730 --> 00:43:47,180 S8: idea what he was defacing. Now take another look at 824 00:43:47,180 --> 00:43:51,140 S8: the carving. It's not particularly pretty or dramatic, but it 825 00:43:51,140 --> 00:43:54,469 S8: fills in the blanks on why God had Isaiah condemn 826 00:43:54,469 --> 00:43:58,400 S8: this royal steward named Shebna. But what lessons can we 827 00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:01,790 S8: take with us as we leave here today? I'd like 828 00:44:01,790 --> 00:44:05,900 S8: to suggest to first. Like Shebna, we also live in 829 00:44:05,900 --> 00:44:10,340 S8: uncertain times economically, spiritually and morally. These are times that 830 00:44:10,340 --> 00:44:13,640 S8: call for dedication and sacrifice on the part of all 831 00:44:13,670 --> 00:44:16,580 S8: who claim to be followers of Christ. But way too 832 00:44:16,580 --> 00:44:20,270 S8: many Christians are spending their time and their resources on 833 00:44:20,270 --> 00:44:24,320 S8: only themselves. God is looking for faithful stewards and that 834 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:29,630 S8: involves using our resources wisely for him. Second, Isaiah ends 835 00:44:29,630 --> 00:44:34,489 S8: this section by announcing Shebna replacement, Eliakim. God then says 836 00:44:34,489 --> 00:44:37,460 S8: to this new faithful steward, I will set the key 837 00:44:37,489 --> 00:44:40,279 S8: of the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens, 838 00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:42,919 S8: no one will shut, and when he shuts, no one 839 00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:45,140 S8: will open, and I will drive him like a peg 840 00:44:45,140 --> 00:44:48,410 S8: in a firm place. It's no accident that this same 841 00:44:48,410 --> 00:44:51,589 S8: imagery was used later in the Book of Revelation to 842 00:44:51,620 --> 00:44:55,520 S8: describe Jesus as Jesus spoke to the church in Philadelphia, 843 00:44:55,550 --> 00:44:59,480 S8: a church which also faced difficult times, he described himself 844 00:44:59,480 --> 00:45:02,840 S8: this way he who is holy, who is true, who 845 00:45:02,840 --> 00:45:05,240 S8: has the key of David, who opens and no one 846 00:45:05,239 --> 00:45:07,550 S8: will shut, and who shuts, and no one opens, says 847 00:45:07,550 --> 00:45:10,670 S8: this I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before 848 00:45:10,670 --> 00:45:13,340 S8: you an open door which no one can shut, because 849 00:45:13,340 --> 00:45:15,259 S8: you have a little power, and have kept my word, 850 00:45:15,260 --> 00:45:19,310 S8: and have not denied my name. The ultimate faithful servant 851 00:45:19,310 --> 00:45:22,190 S8: is Jesus, and he's promised to help and protect those 852 00:45:22,190 --> 00:45:24,890 S8: of us who are committed to being faithful to him 853 00:45:24,890 --> 00:45:29,240 S8: in spite of circumstances. The museum is getting ready to close, 854 00:45:29,239 --> 00:45:31,850 S8: so it's time to leave. But look back at the 855 00:45:31,850 --> 00:45:36,560 S8: Shebna inscription one last time and ask yourself this what 856 00:45:36,560 --> 00:45:39,650 S8: kind of steward am I being with all that God 857 00:45:39,650 --> 00:45:43,219 S8: has given to me? Am I building a monument to myself, 858 00:45:43,250 --> 00:45:46,400 S8: or am I using the resources he's entrusted to me 859 00:45:46,400 --> 00:45:50,210 S8: to make an eternal difference for him? Let's make sure 860 00:45:50,210 --> 00:45:53,690 S8: we don't end up like Shebna. If you'd like to 861 00:45:53,690 --> 00:45:57,530 S8: see photos of this three lined Shebna inscription on display 862 00:45:57,530 --> 00:46:01,170 S8: in the British Museum along with the explanatory sign. Be 863 00:46:01,170 --> 00:46:02,850 S8: sure to head over to our land in the book 864 00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:06,240 S8: Facebook page where I'll post those pictures. 865 00:46:06,270 --> 00:46:08,460 S2: Thank you Charlie. You know, there's something about seeing it 866 00:46:08,460 --> 00:46:11,400 S2: for yourself that just brings it all alive. This is 867 00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:13,770 S2: not just a, you know, two dimensional. It's three dimensional. 868 00:46:13,770 --> 00:46:16,620 S2: It's real. It happened. Charlie, thank you for bringing our 869 00:46:16,620 --> 00:46:19,380 S2: attention to this great story. If it's been a while 870 00:46:19,380 --> 00:46:21,419 S2: since you've written us, we'd love to hear from you. 871 00:46:21,450 --> 00:46:23,790 S2: Connect with you. Find out how God is using the 872 00:46:23,790 --> 00:46:26,730 S2: program in your life. We're just a quick email away. 873 00:46:26,760 --> 00:46:29,430 S2: Here's how you write to us at The Land and 874 00:46:29,430 --> 00:46:37,290 S2: the book@moody.edu. That's the land and the book@moody.edu. Also visit 875 00:46:37,290 --> 00:46:40,650 S2: our website, The land and the book org where you 876 00:46:40,650 --> 00:46:44,070 S2: can check out today's guest, past guests, future programs, and more. 877 00:46:44,100 --> 00:46:48,450 S2: That's the land and the book.org. Thanks for your company. 878 00:46:48,450 --> 00:46:51,060 S2: Appreciate having you along today. The land and the book 879 00:46:51,060 --> 00:46:53,759 S2: is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody 880 00:46:53,760 --> 00:46:54,989 S2: Bible Institute.