When you're several thousand feet up in the air, you get a perspective on the lay of the land you just don't see when you're on the ground. What if I told you the same thing is true of how we look at Scripture? Coming up, special guest Colin Smith shows us how and why the view from above is so majestic. Plus, we'll look at your latest Bible questions and bring you the top stories from the Middle East. Enjoy an unusual flight with us now as you join
us for the land and the book. Welcome! I'm John Gager. As always, our pilot is Captain Charlie Dyer, a respected Middle East expert and author of many books, including the recently released Who Owns the Land? You know Israel Charlie has been in the news so much, we say that all the time. But it's true. And the Bible, of course, is jam packed with end times prophecies about epic world events, the regathering of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland,
and Jesus return. It is crucial for us as believers, though, to have a proper understanding of Bible prophecy so that our view of the future is shaped by Scripture and and not just today's headlines. Right?
I agree completely, John. And with that in mind, our friends at Life and Messiah have published a book titled God, Israel and Bible Prophecy, and they're offering it to listeners of the land in the book for a limited time. This informative book is focused on providing readers with a deeper understanding and greater appreciation of what God has in store for Israel and the nations by digging into what
the scriptures say about these issues. Now, if you're interested in learning more about what God has in store, visit Life in Messiah. Org and click on the Moody Radio button to find out how you can receive your copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org.
And now a look at current events. This weekend is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and earlier this week was the one year anniversary of the attack by Hamas on October the 7th. So much has happened over the past 12 months, Charlie. Start by walking us through the many events and milestones.
Yeah, John. And it all began with the horror of October 7th, as thousands of Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters broke through the border from Gaza to attack Israeli communities. Over 1200 Israelis were killed, 5400 more were injured, and 250 were carried back to Gaza as hostages. The next day, Hezbollah in Lebanon began firing rockets, missiles and drones into Israel. Nearly 80,000 Israeli citizens were forced to abandon their homes and towns in northern Israel, out of fear that Hezbollah
was preparing to launch an invasion. One year later, those people are still refugees. After rushing in forces to protect both borders, Israel began a full scale attack on Gaza. The goal was to eliminate Hamas and secure the return of all Israeli hostages. One year on, neither goal has yet been fully achieved. Much of Gaza has been destroyed
and around 18,000. Hamas fighters have been killed, but many citizens in Gaza have also been killed because Hamas embedded their fighters and their headquarters, their attack tunnels, their rocket launchers among the civilian population. In the most bizarre twist, the unprovoked attack by Hamas has unleashed a worldwide wave of anti-Semitism, with Israel being charged with genocide for defending itself against Hamas's genocidal attack. Iran encouraged its other proxies
to launch attacks against Israel to support Hamas. In addition to the increasing attacks by Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen launched missiles and drones and tried to block shipping in the Red sea. Shiite groups in Syria and Iraq have also launched rockets and drones. Israel has been hampered in the fight against Hamas by trying to protect the remaining hostages still being held in Gaza. But Israel did eliminate the head of Hamas while he was in Tehran. in
the north. Israel began attacking Hezbollah's leadership over the course of several months. They eliminated several thousand leaders and fighters through the use of exploding pagers and walkie talkies, and through air attacks. They eliminated Hezbollah's top leadership, including Nasrallah, his top aides, and the top leadership of the Radwan force. They also launched two attacks against the Houthis, putting two of Yemen's major ports out of commission. But the main
enemy is still Iran. Iran armed and directed these groups. They also launched two major missile attacks against Israel in response to the assassination of the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. Israel has vowed a major response, and that's where we stand right now. Here's what everyone needs to remember, though, from this past year. Israel didn't start this. Hamas did. Israel isn't guilty of genocide, but Hamas is. Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran all reject a two state solution.
All call for the elimination of the State of Israel. Israel is in a fight. They didn't start. And the other side has said it's either you or them. If someone was trying to break into your house to kill your family, how would you respond? That's the dilemma facing Israel.
Well, Charlie, if Iran is the country pulling all the strings behind the scenes, why has Israel waited so long? Many would ask to address the real threat. And and how might this conflict yet unfold?
Well, Israel has waited this long for several reasons. First, Iran's a large country, and at some distance away, Tehran is over a thousand miles from Jerusalem. And that's taking the most direct route over Jordan or Syria and Iraq. Not exactly friendly territory. Second, the possible targets in Iran are widely scattered. A surprise attack against multiple targets simultaneously is impossible. And finally, Iran might be the ultimate threat.
But Hezbollah and Hamas are the nearer and more immediate threats they needed to be addressed first. Now, in terms of what might happen, Israel has said it will respond to the two direct attacks Iran has already made. The US is pressuring Israel to dial back its response and not attack Iran's nuclear facilities or its oil facilities, or its power grid. Three attacks that could definitely harm Iran
militarily and economically. The US initially said it would stand with Israel against Iran, but it seems that that promise is dependent on Israel abiding by our wishes. Iran has threatened to launch more ballistic missiles and that is a serious threat. They launched about 200 missiles in the last attack on an Israeli airbase in the south, was hit by up to 32 missiles. They didn't do any major damage, but they did manage to get through the defense system.
Iran could cause more damage, especially if they chose to attack other infrastructure in Israel. In more densely populated civilian areas, however, Israel still has the ability to launch air and missile attacks and further damage Iran's economy. Now, when this phase of the war begins, it could be very intense and very brutal. Hopefully it could also be very short.
From Moody Radio. This is the land and the book. Doctor Charlie Dyer, our host, bringing us an update on current events from the Middle East. I'm John Gager. You know, Charlie, several weeks ago you said in passing one reason the Romans attacked Masada was because of Jewish raids against the balsam groves at Engedi in Jericho. A recent news report says scientists there have found and have grown a balsam plant that had been thought extinct for over a thousand years.
What do we know about this discovery? Yeah, this is fascinating.
The discovery actually happened several years ago, when archaeologists found a single seed in a cave in the Judean desert after years of attempting to germinate the seed. Scientists finally got it to grow into a sapling. The plant belongs to a unique species of the Commiphora family, which is known for its aromatic gum resins. These resins were highly prized in the ancient world, and they were used as perfume,
as incense and as medicine. Now, in a twist to this story, this plant, at least so far, doesn't appear to be strongly fragrant. But they've discovered that the sapling's leaves have biologically active compounds with anti-inflammatory properties. It hasn't yet produced flowers or fruit, which they hope will help them compare it with modern day species. I love it, Jeremiah 822. The prophet asked rhetorically, is there no balm
in Gilead? Well, hopefully we might soon learn more about this ancient, fragrant plant, this balm or balsam, and its healing properties.
I love to smell that fragrance. Well, finding an ideal solution for weight loss is big business today, and two Israeli companies are developing novel approaches to help people safely shed those unwanted pounds. Tell us about these new innovations from Amazing Israel.
Well, the first has already received FDA clearance, while the second is still under development, the epitome weight loss capsule. And that's spelled e p I t o m e. But that weight loss capsule is a drug free ingestible medical device. Once the capsule is swallowed and reaches the stomach, it absorbs water and creates a three dimensional matrix that takes up volume in the stomach, resulting in a sensation of fullness. In essence, it mimics the presence of food
and activates the brain's sensation of feeling full. It lasts a few hours in the stomach before moving to the intestine, where it dissolves just within a few minutes. Actually, the second approach is being developed by a Jerusalem based company called metabolize. They're focusing on using two small molecules, known as metabolites, that are produced in the body in response
to exercise or intermittent fasting or ketogenic diets. These metabolites reduce appetite and weight like current medications, but they're less aggressive and they don't have the unfortunate side effects. This treatment would also be taken orally and could be used in foods like protein bars and shakes, and it would be classified as a new dietary ingredient rather than medication. The company hopes to receive FDA approval within 18 months
and have it on the market sometime in late 2026. Now, hopefully, these two new approaches to weight loss will make a difference in the lives of many without causing some of the more unfortunate side effects of current treatments.
Well, we've heard of the Israelites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, now the metabolites. That's interesting Charlie. I like that story. Well, a full program today, as always. Colin Smith, the pastor you may well hear on the radio, will join us in studio to talk about how and why the view from above is majestic. A fascinating look, though, at a simple way of sharing the plan of salvation with your friends.
Also part of that conversation. Later on, Charlie returns with a fresh set of Bible questions, and of course, his devotional is always worth sticking around for. Our website is The Land and the book.org information about today's guest. Past programs. Future programs. All there. Up next, it's a conversation with Colin Smith. There is something about looking out the window
of an airplane that is absolutely mesmerizing. Up several thousand feet in the air, you get a perspective on the lay of the land you just don't get when you're on the ground. But what if I told you the same thing is true of the way we look at Scripture? Today's guest, Pastor Colin Smith, says the view from above is majestic, and we're about to take off for an
unusual flight here on the land. And the book, I'm John Gager, and while I'm fastening my seat belt here and making sure my phone is in airplane mode, let's pause you and I for a quick thought on loving Jewish friends and neighbors for Christ. If you're looking for ways to reach out to your Jewish friends. The Jewish calendar is filled with great pointers, including Yom Kippur. How could that be a center of a of an outreach
kind of conversation? Let's ask Roy Schwartz of Chosen People Ministries.
Roy well, most Jewish people really come away from Yom Kippur without an assurance that anything really happened, that sin has been forgiven. And that's because Yom Kippur, the only provision that God has made, is that without the shedding of blood, there's no remission of sin. And so prayer and fasting and repentance just doesn't cut it. We don't have any real assurance, but as believers, we have assurance based on the blood that God provided once and for all.
But I think it goes further than that, because most Christians don't understand that Yom Kippur was actually a time when God renewed his covenant with Israel, and it was for national atonement. It wasn't for personal atonement. Personal atonement was found every other day when the temple was open and you laid your hands on a lamb and confessed your sin, and the priest would give you the knife.
You had to slit the throat of the lamb. The blood was gathered by the priest offered on the altar, and there was remission of sin, but not Yom Kippur. That was the day when the temple was closed. And most Jewish people have no idea about any of that. And so it's an opportunity to talk about what Yom Kippur is. And when you have more knowledge about Yom Kippur than they do from a biblical perspective, that's provoking them to jealousy.
And that's Roy Schwarz of Chosen People Ministries on the land and the book. Pastor Colin Smith serves as senior pastor of The Orchard with six campuses across Chicagoland. Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is her daily on the radio broadcast. Open the Bible. He and his wife Karen have two sons and five granddaughters. Colin has written many books, including a moody publishers title that has kind of sparked today's conversation, Fly Through the Bible A Brief introduction.
It is so good to finally connect with you again on the land of the book, Pastor Colin John.
It's always a delight to talk to you and thank you for the opportunity of being on your program.
Now, really, I think today's interview should be hosted by our engineer and producer, Dan Anderson. You see, he's a private pilot, and sometime you'll have to ask him about the time he and I flew a mission that we have called Operation Pig Lift. That's a story for another day. You describe your book, Fly Through the Bible as a high altitude exploration of the entire Bible story. What do you mean by that?
Well, I mean that the whole Bible is one story. It begins in a garden. It ends in a city. And all the way through it is about the Lord Jesus Christ. And of course, a lot of people know stories from the Bible. You know, David and Goliath, Jonah and the whale and so forth and so on. But I find that when people grasp that the Bible itself is one big story, that that actually gives them a place to begin, and it gives them an understanding that they may not have had before.
What will this book do for someone who has known the Lord for a while? Or is it really intended primarily for beginners?
Well, I think both. There are many folks I've found who've been in church for a long time, who don't have a sense of the big picture of the Bible story, and many of the folks in the church that I serve here would say that that has been something that has significantly helped them. I mean, the analogy of the flight. If you're flying over the Grand Canyon, you get a sense of the vastness of what's there. But what it does is it gives you an incentive to say, ah,
now I've seen what's there. I want to explore more and get on the ground and do that. So that's the intent. But the thing is always a place to begin. And so for a newer Christian, this is a great place to begin. And most of all, for a person who really doesn't know anything about the Bible, this is a place to begin. And that really has been my primary intent in writing the book.
I do see this as a very friendly, very non stuffy book that I could easily share with a non-believing friend, and I'm assuming that's no accident. When did you get the idea for this as a tool that could be used for non-believers?
Well, I was at a conference in England now a good number of years ago, and just happened to be sitting opposite a brother who was a pioneer missionary to an unreached people group. I'd never met him before, never met him again. But over that lunch he told me his story. That was absolutely fascinating. I mean, here is a man who had gone to an unreached people group.
He had met the tribal chief, been invited to make his home with this tribe, had built his own home, had learned their language, and then made his life there among them. And I'm listening to this stuff. I mean, it was absolutely extraordinary. It was like an adventure story. And at one point during the lunch, I said, Tony, where would you even begin? In explaining the gospel to people who don't even know who God is? And he said,
we tell them the Bible story. And I thought, if that's how pioneer missionaries are operating to reach people who know nothing about the God of the Bible, that's what we need to do here in America and in the West more broadly today, because we need to reach a generation who really have not the faintest idea of who God is or who we are, or what the human problem is, or why we would even need a Savior, let alone what Jesus Christ came into the world to accomplish.
But you see, the very nature of the Bible's story is that God has laid out step by step these things that we need to understand in order to grasp the gospel who God is, who we are, what the human problem is, why we need a deliverer, who he is, what Jesus Christ has accomplished, and what he's therefore able
to do in our lives today. And so very simply, fly through the Bible takes people through this in a journey from Genesis to Revelation that lays out the big picture, and it's intended to give people a place to begin.
Section one of the book is devoted to five people in the Old Testament. Who are the five and how did you choose them?
Well, actually, they're pretty well self-selected. I mean, you have to have Adam. You certainly have to have Abraham and Moses. You have to have King David, and then you have to have someone from the end of the Old Testament story. So that would be either Ezra or Nehemiah. And I went with Ezra. Now these five, if you grasp their stories, really give you and this is, of course, at a very high altitude level, they do give you an overview
of what the Old Testament is teaching to us. God introduces himself in the story of Adam, tells us who we are in the creation of Adam, made in God's image tells us the human problem right there in the story of Abraham. God makes this wonderful promise to bring blessing through the children of Abraham, and it's going to be through Abraham's descendants. That blessing will come to all the families of the earth. You follow the story through
King David and through Ezra. It's all pointing us to Jesus. And the big picture of the Old Testament is it shows us why we need the deliverer, and it shows us why Jesus is the deliverer that we need.
If you're just joining us, Pastor Colin Smith is helping us fly through the Bible. A new release from Moody Publishers. I'm John Gager in the co-pilot seat, and this is the land and the book. Well, section two focuses on five events in the life of Jesus. Boy, with so many exciting moments, let's be honest. What grid could you possibly come up with to select just five?
Well, there are five events. They are that Jesus was born, that he was tempted, that he was crucified, that he is risen, and that he has ascended. Now, obviously there's so much more in the Gospels about the Lord Jesus, the teaching of Jesus, the miracles of Jesus, the parables of Jesus, and so many wonderful events in the life
of Jesus. But if a person who knew very little or nothing at all were to grasp the most important things, I think that to know that Jesus was born and tempted, crucified, raised, and ascended would give the first things that need to be known about the Lord Jesus Christ. These are the things that point us to who he is, and they're the things that point us to why we should trust him.
Section three discusses five gifts for every believer. What are those five? And again, how did you go about identifying the five?
Well, that's perhaps the hardest of all because there are so many gifts that are ours when we are in the Lord Jesus Christ. But the gift of the Holy Spirit clearly has to be the first from acts and chapter two. The wonderful gift of faith, the gift of forgiveness, then the gift of the church. That's one I think that is often forgotten, that when God reconciles us to Himself in Christ, he brings us into his body. Of course, the last one selected itself. It has to be the
gift of heaven. So, I mean, here's a very, very high altitude journey over the whole Bible story. Five people in the Old Testament, five events in the Gospels from the life of Jesus, five gifts that God gives to all who believe. It's a very high altitude, but it's a place to begin.
Colin Smith has a voice you might well recognize if you listen to his daily radio broadcast. Open the Bible. He joins us today on the Land and the book. You've walked with the Lord for some time now. Been a pastor for decades. Still, I have to ask what surprised you as you put this book together?
Without question, you never come to an end of wonder at the sheer grace of God. And I think writing this and just trying to put together the big picture at a high altitude level, the overwhelming sense is how amazing God's grace and his extraordinary love to us in Christ is that he would send His Son, that His Son would give himself in all that that involved in order to redeem rebel sinners like ourselves and to bring people into the joy of knowing him, and then ultimately
into the joy of enjoying him forever in glory. I mean, that is unfathomable. It is inexhaustible. And I hope that as people would read the book and get the big picture of the Bible story, they would say how amazing God is and how wonderful to come to know him and to enter into all that is ours in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now every chapter ends with questions for reflection and discussion. Nothing new there, but I think the way that you phrase the questions does a terrific job of sparking and then guiding conversations I would love to have with my unsaved friends. What's your thought on this? What went into those questions and how did you frame them just right?
Well, I have to give credit to my friend and colleague Tim Augustine, who was the one who drafted the questions on this. And I think that he has done an outstanding job. And I think that for this reason, that they're not the kind of questions that you need to have a vast fund of knowledge to answer. And they're not the kind of questions that just lead to a yes no and a dead end in the conversation.
They're deliberately designed with a particular setting in view, a believer talking to someone who does not yet know the Lord Jesus Christ. And so the kinds of questions that are here are very discussable over a cup of coffee. I mean, for example, first question at the end of the section on Adam, what's your first reaction to hearing that we are made in the image of God? Well, that's a very discussable question. What do you think you would have liked about living in the Garden of Eden,
and why did you choose that? So you can see these are questions that are designed to help people interact with the big picture of the Bible's story. And because of the conviction that if we can introduce the truth of the Scripture to people's lives, it's living seed, and if we put living seed in the ground, then we've got reason to hope that there's going to be some
life that will actually grow up. So I find that regularly now, for some time, we've been saying to the folks in the church that I serve here now, who is there in your life who needs to know the God of the Bible and just might be open to a conversation around the scriptures with you if you were to ask them? And the whole idea of this book is it's a very simple tool that a Christian could use to open conversation with someone who needs to know the God of the Bible and come to saving faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ. All right, I.
Have to ask. I know the book is fairly new yet, but what kinds of stories have you heard as people share this biblical view from above with others.
Well, I'm absolutely thrilled at the way that people are using it. Folks are using it, for example, with their grandchildren, as a means of trying to introduce grandchildren to the truth, and especially if they're not coming to church. This is a wonderful, wonderful means of doing that. We have people who are using it over a cup of coffee, just meeting with folks and using the questions. You can read each section in, I don't know, John. Five minutes, just
five minutes. It's very easy. So it's easy to say, hey, could we just read a little bit and then talk about it? And people are doing that. We've had people who are doing it over text, communicating in that kind of way, sustaining conversations with people sometimes who are many, many miles away but open to talk around the scriptures and where the Word of God is drip fed into a person's life, we can have great confidence that God will bring fruit.
Okay, my conviction is that this book view from above is sort of like a cheat sheet. All right, Pastor Collin, you've done the work for us. Not only have you made the scriptures plain level, simplified, understandable, but you've even handed us the conversation material that we can use. I just want to say a great big thank you.
Well thank you. I hope that people will find it really useful.
That's Colin Smith, who's written the Moody Publishers book Fly Through the Bible. Check it out, a link at our website. The land and the book. Org and up next, it's our friend Charlie Dyer, and I'm looking forward to his answers to your questions. That's next on the land and the book. From Moody Radio. This is the land and
the book. I'm John Gager. Boy, Israel has been in the news a lot over the past year, and as we know, the Bible is jam packed with end times prophecies about epic world events, the regathering of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland and Jesus soon return. It is crucial for us as believers to have a proper understanding of of Bible prophecy. So our view of the future is shaped by Scripture and not just today's headlines.
And with that in mind, our friends at Life and Messiah have published a book titled God, Israel and Bible Prophecy, and they're offering it to listeners of the land in the book for a limited time. This informative book is focused on providing readers with a deeper understanding and greater appreciation of what God has in store for Israel and the nations by digging into what the scriptures say about these issues. Now, if you're interested in learning more about
what God has in store, visit Life in Messiah. Org and click on the Moody Radio button there to find out how you can receive your copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org.
Thank you very much for that. And let's dig into today's question, starting with Steve's. And he takes us to the story of Joseph in Egypt managing the crisis of the famine And ultimately, when the people run out of money in Egypt to buy grain, Joseph has them sell their livestock, then their land, and it all ultimately feels like communism. Is that what this is really talking about here, Charlie?
Well, I read the account in a different way. The seven years of abundance were apparently exceptionally Bountiful, and I say that because just collecting 20% of the produce of those seven good years was sufficient to feed the entire population of Egypt and other countries for the next seven years. Taxes were always a function of government, and in this case the tax was collected to care for the people.
Another point I find fascinating is that if 20% was sufficient to provide for the entire population, what did the people do with the other 80% they kept? I suspect the amount harvested each of those years would have produced a large surplus for the people had they harbored their resources. But human nature being what it is, much of the bounty in those seven good years was likely consumed by the people who somehow thought the Bountiful harvest would continue indefinitely. Now,
the idea of giving away the surplus in exchange for promises. Well, that doesn't match the mindset of leaders at that time. Pharaoh was responsible for outfitting and supporting a standing army to protect the land. He had expenditures for building projects, so funds were necessary. But finally, I see in the phrases in chapter 47 about selling the land to Pharaoh and becoming slaves to Pharaoh. In a more figurative sense.
In that context, as the bargain worked out, Joseph provided the people with food and with seed to grow their crops. They were to give 20% of what they produced to Pharaoh, while they kept the remaining 80% for themselves. That's actually paralleling the tax at the beginning of the section. So they were still on their own land and still keeping 80% of all they produced. And that's not communism.
Agreed. Todd takes us to Second Chronicles 14, verse nine, where we read of a Kushite army of 1 million men. He asks, were armies that size typical in the ancient Middle East?
Well, I need to answer two ways. First, armies could be large and I tend to take numbers found in the Bible, even large numbers literally. For example, I take the number of Israelite fighting men in numbers two, 603,550 at face value. I take the number of Assyrian soldiers killed by God in Isaiah 37, the 185,000, as a literal round number. There. Now, second, in this particular case, I find it interesting that it's a very round number, which suggests to me it's intended as an approximation the
literal wording. In Hebrew there is a thousand thousands, which seems designed to describe a general number. The NIV actually captures the essence of what was intended by translating it not literally, but as a vast army. In that sense, I see it similar to the description of the Midianite army in judges seven, which was said to be as numerous as the sand on the seashore. So could it have been a 1 million man army? I'll have to allow for that possibility that I'm not sure who would
have been doing that counting, though. I tend to think of it, though, since it's from Israel's perspective as a round number. It used to picture this vast army that appeared from a human perspective to be unstoppable. And yet God gives Israel the victory.
Renee asks, how do we know that Matthew, Levi, and Zacchaeus were collecting taxes on behalf of the Romans, and therefore traitors to their own people? Didn't the Jewish government tax the people?
Well, there were two major types of taxes collected at the time of Jesus. There was a temple tax to be paid by individuals for the upkeep of the temple. In fact, that tax is pictured in Matthew 17, where Peter was asked if Jesus paid the temple tax. The amount collected, which was a stater or a shekel, covered both Jesus and Peter for the amount required to pay
that tax. Now the other case, when Jesus called Matthew to follow him in Matthew nine, the account says Matthew was seated at the tax booth, and later Jesus reclined at table with many tax collectors. And it's the same version of that word that's used there to describe those who collected taxes, either for the Romans directly or for those who, like Herod Agrippa, controlled the area and ruled
under Roman authority. Now, the first kind of tax for the temple that was biblical in the sense that it was described in the Bible, it was the tax required by the Romans that was so hated. And the negative response to Jesus dining with Matthew and the other tax collectors, I think, is what lets us know that the ones collecting the tax there were the ones supporting Rome.
Hope you're enjoying this third segment on the land and the book, and I hope you know that your question is always welcome. Love to add yours to the mix when you email us at the Land and the book@moody.edu. This next question takes us to the account of David defeating Goliath. The Bible says that David killed him with a stone from his sling, which of course hit Goliath's forehead. Yet in reading the account, it seems like double talk. David killed him and then took Goliath's sword and killed
him by cutting his head off. How do I answer the person who brought this apparent contradiction to my attention, asks this listener.
I have a great answer for this one because I love that spot. The entire story, including those two statements about Goliath dying, make perfect sense if we view it in its geographical context. The battle took place in the Ala valley. The Philistine forward lines it says in verse one, were at Socoh. The Israelites were on a hill on the other side of the valley between them. Now I've been on Soco. I've stood there. The distance between the front lines of the Philistines and where the battle took
place is about 4/10 of a mile. About 2100ft, or about the equivalent of seven football fields. Now, from this distance, the Philistines, they could make out Goliath and his Armorbearer, and maybe young David. But they would have been rather tiny figures in the distance. Now, here's why that's so important. David took a stone, put it in his sling, struck Goliath and killed him. And Goliath really was dead when that stone, which was about the size of a human fist,
hit him in the forehead. But what did the Philistines see from up on the hill? Well, they saw David twirl his arm, and they saw Goliath fall to the ground. But then they're wondering, did he stumble? You know, maybe he just was stunned. They have no idea. And I can almost hear him shouting out, hey, come on, Goliath! Get up, big boy. You can do it. But then David runs over, grabs Goliath's sword, chops off the head and holds it up. And now the Philistines knew that
David had killed Goliath. So the first pronouncement of death was the actual moment Goliath died. The second was the actual moment the Philistines, and probably the Israelites as well, could see for themselves that Goliath was dead.
Nancy asks, how important is it to be firm on a pre-trib end times viewpoint, or is that presumptuous also? What are the reasons that the pre-trib viewpoint is under attack?
Okay, that's like saying sic em to a dog. To me, I hold to a pre-trib position because I think it makes the most sense in what the Bible presents. Volumes have been written here, so let me give a relatively short summary. The ultimate issue is the purpose for the coming tribulation period. That seven year period mentioned in Daniel nine, verse 27, in verses 24 to 27 of that chapter, God told Daniel that 70 weeks, that is, 70 groups of seven years have been decreed for your people, the Jews,
and your holy city, Jerusalem. God then provides a timeline going forth of of the future history of Jerusalem and the Jewish people. The first 69 weeks of years, the first 483 years, was fulfilled the very day Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the Messiah on the colt, the foal of a donkey. And then the timeline temporarily stops before the beginning of the final seven year period. He says the Messiah is going to be cut off and have nothing.
The prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary in a time of trouble, for the Jewish people will come. And then in verse 27, he picks up the final seven year period and divides it into two halves. But my point here is the entire period, the entire seven years is for your people. That is, the Jews and your holy city that is Jerusalem. In Matthew 24, just before his crucifixion, Jesus gave his disciples a picture of what the future held for them, and
he describes several things. In fact, at one point, though, he says in verse 15, you'll see an abomination of desolation spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place. Well, that comes from Daniel 927 and then he says, when that happens, he puts it into a Jewish context, because he says, those who are in Judea must flee and pray. Your flight won't be on the Sabbath, for there will be a great tribulation, such as has
not occurred since the beginning of the world. The point, though, is as Jesus describes his future time of tribulation, he connects it with Judea and with the Sabbath with the Jewish people. Just like Daniel nine said, I could go on in the book of revelation as well. But my whole point here is the pre-tribulational position makes the most sense if you take the Bible at face value. Now
why is the Pre-tribulational position under attack? I think it's largely because people today really don't know the Bible, and as a result, they're afraid to take a firm position on anything unless they're sure most others agree with them. You know, it's scholarly to question, even to scoff at things that seem to be, quote, simplistic in their understanding of the Bible. But I hold to a pre-tribulation rapture because I believe the Bible pictures the final seven year period,
focusing on Israel in a unique and special way. So God's going to remove the church from the earth and then begin his program again with Israel for that final period leading up to the second coming of Jesus. And I think those two groups are distinct in the outworking of God's plan.
I'm looking forward to Charlie's devotional. It's next right here on the land and the book. Of revelation. Welcome back to the land and the book with our host, Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger and Charlie. I heard about a guy the other day who was on the phone in the car, his wife back home. He's driving to work, and she says, you know, I heard there's a report of some guy driving the wrong way on the on the highway. he says. It's not just one guy, it's just about everybody driving
the wrong way. Charlie, I wonder if that isn't something of a setup for your devotional today titled Going the Wrong Way on a One Way Highway.
John, it's better than you can possibly imagine.
I'm looking forward to what you've got for us as we begin a look at the High Holy Days. Before we get to Charlie's devotional, though, let's pause for this testimony from somebody who's traveled to the Holy Land and comes back with this moment for us.
Hi, I'm Jackie, and this has been a wonderful experience for me. I've traveled a great deal, and this was a really important trip for me. And I just appreciate all the minute things we've learned. Um, we went into the Groovin Valley and down in a cave and saw the oil press. The way that the early Jews had to make oil from the olives, and I'd also had a lesson in a small group at home where we had done that. So it was really fun to see
the actual, you know, oil press and do that. And the olive oil press and the word Gethsemane have the same kind of meaning. And we always hear about the Garden of Gethsemane. But that was a new way to think about it. And it's just been a wonderful experience.
All right. We're headed to the Old Testament today. Where are we going, Charlie, with your devotional. Uh, we're.
Heading into the book of Leviticus to talk about going the wrong way on this one way highway. And, John, where I live, there are a number of interstate highways and other limited access roads. Uh, that's why I was thinking of your opening comment there. The entrances and exits are clearly marked. And yet several times every year, news outlets carry stories of individuals who manage to drive past giant wrong way, do not enter signs, and head up the off ramp onto the divided highway going in the
wrong direction. Sometimes the police are able to arrive in time to avoid an accident, but sadly there have been serious injuries and fatalities as these clueless drivers head into oncoming traffic. Now such Wrong-Way driving usually results from one of four reasons. Impaired judgment caused by drugs or alcohol diminished sight, especially among the elderly, mental impairment, and finally a lack of familiarity with the area. The highway system
or the signage. The specific cause for each incident might vary, but the end result can be a serious accident. Yet while driving the wrong way on a one way highway can cause a physical disaster. Going the wrong way spiritually can have even more catastrophic results. To understand how we're heading into the Sinai Peninsula after Israel's exodus from Egypt in Exodus 40, the newly fashioned tabernacle is finally set up on the first day of the first month. That's
almost exactly a year after the institution of Passover. And what an eventful year it's been. But now Israel is ready to serve the Lord and move forward. The Book of Leviticus begins in chapters 1 to 7, with the institution of the five main offerings to be presented to the Lord. Then, in chapters eight and nine, Aaron and
his sons are ordained into the priesthood and begin their ministry. Unfortunately, that's when two of Aaron's sons go for a priestly joyride and start heading the wrong direction on a one way spiritual highway. The account begins in Leviticus ten. Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their sensors, put fire in them, and added incense, and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died
before the Lord. Now we're not told directly what they had done wrong, though. Verses 8 to 10 suggest one reason for this spiritual crash was drunkenness on their part. Then the Lord said to Aaron, you and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink. Whenever you go into the tent of meeting or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for generations to come. You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the
unclean and the clean. Aaron's sons had apparently been drinking before going into God's presence to offer the incense. We're not told exactly what they did wrong, apart from offering strange or unauthorized fire before the Lord. Perhaps they used coals in their sensors that hadn't come from off the altar as prescribed by God. Or perhaps they came into the tent at a time not set by God. Or it could be that they took the opportunity while in there, to look behind the veil into the Holy of Holies.
Whatever they did, in their drunken stupor, they went against God's strict instructions and they ended up dead. This is indeed a sad story, but why share it now? What does this have to do with the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, which began last night? Well, assuming the events in the Pentateuch are chronological, this must have taken place sometime after the spring festivals, but before the first celebration
of the fall festivals. And I say that because of the way the Day of Atonement is introduced in Leviticus 16. The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, who died when they approached the Lord. That's Nadab and Abihu there back in chapter ten. The Lord said to Moses, tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses, into the Most Holy place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I will appear in
the cloud over the atonement cover. Why introduce the regulations for the Day of Atonement by first rehearsing the spiritual wreck caused by Nadab and Abihu. What is it that ties them into the Day of Atonement? Well, I see two elements in the story that apply following their deaths. God made it clear that the priests were not to
drink wine or other fermented drink. And the second element is God's strict prohibition on Aaron not to come whenever he chooses, into the most holy place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the Ark at the Day of Atonement was the most solemn day on Israel's religious calendar. This was the day that a blood sacrifice was sprinkled before the mercy seat on the Ark of the covenant. The blood came between the tablets of the law inside the ark and the Shekinah glory of God,
who dwelled above the ark. Using repetition, God made it clear what the purpose was for the Day of Atonement. Leviticus 16. He said, this day, atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then before the Lord you will be clean from all your sins. Later, in verses 32 to 34, he says, the high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garment and make atonement for the most holy place, for the tent of meeting and the altar, and for the
priests and all the people of the community. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you. Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites. The ceremony being performed by the high priests was designed to illustrate what must happen if an unholy people seek to dwell with the Holy God. Sin must be addressed. The specific details described by God in Leviticus 16 are very precise, and each part was essential from
the high priest. First needing to offer a sacrifice for himself to his, then being able to offer atonement for the people. He could only enter into God's presence at this one time of the year, and it required the shedding of blood. It also included the confession of sin over the scapegoat, which was then symbolically led out of the camp into the wilderness. Every detail was to be performed exactly as God commanded. There was no room for
variation or improvisation. Each year the priest was to enact, in a very visible and dramatic way, a story of atonement that pointed ultimately to the work of Jesus. The writer of Hebrews explains the reality that was pictured by the Day of Atonement when he writes in Hebrews nine, when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man made, that
is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by the means of the blood of goats and calves, but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. God took very seriously how he was to be approached on a certain day, in a certain way, and always with the blood of the sacrifice to atone for sin. It was a one way street established by God Himself to try to approach God any other way brought death
and destruction, as Nadab and Abihu discovered. All the details pointed to the ultimate Lamb of God who died to pay for our sin. He said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. The ultimate message on the Day of Atonement can be stated this way. There is a holy and righteous God who must judge sin. But this God is also a loving God who has reached down to provide a way for sinful humanity to experience forgiveness.
It involves the death of a substitute, one whose blood was shed to pay the penalty for that sin. The Day of Atonement looked forward to Jesus, who was the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. His death on the cross was sufficient to pay that penalty, but now we're faced with a choice. We can choose to ignore his sacrifice and seek to find some other roadway, to try to reach God on our own. Or we can choose to accept his sacrifice on our behalf and turn to him
to experience God's forgiveness. The choice is yours, but the consequences for choosing to go the wrong way on God's one way street are eternally catastrophic. So be sure to choose wisely.
And if you'd like to choose to follow Jesus, a friend will pray with you now at eight, eight, eight. Need him, 888 need him. That'll do it for today's broadcast for our host, Charlie Dyer. Our producer, Dan Anderson, I'm John Geiger. Thanks for listening. The land and the book is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.