S1: Sure you understand the stories of the Bible, but what
S1: can you do to better understand the places of the Bible?
S1: The land where it all unfolded? Coming up, a sneak
S1: look at a new Bible atlas with features to help
S1: you see it all. Plus headlines from the Middle East
S1: along with listener Bible questions. And then we'll wrap it
S1: all up with an unforgettable look at the Might Have
S1: Been Town. Join us now for the land and the
S1: book A Unique Approach to Understanding the Middle East through
S1: the Lens of Scripture. Doctor Charlie Dyer is our host,
S1: and I'm John Gager. And did you know that most
S1: Jewish people have never heard the gospel? Every week we
S1: talk about Israel and the Jewish people, and it's important
S1: to remember that they, like everybody else, need to hear
S1: the good news.
S2: That's absolutely true. And that's why life in Messiah, a
S2: ministry that's been in existence for over 135 years, is
S2: devoted to sharing the gospel with Jewish people around the world.
S2: And now they're offering a gift to moody listeners. This
S2: free book, Reaching Jewish People for Messiah, highlights the need
S2: for the gospel among the Jewish people. It will equip
S2: you with practical ways to share the good News with them. Now,
S2: to receive this free e-book, visit Life in Messiah org
S2: and click on the Moody Radio logo. Sign up today
S2: to get your copy. That's life in Messiah.
S1: All right, let's turn our attention toward current events from
S1: the Middle East. Last week, President Trump said he would
S1: make a, quote, very, very big announcement before setting out
S1: on this week's trip to the Middle East. So what
S1: was that big announcement? And beyond that, what were the
S1: president's goals for this particular trip?
S2: Yeah, speculation over his cryptic announcement went into overdrive after
S2: he made it, since he connected the timing of it
S2: with his trip to the Middle East. Some suggested he
S2: might announce U.S. support for the creation of a Palestinian state.
S2: Ambassador Huckabee dismissed the accuracy of that suggestion. He wrote,
S2: my four year old grandson Teddy is more reliable. And
S2: take it from Teddy. This report is nonsense. Others connected
S2: it to a possible dramatic breakthrough between Israel and Hamas,
S2: especially with Hamas's release of dual U.S. Israeli hostage Aiden Alexander. Well,
S2: that idea fell through when Israel resumed its attacks against Hamas,
S2: hitting a key command center below a hospital where they
S2: believed Mohammed Sinwar, brother of Yahya Sinwar and commander of
S2: Hamas's military wing, was located. So what was this announcement? Well,
S2: it wasn't completely clear, though. Trump did make two announcements
S2: before he took off. He reported on an apparent breakthrough
S2: between the U.S. and China on tariffs, and he also
S2: signed an executive order aimed at lowering the cost of
S2: prescription drugs. Now, in regard to President Trump's goals for
S2: the trip, his focus was on economics and mediation at
S2: the U.S. Saudi Investment Forum. He described the future as
S2: a time when the Middle East will be defined by commerce,
S2: not chaos, and where the Middle East will also export
S2: technology rather than terrorism. He ordered the lifting of sanctions
S2: against Syria, as he said, to give Syria a chance
S2: at greatness, and he met with the current leader of Syria.
S2: He also said his administration was ready to help Lebanon
S2: create a future of economic development and peace with its neighbors.
S2: The president agreed to sell over $140 billion in arms
S2: to Saudi Arabia, while the Saudis agreed to invest part
S2: of their sovereign wealth fund in the US. Deals were
S2: also struck with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The
S2: Abraham Accords. Iran and the conflict between Israel and Hamas
S2: were also on the agenda, as President Trump worked to
S2: push forward his plans to mediate solutions that could draw
S2: the region into a greater sense of peace and prosperity.
S2: Though not stated directly, the obstacle to all these goals
S2: remains Islamic fundamentalism. Hamas's charter calls for it to continue
S2: fighting until the Jewish state is eliminated and an Islamic
S2: state is established. The same is true of Iran, which
S2: is ruled as a theocracy by the ayatollahs. Iran has
S2: been weakened by Israel's defeat of its allies and by
S2: crippling US sanctions, but there's still a danger to surrounding
S2: countries now that the trip is over. Let's watch to
S2: see what the long term results will be.
S1: Yeah, and it'll be interesting to see what plays out.
S1: Speaking of Iran, the nuclear talks with them resumed Sunday
S1: after being postponed for a week. What do we know
S1: about the most recent round of negotiations?
S2: You know, we actually don't know much, though. The word
S2: from the negotiators was, quote, cautious optimism along with an
S2: agreement to continue negotiating. One key area of disagreement, though,
S2: remains Iran's demand to continue enriching uranium. Iran has said
S2: it must maintain the right to enrich Rich uranium, and
S2: that US demands to limit enrichment are not helpful. Both
S2: President Trump and the US envoy Witkoff have said Iran
S2: can expand civilian nuclear activities, but that it must get
S2: rid of all centrifuges. During his time in Saudi Arabia,
S2: President Trump issued a strong warning to Iran, saying if
S2: Iran's leadership rejects the olive branch and continues to attack
S2: their neighbors, then we will have no choice but to
S2: inflict massive maximum pressure. The choice is theirs to make.
S2: And recent satellite imagery appears to have uncovered a previously
S2: unknown nuclear site in Iran being used to extract tritium,
S2: a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. In addition to creating things
S2: like self-illuminating lights, tritium can also be used to boost
S2: the yield of nuclear weapons. The bottom line right now
S2: is that there's much we don't know about the negotiations,
S2: but President Trump is very clearly telegraphing what his expectations
S2: are if Iran hopes to achieve a successful outcome in
S2: the negotiations.
S1: If you joined us midstream, this is the land and
S1: the book from Moody Radio. Our host is Doctor Charlie Dyer,
S1: noted Middle East expert and scholar. I'm John Gager. Story
S1: number three. The conflict over a bill requiring ultra-Orthodox Jews
S1: to serve in the military in Israel seems to be
S1: coming to a head. Could this be the issue that
S1: ultimately brings down the current coalition?
S2: He almost want to say, Oy vey. It really is
S2: a problem. In fact, the short answer is this could
S2: bring down Netanyahu's coalition. The different ultra-Orthodox parties have been
S2: demanding that Prime Minister Netanyahu pass a bill exempting most
S2: ultra-Orthodox from military service. And, of course, they continued threatening
S2: to bring down the government if he fails to do so.
S2: In fact, right now, they're refusing to vote in the Knesset,
S2: forcing the coalition to remove all proposed legislation from their
S2: docket for the past two weeks. One major problem with
S2: the bill they want is that the vast majority of
S2: Israelis believe all citizens should be subject to the draft,
S2: especially in light of the war Israel has been fighting
S2: for the past 18 months. Most Israelis resent the ultra-Orthodox
S2: refusing to serve. A number of news reports recently appeared
S2: suggesting Netanyahu might preempt the ultra-Orthodox by dissolving the Knesset
S2: over this issue and calling for new elections. He would
S2: then claim he refused to give in to the ultra-Orthodox
S2: on this important matter, which would very likely increase support
S2: for him and his party by those opposed to such
S2: apparent inequity now. So would Netanyahu really dissolve the government,
S2: or is this just a threat to force the ultra-Orthodox
S2: to back down? And right now, we don't know. Netanyahu
S2: would prefer not to go to elections right now or
S2: really at any time. But he also can't allow parties
S2: in the coalition to hold him hostage to their threats
S2: and demands. Watch to see if some sort of compromise
S2: can be worked out in the coming weeks. That will
S2: increase the number of ultra-Orthodox going into the military while
S2: also providing some exemptions. But if a compromise can't be reached,
S2: this could indeed bring down the government.
S1: Story number four A controversial announcement claimed to have discovered
S1: massive structures underneath the pyramids in Egypt. What exactly was
S1: reported and how valid are these claims made by the scientists?
S2: Yeah, it's amazing how how breathless these reports were and
S2: how they appeared in so many different newspapers and journals
S2: and online sources. But here's what the bottom line is.
S2: Researchers from the University of Glasgow and the Italian University
S2: of Pisa caused a stir when they announced they had
S2: mapped tunnels, pillars, pathways and halls beneath the central pyramid
S2: at Giza. They said this vast network descends over a
S2: mile beneath the pyramids, and they claim to have mapped
S2: it all out using synthetic aperture radar beamed down from satellites.
S2: So how valid are these claims? Well, they've been rejected
S2: by virtually all scientists and archaeologists. While NASA has used
S2: synthetic aperture radar from space to map the Earth's surface.
S2: Scientists say it's impossible for such radar waves to reach
S2: thousands of feet underground. These researchers have no background in
S2: Egyptology or archaeology, and they chose not to publish their
S2: findings in a credible scientific journal. In addition, one of
S2: the researchers apparently specializes in ufology, which is the study
S2: of UFOs. One renowned Egyptologist summarized it all best when
S2: he said the claims are false and the details supposedly
S2: discovered could not have been detected using such methods. All
S2: that to say, if you've seen those articles, don't expect
S2: to see detailed photos of this supposed discovery underneath the
S2: pyramids anytime soon.
S1: Thank you Charlie. Many listeners might be wondering what is
S1: the proper understanding of Middle East hospitality, so-called, if that's
S1: what it is, in the gifting of this plane to
S1: the United States of America. Your thoughts?
S2: Yeah. Well, make a friend before you need them is
S2: one of the phrases I learned very early on in
S2: the Middle East. In fact, you find David giving presents
S2: and gifts to the towns in Judah as he defeated
S2: the Amalekites and others. And then later they made him king.
S2: It was just a concept of Near Eastern hospitality that
S2: it still extends today. And I think that's probably what's
S2: behind the offer of that airplane.
S1: All right. Interesting. We'll follow that story as it unfolds. Well,
S1: coming up next, a conversation about why you still need
S1: a Bible atlas. Yeah. You understand the stories of the Bible,
S1: but what could you do to better understand the places
S1: of the Bible where it all unfolded? We're going to
S1: take a sneak peek at a new Bible atlas with
S1: features to help you see it all. Plus, we'll get
S1: to your Bible questions later on, and then Charlie's devotional
S1: wraps it all up. I love the title of this one.
S1: The might have been town. It's all ahead on today's
S1: edition of The Land and the book. If you haven't
S1: yet told a friend about us, today's a good day
S1: to do that. Sure, you understand the stories of the Bible,
S1: but what can you do to understand the places of
S1: the Bible? The land where it all unfolded? Up next,
S1: a conversation about a new Bible atlas with features to
S1: help you see it all. This is the land and
S1: the book I'm John Gager and what do you say
S1: we take a second or two and think about a
S1: creative idea for loving our Jewish friends, neighbors, and co-workers?
S1: When you sit down in an honest conversation with a
S1: Jewish friend about Christianity, the objection you often hear is
S1: that the New Testament is full of errors. Levi Hazen
S1: is executive director of Life in Messiah. How should we
S1: reply to that?
S3: Well, John, volumes have been written that provide evidence of
S3: the New Testament's reliability as a historical document. Are you
S3: aware there are no contemporary historical records that contradict the
S3: New Testament authors, and where the New Testament can be
S3: checked against external sources, they are consistently accurate. So why
S3: wouldn't we take the New Testament as being historically reliable?
S3: When I encounter this topic in conversation with my Jewish friends,
S3: I like to try and work in several questions. The
S3: first of which is have you read the New Testament?
S3: I'm shocked by how many people have opinions about a
S3: book they've never actually read. Second, I like to ask
S3: my Jewish friends if they're aware that the New Testament
S3: is a Jewish document at its core. The authors were Jewish.
S3: It's about a Jewish messiah from Israel, and it relies
S3: heavily on the Hebrew Bible to make its case. In
S3: using these questions and others like it, my hope is
S3: that God will soften their hearts to exploring the New
S3: Testament and Jesus for themselves.
S1: Insights from Levi Hazen, whose with life in Messiah and
S1: you're listening to The land and the book. Doctor Jack
S1: Beck is a scholar, educator, and writer with extensive experience
S1: in biblical geography. He has a Ph.D. in Theology and
S1: Old Testament from Trinity International University, and is an adjunct
S1: faculty member at Jerusalem University College in Israel. And in
S1: the past 20 years or so, Doctor Beck has collaborated
S1: on many projects with our Daily Bread Ministries, including the
S1: Holy Land video series and several books including the Our
S1: Daily Bread Bible Atlas. Welcome back to the land and
S1: the book, Jack.
S4: John, thanks so much for the chance to visit.
S1: So obviously, uh, no shortage of Bible atlases out there.
S1: What made you passionate about taking on this particular project, Jack?
S4: Yeah, so it's a little different, John, in the sense
S4: that I have used a different paradigm for integrating Eating
S4: land and text, and that changes the way the atlas reads.
S4: It is less a history oriented book and more of
S4: a commentary like read, so it is organized chronologically as
S4: you move through the Bible, but it pays attention to geography,
S4: particularly looking for ways in which not only it shaped
S4: events and culture, but the way it shapes the very
S4: way the Bible itself speaks. Because some of what God
S4: has had to say to us, he said, using geography.
S1: Yeah. Well, having said that, uh, don't be scared off.
S1: This is in addition to being a visually stunning book, uh,
S1: one that really does piece the whole narrative together for us.
S1: So I, I like that it's the kind of thing
S1: you can sit down and just take your time with, uh,
S1: what are the sources that you used for the many, many, very,
S1: very nice photographs in the Our Daily Bread Bible Atlas?
S4: Yeah. The photos, John, by and large, are my own, uh,
S4: few of them from the Our Daily Bread Ministries collection,
S4: but quite a few of them from my own. You know,
S4: I've been hanging out in that land for about 30 years,
S4: and camera equipment has changed over time. But I've tried
S4: to refresh that collection. I have, and many of those
S4: refresh pictures appear in the atlas.
S1: Well, they're well done. Doctor Jack Beck is an adjunct
S1: faculty member at Jerusalem University College in Israel. He's collaborated
S1: on a lot of projects with our daily Bread ministries,
S1: including the Our Daily Bread Bible Atlas we're talking about today.
S1: Describe how the in-depth commentaries bring a greater sense of
S1: understanding of the land itself. We've touched on some of it,
S1: but I think until it's all between two covers, all
S1: flowing nicely historically, chronologically correct, we don't quite get it.
S1: What do you think?
S4: Yeah, I think that's true. And it's a fundamental truth, John,
S4: that who we are and how we think and how
S4: we most naturally communicate is very much a product of
S4: where we're from. I very much sound like someone from
S4: southern Wisconsin. And you can't take who I am and
S4: move me to a different place and have the same
S4: backstory that that I have. The same is true of
S4: the lives of people in the Bible, who they are,
S4: how they thought, how they most naturally communicated as a
S4: product of where they're from. And I try to listen
S4: really carefully to the way in which they speak, the
S4: way the biblical authors and poets speak, to listen for
S4: the way in which they use place to inform my thinking.
S1: Well, another innovation with this updated atlas is the use
S1: of QR codes embedded in the text. What kind of
S1: content can listeners expect when they give those a click?
S4: Yeah, so I've had the opportunity to do a number
S4: of film series with our Daily Bread Ministries, and among
S4: the things that we've filmed are some two minute shorts.
S4: And it's those brief shorts that are often connected via
S4: the atlas to the video web portal. So, for example,
S4: if you happen to be reading about a region, you
S4: might get a two minute introduction visually to the region
S4: in a video. If you happen to be reading about
S4: an olive oil crushing press, you could be linked to
S4: a two minute video on the olive oil crushing press.
S4: So they're designed to be brief but insightful.
S1: That's a neat feature. Doctor Jack Beck is a scholar, educator,
S1: and writer with extensive experience in biblical geography. He joins
S1: us today on The Land and the book. I'm John
S1: Yeager saying thanks for being part of our conversation. Jack.
S1: What were some of the challenges you guys had in
S1: shooting those videos? I mean, having been there, many of
S1: our listeners will be aware it's it's a dusty place.
S1: It gets real hot. So photographically that can be a challenge.
S1: Extreme light. What were some of the issues you had
S1: to deal with?
S4: Yeah, well, I got to give credit to the film
S4: crew on this one. They are excellent at picking the
S4: time of day when it's best to be out shooting.
S4: Often that's earlier in the morning or later in the evening.
S4: Leaving the middle part of the day to do other things.
S4: So they really do a great job of picking time
S4: and place to get those shots.
S1: How long would you say it took to accumulate, shoot,
S1: edit all of those little inserts that you're a part
S1: of our Daily Bread Bible Atlas.
S4: Wow. You know, I would say they're the shorts are
S4: very much a part of the four seasons of the
S4: Holy Land that we've done. So there are 34 longer
S4: episodes there. Every time we went to shoot one of
S4: those seasons, we ended up collecting some two minute shorts.
S4: And I think there's something like 60 of them that
S4: are available.
S1: At the risk of overstating the obvious, there are also
S1: lots and lots of maps included. Uh, I think they
S1: just feel fresh. They feel current. Talk about the value
S1: of having accurate and detailed maps as we try to
S1: piece together scripture.
S4: Well, it's for me all about Orientation. It's not the
S4: full story of geographic understanding, but I think it's an important,
S4: fundamental piece. I need to know where things are. And
S4: one way I can do that is through a map.
S4: If I can gain some sort of orientation that is
S4: similar to the orientation the biblical authors and poets had.
S4: I'll be able to both recognize the geography more quickly
S4: in their texts and of course, understand what they're saying.
S1: This is the land and the book. Our guest today,
S1: doctor Jack Beck. The one component to any atlas that
S1: is so limiting, it seems to me, is the inability
S1: to truly convey the topography. Only when you've been to
S1: Israel do you understand that having a scale in hand
S1: and saying, oh, that was just five miles away is
S1: almost irrelevant when you realize how steep the hills are.
S1: These folks would have to walk up and then try
S1: not to tumble down. How do you resolve that issue
S1: of the challenge of conveying topography?
S4: Well, first of all, I want to acknowledge the reality
S4: of everything you've just said, John. Many people come to
S4: Israel to get a geographic picture of the land, and
S4: there's not just one. It is a place that changes
S4: quickly over short distances. And so I make there to
S4: be at least 14 or 15 separate geographic regions. We
S4: call them out in the atlas. We describe them in detail.
S4: We show photos of them. We have topographic maps that illustrate.
S4: So in one or more of those ways, we hope
S4: to be able to give folks a chance to not
S4: only think about how that space might have looked generally,
S4: but individually. How did a region look so that we
S4: might better understand how that region produced unique stories?
S1: Yeah. I mean, that issue really is at the heart
S1: of something that just blew me away after my first visit.
S1: You know, as I said, a scale that says, you know,
S1: a quarter inch is ten miles or whatever does absolutely
S1: nothing to convey what these Bible characters would have experienced
S1: traveling those distances, be they ever so small numerically.
S4: Yeah. Lots of up and down in the horizontal.
S1: Yeah. For sure. Another feature that I really appreciate in
S1: the back you have a number of charts. These are
S1: historical charts that list things out in a way that's
S1: that's sort of visual, but helps me kind of wrap
S1: my brain around it. I can't just seem to read
S1: a text and get it lodged there. I need to
S1: see it simplified in a chart, and you guys have
S1: done a great job with that too.
S4: Well, thanks. I think that is an important part of this.
S4: If you're trying to get your mind wrapped around the
S4: meteorology or weather of a season's of Israel, I think
S4: a chart is incredibly helpful. If you're trying to get
S4: a chronological picture of where that particular person or story
S4: fits in the arc of the larger storyline of the Bible.
S4: We've got those sorts of chronological timelines as well, and
S4: for me too, they really are helpful. Visual aids.
S1: In just one visit to Israel, you are almost overwhelmed
S1: with the geography and topography. One tiny little nation the
S1: size of new Jersey has mountains, plains, deserts, valleys, everything
S1: in between. Maybe the best atlas, though, in the end,
S1: is ultimately a trip to Israel. Your thoughts Jack?
S4: Yeah, I would absolutely agree. Everything that I have done
S4: comes up short of actually being in the land, walking
S4: that land, feeling the breezes, smelling the smells, hearing the birds.
S4: That sort of a sensory surround experience really makes a difference.
S4: And your point is well taken too. The first trip
S4: can be incredibly overwhelming. I've had folks come with me
S4: on trips two, three, four, five times, and inevitably on
S4: the second trip they'll say something like, well, you didn't
S4: say that the first time I was here. I said, yeah,
S4: I bet I did. It was just you were thinking
S4: and trying to grasp something else. And that's why the
S4: the second trip of people who do multiple trips, the
S4: second trip is almost always the one that they report
S4: the most learning on.
S1: I don't know, I can't speak for anybody else. But
S1: to me, no matter how many times I go to Israel,
S1: I just cannot comprehend the extraordinary extremes there are geographically.
S1: You know, I think of going up north and you
S1: go to the Bonniest waterfall. No one, no one would
S1: imagine that such a lush, green, cool, spectacular place like
S1: that existed in Israel, I think, unless they actually went there.
S4: Yeah, it's exactly right. And then you move 15 miles
S4: and you're in a different ecosystem, and another 15 miles
S4: and you're in another ecosystem. And John, something that I
S4: learned early on is that you can't move one of
S4: these stories in the Bible, one of these pieces of
S4: poetry in the Bible, from one region to another and
S4: not impact how you understand and interpret it. So I
S4: think one of the one of the keys for me
S4: as a Bible interpreter, and you'll appreciate this, that I
S4: began my scholarly career as a linguist and literary analyst.
S4: Those were the tools that I thought would most help
S4: me understand the text. I realized after I started incorporating
S4: geography that I needed that tool in my belt as well,
S4: to really come around to a full understanding of a
S4: text and its interpretation.
S1: You know what we're talking about geography. I'm thinking of
S1: an evening I spent recently with a couple of our granddaughters,
S1: and we're reading a Bible story, and of course, it
S1: envisions a sheep in a green pasture. Well, green pastures
S1: a la what we see in the United States just
S1: don't exist in Israel, period. And again, until you go there,
S1: you don't quite get that right.
S4: Yeah. That's right. There is no southern Wisconsin, upper Midwestern
S4: sort of landscape. You know, my grandparents had a dairy farm.
S4: And so prior to my engagement with Israel, a lot
S4: of my agricultural understanding and pictures were were coming out
S4: of that experience. I didn't have another experience to attach
S4: to the language. But when I suddenly get into that land.
S4: And I understand the culture of movement of the shepherds
S4: from wilderness pastures into farm fields and back again. I
S4: had a whole different understanding of Psalm 23.
S1: And standing outside of Bethlehem, on the hills where those
S1: shepherds were positioned at the time of Christ's birth. You
S1: look at the sheep there and you go, how do
S1: they find enough to fill their stomachs? But they do.
S1: And for me, the sort of rush to a devotional
S1: mentality says, you know, God is going to provide, even
S1: if it doesn't look like there's enough there. He'll make
S1: sure there's enough. And that's another great lesson.
S4: It really is. And Psalm 23, it's not that the
S4: livestock are in a place that is so abundant in
S4: food and water that they don't have to worry. They're
S4: in a place that lacks almost everything. But when they
S4: look at the shepherd, they lack nothing.
S1: That's doctor Jack Beck, who has put together our Daily
S1: Bread Bible Atlas. This is not just a collection of
S1: maps or a collection of really pretty pictures. It is
S1: a book that moves you through the entire Bible in
S1: a way that puts it together for you and helps
S1: you understand it on several different levels. Thank you for
S1: your investment with the book. Thank you for sharing with
S1: us today on the land and the book.
S4: John, thanks for the opportunity to be with you. I
S4: always appreciate the visit.
S1: And we hope you come back. Well, coming up on
S1: the broadcast, it's your friend and mine, Gerald Peterman, to
S1: look at Bible questions that have come in. See you
S1: on our next segment of The land and the book.
S1: The Bible is one big book, 66 books inside that book,
S1: and so many different chapters and verses and subjects and
S1: people and places. If you read it and don't have questions,
S1: you got to wonder whether you're really reading it. I'm
S1: John Gager. This is the land and the book. Seated
S1: across from me, the one and only Doctor Gerald Peterman
S1: on the Moody Bible Institute faculty. Now on the land
S1: and the book faculty. Welcome back.
S5: Oh, thank you, sir. Wonderful to be here.
S1: Always fun to take a look at what listeners are
S1: wondering about. Before we get to our first question. Let's
S1: think about the fact that most Jewish people have never
S1: heard the gospel. Each week we talk about Israel and
S1: the Jewish people, and it's important to remember that they,
S1: like everyone else, need to hear the good news.
S5: Life in Messiah and ministry in existence for over 135 years,
S5: is devoted to sharing the gospel with Jewish people around
S5: the world. Now they're offering a gift to moody listeners.
S5: This free book, Reaching Jewish People for Messiah, highlights the
S5: need for the gospel among the Jewish people and will
S5: equip you with practical ways to share the gospel with them.
S5: To receive this free e-book, visit Life in Messiah. Click
S5: on the Moody Radio logo and sign up today to
S5: get your copy.
S1: All right. Sounds good. Thank you. Jerry. Here's Charlie's question
S1: to kick things off. And before we even let him
S1: ask his question. I have to let you know that
S1: you can ask your question when you connect with us
S1: via email at the Land and the book at. The
S1: land and the book at Moody Dot. All right. Charlie's
S1: waited long enough. His question. Uh, this came up at
S1: his Bible study at church regarding fasting. He says there
S1: was a discussion as to whether it is required or
S1: is expected, fasting as it required or expected. And the
S1: scripture that they're referencing is Matthew 617. What do you think?
S5: Well, it's a great question. The law of Moses. We
S5: see that fasting is only required on the Day of Atonement.
S5: You can read Leviticus 16 to see that. But then
S5: after the Israelites had come back from exile, there were
S5: several regular fasts of remembrance. And you can go to
S5: Zechariah seven about this. And Daniel, oh, man, was he
S5: a pillar of faith. Daniel mentions a three week period
S5: of mourning where he abstained from what he calls delicacies
S5: meat and wine. Daniel. Chapter ten. So from Luke 18
S5: with talk about a Pharisee, it becomes quite clear that
S5: many Jews fasted on a regular basis twice a week. Now,
S5: I'm sorry, Charlie, to get to your question. Our Lord,
S5: I think in Matthew 617 is not commanding fasting. Rather,
S5: he's assuming that his Jewish audience is doing it on
S5: a regular basis. They do it to draw close to God, to,
S5: you know, when we have a hunger in our body,
S5: you know, it drives us to rely upon God and
S5: trust in him. So, uh, doing this fasting on a
S5: regular basis kind of opens us up to God. So again,
S5: I don't think Jesus is commanding it. I think he's
S5: assuming we're going to do it, and then he's telling
S5: us how we should do it. We shouldn't do it
S5: to be seen by other people so that we think
S5: we're godly. Right, right. We're doing it for our relationship
S5: with God.
S1: Okay, so he is assuming that we as modern day
S1: followers are also fasting. Is that fair?
S5: Yeah, I think he is. That is, um, it kind
S5: of tests our self-control. Yeah. Okay. You know, you live
S5: in the modern West. There's food all over the place
S5: all the time, and we could be snacking all day long.
S5: But then when we change our schedule and we grow hungry,
S5: and then we let that hunger last for several hours,
S5: it makes us rely upon God and realize how good
S5: we have it. Yeah. It's a wonderful spiritual practice for
S5: drawing near to God.
S1: The president of Moody Bible Institute, doctor Mark Jobe, first
S1: kind of introduced me to this whole challenge. And, um,
S1: so to this day, I try and skip breakfast, for example,
S1: on Wednesdays and devote that time to prayer. And also,
S1: if I'm not, listen to the legalist in me doing
S1: it right, quote unquote. Before I eat, I like to
S1: go over my little prayer list a last time, so
S1: I'm sort of a bookend trying to remember those requests.
S1: Remember why I'm doing this. This is not a health thing.
S1: It's about being serious with God, about things that are
S1: on my heart.
S5: Exactly right. Exactly right.
S1: Yeah. Thank you, Charlie, for bringing that to our attention.
S1: Let's go on to Ron's question. He takes us to
S1: Matthew one verses five and six. Say, And Boaz was
S1: the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father
S1: of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.
S1: But if Boaz marries Ruth to raise up offspring to
S1: her dead husband, Mahlon's name and the neighbor woman declare
S1: a son has been born to Naomi, wouldn't the line
S1: of David technically go through the dead husband Mahlon, instead
S1: of Boaz?
S5: Ah, thanks so much for the question. It's actually a
S5: tough question. Let me mention three things about this. First,
S5: in the law of Moses, levirate marriage is outlined in
S5: Deuteronomy 25. What does it do? It obligates a man
S5: to marry his deceased brother's widow, to ensure the continuation
S5: of the deceased brother's lineage, and the firstborn son will
S5: be considered the heir, and then the air will be
S5: able to supply the needs of the family. So the
S5: issue here is really having property? Where's the property going
S5: to go? It will stay in the family this way.
S5: And then the family has property to grow. Food. They
S5: can take care of themselves. Now, second, in the book
S5: of Ruth, it looks like the son Obed, who is
S5: born to Ruth, would inherit his melons property as well
S5: as Boaz's property, since Boaz is single when he marries Ruth.
S5: So let's end up back at Matthew, right? I think
S5: what Matthew is doing is not giving us the legal
S5: line that would go through my life. Yeah, right. He's
S5: not giving us the legal line. He's giving us the bloodline.
S5: So Boaz is the father of Obed by Ruth, and
S5: Obed the father of Jesse, who is the father of David. Again,
S5: that's not the legal ownership. That's the bloodline.
S1: This is the land and the book from Moody Radio.
S1: Doctor Gerald Peterman on the Moody faculty. Always open to
S1: your Bible questions, and you get them to us via
S1: email at the land and the book at Moody Got
S1: a question from Eric, he says. A while back on
S1: a news broadcast, I heard that many young men were
S1: joining Orthodox churches in the United States. The question how
S1: is the Orthodox Church different from Protestant and Catholic churches
S1: in their beliefs and practices?
S5: Oh, that's a really deep and wide question. And whole
S5: books are written about it. So let's try to cut
S5: to the chase. Okay, so first with the Roman Catholic Church,
S5: the pope is their leader and the pope is believed
S5: to be infallible when he speaks from his official place
S5: as pope. The church has seven sacraments which communicate grace, baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance,
S5: anointing of the sick, holy orders, and marriage. And the
S5: Roman Catholic Bible has what is called the Apocrypha, or
S5: sometimes called the Deuterocanonicals. That's an additional seven books. And
S5: of course, we all know Roman Catholic priests are single.
S5: Now second, the Orthodox Church very similar. They have the
S5: same seven sacraments. I won't go through them. They have
S5: the same apocrypha in their Bible. But their church is
S5: not led by a pope, but by patriarchs. And when
S5: the patriarchs gather for a council, that council is believed
S5: to be infallible. Lastly, with Protestants, things are a bit different.
S5: We often use the phrase sola scriptura. That is, we're
S5: relying on the Bible. That is, the Bible is the
S5: final authority with 66 books, not the additional seven with Protestants.
S5: There are two sacraments, or, I would like to say, ordinances,
S5: baptism and the Lord's Supper. And leadership is mostly decentralized
S5: with the result that individual congregations rule themselves. So that's
S5: a sketch of the differences.
S1: Okay. In John 20, Mark wants to know when Mary
S1: encountered Jesus outside the tomb, he told her, don't hold
S1: on to me, for I have not yet ascended to
S1: my father in heaven. Can you shed some light on
S1: this statement? What's going on here?
S5: I find this one of the most difficult verses for
S5: me in John's Gospel. Here's what I think is going on.
S5: When Jesus says, don't cling to me. I don't take
S5: it that he's being dismissive. I don't take it that
S5: he's being rude. Let's keep in mind what he says next.
S5: He says, go tell my brothers that you've seen me.
S5: So I'm reading the interaction between Jesus and Mary. Like this.
S5: Let's stop the hug for now. There will be time
S5: for that later. Yeah. Right now you have a task
S5: to tell about the resurrection. And I have one too.
S5: So let them all know I'm alive. So he's giving
S5: her the opportunity to go from grief to spreading the
S5: good news, and she's transformed by that commission.
S1: Well, you know, we mentioned earlier that Jesus assumed his
S1: followers were fasting and regularly. Okay. My question is, does
S1: it follow also that Jesus assumed his followers were are
S1: memorizing scripture? What do you think?
S5: I think so. That is in Jesus's life. Growing up
S5: in the synagogue, I'm sure that Mary and Joseph took
S5: him Sunday. By Sunday, I'm sorry. Saturday by Saturday. Please
S5: excuse me. Right. And how is it that our Lord
S5: knows so much Scripture? Because he has heard it over
S5: and over and over and over and over again. And
S5: so we need to be taking Scripture in on a
S5: regular basis. And I think if we just take it
S5: in day by day, week by week, year by year,
S5: month by month, it will be in our heart.
S1: Yeah. Well, I think right there you've revealed tip number
S1: one to somebody who says, oh, my brain just doesn't
S1: work that way. I, you know, I used to when
S1: I was younger or, you know, I just can't seem
S1: to hang on to it. It's exposure. It's like anything
S1: else we can all quote a dumb TV jingle. We
S1: should surely be able to quote a verse or two.
S6: Oh, you're so right.
S5: Just be patient with yourself and just make sure you're
S5: getting Bible input consistently and it will sink in. You'll
S5: find it's in your heart.
S1: Be patient and be persistent. And that word will sink in.
S1: Advice from Doctor Gerald Peterman, who answers your question anytime
S1: you email us at the land and the Book at Moody's.
S1: More to come. On today's broadcast, Charley returns with a
S1: devotional you don't want to miss here on Moody Radio's
S1: The Land and the book. Hey, thanks for connecting with
S1: us today at the land and the book. I'm John
S1: Gager and Charley. How small was the town you grew
S1: up in? Small? Not so small.
S2: 500 people.
S1: All right. I can beat that. The town that my
S1: wife grew up near is so small that when our
S1: kids were taking their driver's training, we had them back
S1: around the entire town. But you've got a different kind
S1: of a town you're looking at today in your devotional,
S1: I understand.
S2: Uh, we are we're looking at the might have been
S2: town of Riblah.
S1: Mentioned three times in Scripture. I'm guessing none of us
S1: have ever heard it or recalled it, but we'll get
S1: to that after this Holy Land experience. Testimony.
S7: Hi, my name is Suzanne Strizic from Chicago, and I
S7: just wanted to say that the power of prayer was
S7: the most remarkable thing. We were prepped before we left
S7: Chicago to to pray, and we honestly did it each night.
S7: And we prayed for everything from the bus driver to
S7: good weather. And God answered all those prayers and just
S7: gave us a joy, you know, of seeing the sights
S7: and and the new friends that we met and beautiful, um,
S7: time together. It was every detail taken care of. So
S7: the answer to prayer was the most beautiful experience.
S8: Hi, my name is Alan Strizic from Chicago, Illinois. One
S8: of the things that really surprised me was when we
S8: were at the Senechal in the upper room, and Charlie
S8: pointed out the statue that was in there. It said,
S8: not by power or might, but by my spirit, says
S8: the Lord. Hearing those words from Zechariah and actually seeing
S8: it in the same place as the Last Supper had
S8: been held, seeing it the same place as the Pentecost event.
S8: It was just a very, very powerful thing. I had
S8: been to the room once before, but it was really
S8: such a surprise and it really moved me a lot.
S8: Thank you Charlie, thank you. Land in the book.
S1: All right Charlie, I'm looking forward to your devotional today.
S1: Have at it.
S2: Thanks, John. Well, few today know much about the 19th
S2: century poet John Greenleaf Whittier. With the possible exception of
S2: a single couplet from one of his poems, that couplet
S2: goes like this. For of all sad words of tongue
S2: or pen, the saddest are these. It might have been
S2: Whittier's poem might be an apt one to read today
S2: as we drive to the site of ancient Riblah in Syria.
S2: The site itself isn't impressive, but the surrounding area is
S2: located by the Syrian Lebanese border. Riblah sits in a
S2: fertile plain, watered by a number of streams that eventually
S2: link up to form the Orontes River. Unlike much of Syria,
S2: which is desert, the immediate area around Riblah is a
S2: patchwork of green fields and well-tended trees. Little wonder this
S2: became a major stop on the route between Egypt and Mesopotamia.
S2: But how can a place of such beauty become a
S2: town of sadness and regret? Well, we'll discover the answer
S2: by visiting the city on three separate occasions through the Bible.
S2: Our first visit to Riblah takes place in the springtime
S2: of Israel's birth as a nation. The people are camped
S2: along the eastern edge of the Jordan River, about to
S2: enter the Promised Land. Moses is giving his final instructions
S2: before turning over the keys of leadership to Joshua. One
S2: item on his Divine Punch list is to share the
S2: specific land boundaries promised by God to the nation. These
S2: boundaries are given in numbers 34, and along the far
S2: northeastern boundary of the land is Riblah. The land God
S2: promised to Israel included much of what is today Lebanon
S2: and Syria, and the beautiful region of Riblah was on
S2: the border of God's promised Land. In Israel's early history,
S2: Riblah represented God's goal, God's ideal for his people. He
S2: was to be their God. They were to be his people.
S2: If they obeyed him, he promised to bless. And part
S2: of that blessing was to include beautiful riblah. Sadly, this
S2: was not to be. Fast forward in time to our
S2: second visit to Riblah, the last good king of Judah,
S2: King Josiah has just died trying to stop Pharaoh Necho
S2: of Egypt from heading north to engage the army of
S2: King Nebuchadnezzar. Josiah took his stand and lost his life
S2: at the hill of Megiddo, in a futile attempt to
S2: keep Judah from being swallowed up by Egypt's plans for expansion.
S2: As Josiah's dead body was being carried back to Jerusalem,
S2: Pharaoh Necho and his army marched north to Riblah and
S2: set up camp. They had hoped to reach Carchemish on
S2: the Euphrates River, but Nebuchadnezzar beat them to the prize.
S2: Carchemish had fallen the next best place for Egypt to
S2: prepare for the coming conflict with Babylon was Riblah. Meanwhile,
S2: preparations were made in Jerusalem for Josiah's funeral and to
S2: determine who would follow him onto the throne. Jehoahaz was
S2: chosen to succeed his father. Unfortunately, he didn't possess his
S2: father's godly character. Though only 23 years old, he had
S2: already decided to follow a different spiritual path rather than
S2: following in the ways of his own father, Josiah. He
S2: chose instead to walk in the ways of his forefathers,
S2: Amnon and Manasseh. He only sat on the throne for
S2: three months, but in that short time he set a
S2: pattern for wickedness that was followed by every succeeding king
S2: of Judah. What a sad legacy. When Pharaoh Necho summoned
S2: Jehoahaz to Riblah, the young king appeared before Egypt's monarch
S2: and learned his punishment for being head of a nation
S2: that had dared oppose the might of Egypt. Pharaoh Necho
S2: put him in chains at Riblah and carried him off
S2: to Egypt, and there he died. Riblah. The town that
S2: represented the extent of Israel's blessing were she to obey
S2: her God, became the town where the king from the
S2: line of David was enslaved and taken to Egypt. The
S2: country from which God had once freed his people from slavery.
S2: But we've not yet reached the end of the story
S2: on Riblah. We need to circle back to the city
S2: one last time. Jehoahaz was followed to the throne by Jehoiakim,
S2: who was followed by Jehoiachin, who was followed by Zedekiah.
S2: Each seemed to be a carbon copy of his predecessor.
S2: The Bible describes each king as a man who did
S2: evil in the eyes of the Lord. The final king, Zedekiah,
S2: was perhaps the most tragic of all, because it appears
S2: that he actually had a struggle of conscience over what
S2: God wanted him to do. But in the end, he
S2: didn't have the strength of character to take a stand
S2: for what he knew to be right. For example, when
S2: the nobles of Jerusalem wanted to kill Jeremiah, he responded meekly.
S2: He's in your hands. The king can do nothing to
S2: oppose you. Reading that verse, you want to shout out,
S2: for crying out loud, Zedekiah, you're the king! You can
S2: oppose them. It took an African slave, David Melech, the Cushite,
S2: to stand up to the king and display the courage
S2: needed to rescue Jeremiah from certain death. Zedekiah was king
S2: when the Babylonians finally broke through the defenses of Jerusalem.
S2: As the Babylonians poured into the city from the breach
S2: in the north, Zedekiah and his family slipped out of
S2: the city. At its southern end, they fled into the
S2: Judean wilderness, down through the countless twisting valleys, making their
S2: way toward the Jordan River, breaking out onto the plain
S2: by Jericho. Zedekiah and his family made a desperate dash
S2: toward the mountains of Ammon. On the far side of
S2: the valley. But the Babylonians caught up with them before
S2: he could get away, and after they captured him, where
S2: did they take him? To Riblah. While the main part
S2: of Nebuchadnezzar's army had been attacking Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar himself wasn't there.
S2: He had set up his headquarters in Riblah. Why? Because
S2: Judah wasn't the only nation in rebellion. The ammonites and
S2: the people of tyre had also rebelled against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar
S2: selected Riblah for his base to prevent these other nations
S2: from slipping behind his forces to cut off his supply route.
S2: Its strategic location and natural resources made Riblah the perfect location.
S2: The Babylonian soldiers were under orders to bring Judah's leaders
S2: to Nebuchadnezzar to be sentenced for their rebellion. Jeremiah provides
S2: a vivid account of what happened next. They captured Zedekiah
S2: and took him to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon at Riblah,
S2: where they pronounced sentence on him. There at Riblah, the
S2: king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes,
S2: and also killed all the nobles of Judah. Then he
S2: put out Zedekiah's eyes and bound him with bronze shackles
S2: to take him to Babylon. Riblah, a town known for
S2: its beauty, became for Zedekiah a place of judgment, incredible
S2: sadness and loss. Loss of freedom, loss of family, loss
S2: of friends, and finally loss of his own sight. Judah's
S2: last king got to see the very outer limits of
S2: the land God had promised to his people, but he
S2: watched that land soak up the blood of his own children,
S2: and then all went dark as he was led away, blinded,
S2: and in chains into exile, where he died. And that
S2: brings us back to John Greenleaf Whittier's haunting rhyme. For
S2: of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest
S2: are these. It might have been. Our journey home is
S2: a little quieter than before as we ponder the decisions
S2: made by Judah's final kings that resulted in such tragedy.
S2: Rebecca didn't have to be a place of sadness for
S2: Jehoahaz or Zedekiah, but it was because of the choices
S2: they made which had consequences. And that forces us to
S2: pause and reflect on our own lives, on the decisions
S2: we've made and on the ones yet to be made.
S2: Will the rebels of our lives be places of joy
S2: where we experience God's blessing that comes from obeying him,
S2: or will they be places of sadness and regret as
S2: we ponder with heavy hearts what might have been?
S1: Well, if that doesn't sober you up, boy, nothing will.
S1: Thank you, Charlie, for that devotional. I want to say
S1: thank you to you for hanging with us. All four
S1: segments here on the land and the book. Our time
S1: is gone, but we'll be back next week, Lord willing
S1: to connect you with everything that God's doing in the
S1: Middle East. I'm John Gager in the land, and the
S1: book is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of
S1: Moody Bible Institute.