Inside a Safe Room

end it all with a fishy tax story. Welcome to the land and the book with Middle East expert doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger. How's your day going, Charlie?

celebrate Passover this year with your family and friends. Now to get this free offer, just go to Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button there to find out more and to request your copy. That's life in messiah.org.

Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. The IDF chief said the withdrawal doesn't mean the war has ended, but it's simply designed to help the army prepare for the incursion into Rafah. However, that might not be the full story. There could be several reasons for the announced withdrawal. The first might be Israel's response to the warning from President Biden that Washington would change its policy of supporting Israel in its war

unless Israel implemented major changes. These included specific steps to address the humanitarian situation there in Gaza and more flexibility in reaching a ceasefire. Former speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi joined dozens of congressional Democrats calling on the president to halt weapons transfers to Israel. The second reason for the announcement could be a concession to Hamas for reaching

a deal on the hostages. It's less than Hamas is demanding, but it provides a possible way to move the negotiations forward. There's also a third possible reason Israel announced the pullout, and it is it gives Israel an opportunity to rest its forces and repair its equipment for either an incursion into Rafah, as they've announced, or for war against Hezbollah

in the north. Prime Minister Netanyahu said. Israel has a date on the calendar for the Rafah invasion, and they're purchasing tents to evacuate civilians from the area around any ground offensive there. At the same time, Israel is preparing their forces to meet challenges from Hezbollah and Iran in Lebanon. The warning that the US could withhold weapons and ammunition, especially in the face of Iranian threats, is a warning Israel takes seriously, especially since it's being voiced in other

Western countries. In fact, in the UK, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the threats being made. They're an example of the deathwish of Western civilization and sadly, his analysis appears to be right on the mark.

These two take orders from Iran. The current threat level escalated when Israel launched an airstrike in Damascus that killed a top Iranian general, who sat on Hezbollah's decision making body. This was a major blow to Iran and Hezbollah. Iran has. How to retaliate, and it's almost certain they will. The only question is how. One possibility is to respond in a similar fashion, trying to attack an Israeli embassy or diplomatic site somewhere in the world. And I've done that before.

Back in 1992, Iran set off a car bomb that destroyed the Israeli embassy in Argentina. Now, the other possibility is that Iran might try a direct attack on Israel itself. You know, they're proxies in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq have launched drones and missiles here in recent past. Some believe Iran might try to launch a swarm of drones or cruise missiles against Israel. Israel has the ability to intercept drones and missiles, though if enough or launched, some

might make it through. But that would also allow Israel to unleash its arsenal against Iran, and Israel could do far more damage. They could stop many, perhaps most of Iran's missiles and drones. But Iran doesn't have the ability to stop an Israeli counterattack. Israel could attack Iran's nuclear facilities as well as Iran's allies in Lebanon and Syria and Yemen. Iran's threat is real, but they're likely weighing the cost to their own country should Israel respond?

Now switching from Turkey to Iran, they've also experienced a sharp crash in the value of their currency. In fact, over the last week or so, the currency dropped 30% in just one day. Inflation in Iran is out of control. A one example people gave 50,000 Iranian riyals would have bought 30 eggs a decade ago. Now it buys a single egg. There have been demonstrations across Iran because of the economic hardships. But the difference between Turkey and Iran

is this. Turkey at least has free elections with different political parties. In Iran, the ayatollahs approve. Who gets to be on the ballot? Iran is in economic decline as a result, yet they continue spending to expand their military, advance their nuclear program and threaten Israel, all at the expense of the average Iranian just trying to make ends meet.

They were mood enhancers that they were using. But even more significantly, these drugs help connect the religious practices of the Philistines to rituals and myths associated with the ancient Greek gods and goddesses like Hera, the goddess of marriage and childbirth, and Artemis, the goddess of hunting, and Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and grain, and Asclepius, the god

of medicine. The study points to a close relationship between the ritual practices of the Philistines and those practiced in the Aegean islands. Now these details help confirm what the Bible makes clear in Amos chapter nine. In Jeremiah 47, there God connects the origin of the Philistines to the region of Castor, which is the biblical name for Crete.

These additional archaeological details about the Philistines religious practices just help authenticate their connection and their origin in the Aegean region.

family members of hostages. Yep. We talked to some of those. Hope though, as Charlie points out, as you hear the wonderful impact that Christians are making and we hope a resolve to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the entire region. Again, our one hour special is called Inside Israel The War. And what's next? You'll find it at Moody radio.org/specials. Up next, we'll take you to a safe

room in Israel. As the events of October 7th unfolded, you heard names like Ashkelon in the news down toward the Gaza border. Welcome back to the land. In the book segment two, I'm Jon Jaeger and you have joined us in Ashkelon. We're here on the balcony of a beautiful apartment. Tatyana Gurevich, you're an executive tour operator with several tours. You're in a beautiful neighborhood here.

many times during the war as well. We luckily live in the north of the city, so this part of the city was not so badly hit as the southern, which is closer to the Gaza Strip, and the center of the city, where they have a lot of houses that are not properly equipped for the bad things that

can happen during the war. We live in a very new neighborhood, and as you know well, um, decades ago, Israel has demanded that all the new construction must have a special security room with the reinforced walls and a special window. However, since the city, I guess it's surrounded by a very good protection. All the performance of the Iron Dome, we could see very well from this balcony,

because all that was happening right in front of us, unfortunately. Well, maybe. Fortunately, we did not spend much time on this lovely balcony with this view during the first weeks of the war, because it was quite dangerous. And we'll walk into the apartment so I can show you what it was. Our daily routine during the first days and weeks of the war.

live in the same neighborhood. Usually during the day, especially in the morning, you can hear children crying, parents hurrying them up to go to school, starting the engines, these and that. The sounds of human life. The first days and weeks you did not hear anything. It was absolutely silent. No cars, no people outside in the streets. More than that, you could not even hear the birds. Usually I wake up with a bird singing, hear no birds. So for me it was very sad because it was like you

felt like you're in the middle of nowhere. You didn't see any people and you didn't hear any signs of human life around.

and then Iron Dome hits them. Some apartment houses were also hit in our neighborhood, got saved us. Our building was not hit, but the building across the street on the other side was hit and they are now doing some renovation works outside the building. The southern part of the city, which is closer to the Gaza Strip and the center of the city, were worse and there were

many houses destroyed by the rockets. And unfortunately there were casualties, of course, and you can still see those houses as you drive through the city.

I'm not an engineer, but what I know is that they use a special concrete for the walls so that they are stronger than other walls in the building, and a special window. So the window is made of a special glass, and then it also has special iron shutters which are very heavy. All right, let's hear it.

everything that was going around. And there were several attacks when I was sitting inside, locked, sealed here in this room. And when it was over, I was afraid to open the door and come out of this room, because from what I heard during the attack, it was almost a feeling like there is nothing outside this room. Honestly, I had a feeling if I opened the door I don't see anything. So the sounds of the attacks were so heavy. So we were sitting and praying here. Here are prayer

cards in the security room. If you spend hours here, you can pray with this.

they were scary. It's the first time in years that I lived here in Ashkelon when I did get scared sitting in this room, but I think the worst thing was the news that we started to hear. My husband and I did not watch the news. We only watched the news that was telling us what we need to do and that's it. And then a couple of days later, they started telling us what happened in the South, and that was when I was really hit by that war.

That was the worst, worst feeling. Not the rockets, not the fear that I personally have sitting in the security room. I mean, I could not complain because there were so many people which were in a much worse situation that me, that I even felt that I don't have the right to complain. I mean, I have this room and I'm safe. How can I complain? There was even. Um, when we learned about the hostages, I remember for a couple of

days my mind would refuse to eat and shower. I could not do those simple things because every time I was thinking, oh, let's go and have a shower, I said, oh my gosh, there are so many people who cannot do that. And then my husband would say, let's sit and eat something. At least. I said, how can I eat? I could not swallow the food on. Honestly it passed. It passed because every pain comes down. And, uh, of course we started doing daily things, showering, eating and everything.

But I still remember those days when I could not do those simple things because I thought, I have no right to do that when other people are suffering so badly. When the first fear came down and we all realized that it's not an ordinary attack, that is something more serious. What happened is that everyone wanted to help. Like my husband and I cannot go to the army. But what can we do? There were so many people volunteering, cooking at home, taking the food to as close as they

could to the soldiers. Because it's not like you could drive anywhere you want. But taking the food down. There were many people who do not have this special room, and they were afraid to leave their homes. So they were getting the phone numbers, the addresses of elderly people or handicapped people delivering food to them. So these are two things that my husband and I did try to

get involved in. But I think that even though that it was as little as we could do, it was a common, this I can say for the whole country, not only for myself. That's what everyone could see in the country, the feeling of unity. And everyone wanted to contribute something, to contribute into the protection of our country, as well as to show solidarity and to show that we are united. And when we are united, we are much stronger. There was an interesting thing that happened a

couple of weeks after the war started. There was uh, I think they called it Flash mob, but it was like an emotional deed from all the people. All the people in the evening at 8 p.m. went out to their balconies and they all sang the national anthem, uh, Hatikvah. I think my husband got it on his phone. He made it and show it. Like if we open the shutters again so that you can see it.

to know that wars are terrible. And as much time and effort as we spend on climate crisis, I would spend, for example, for United Nations to educating people that in the 21st century, after all the history we had, we should not even think of starting any wars anywhere.

who will always support you and praying. I mean, what can you do if you're not in the army, if you cannot control things, the only thing you can do is to pray, because those prayers do materialize and we do see it here in Israel.

I think you're gonna love what's coming next. What's next? It's questions. Yours. Perhaps one of those that you have emailed us as you've puzzled over something you've encountered in Scripture, maybe something you're wondering about prophecy. Maybe it's an issue related to the Middle East. Those questions are all fair game if you'll email us at the land and the book at Moody's Edu. Well, Charlie, Passover will soon be upon us. And one of the traditional Passover questions is

what makes this night different from all others? Passover is an important biblical holiday that has great meaning for both Jewish people and believers in Jesus. So I think that's an important question to ask.

celebrate Passover this year with your family and friends. Now to get this free offer, just go to Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button to find out more and to request your copy. That's life in messiah.org.

presumed to be chaste, not sexually active. For example, in Genesis 24, it's used to describe Rebecca during her first encounter with Abraham's servant at the well in Exodus two. It's used to describe Moses's sister Miriam. At the time. Moses was found in the basket in the Nile in Psalm 6825. It's used to describe maidens playing tambourines in

the procession to God's sanctuary. In Proverbs 31 of my favorites, the writer speaks of the four mysterious ways, with the fourth being the way of a man with a maid. And that's the word there. But it's picturing the mystery of love and courtship. There's nothing sexual or immoral in that verse. In Song of Solomon six eight, the words used to describe one of the three groups of females in Solomon's household. It says there are 60 queens, 80

concubines and maidens without number. I hear it's referring to the female attendants who took care of the women in the harem. But these maidens are quite distinct from those who are connected sexually to the king. Now, my point is that every time the word alma is used, it's used to describe a young woman with a focus on her age. But we might use the word teenager in a similar way, but even that's not a good comparison.

And the next point is that young woman of marriageable age was presumed to be, in fact, was expected to be chaste in Deuteronomy 22. It describes a number of issues related to marriage and sexual immorality, and one key underlying issue is that sexual purity prior to marriage was extremely important, so much so that the death penalty was imposed on a young woman who wasn't chaste. In fact, it says in verse 21 there she's done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her

father's house. So in alma, a young woman of marriageable age was presumed to be a bachelor, a virgin. So I put all this together and look at one last thing. The Septuagint, the Greek translation of Isaiah 714, was made about a hundred years before the time of Jesus. They were trying to translate Isaiah 714 into Greek, and they translated alma as Parthenon, as the Greek word for virgin, rather than using the normal Greek word for maiden, which

was correct. In other words, they felt the Greek word for maiden had too much baggage attached to it and the loose moral climate of Greece. So they used a word that conveyed the chastity that came with a young woman of marriageable age. In the Hebrew culture.

don't impact the meaning of what Micah was saying. So, uh, in this case, it's all they're just, uh, the verse divisions are slightly different, and, uh, that's what I think you can share with your friend.

was pointing, when he predicted the sufferings of Christ. There's the first coming, and the glories that would follow. That's the Second Coming. Peter's saying that the prophets who delivered the prophecies were themselves scratching their heads, trying to put the material together. They didn't quite have it all together. There. Now, having said that, here's my suggestion on how to address the issue with your friend. I point out the two

sets of Old Testament prophecies related to the Messiah. So Isaiah 53, pictures of Suffering servant coming to bear our sin, and Zechariah nine and 11 describe the Messiah riding into Jerusalem on a colt, but being rejected and sold for 30 pieces of silver. Then point out the passages that picture a coming triumphant Messiah. Isaiah nine verses 6 to 7. This child's going to sit on David's throne, and Micah

five two, which talks about him ruling. Then ask, how can the Messiah come to reign but also come to suffer, be rejected, and die for our sins? And before he answers, point out two other passages Daniel 924 to 27, which gives the time from the going forth of a command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah, the Prince. But then says the Anointed One, the Messiah, is going to be cut off. And the word there carries the

idea of being put to death. And then the second passage to read Zechariah 1210, it describes God's return to his people and says, they'll look on me, the one they've pierced, and mourn as one mourns for an only child. And here's the conundrum for him how can the Messiah be born as a child, though his goings forth are from of ancient times, but be rejected, cut off, killed only to return again, and people realize he's the one they pierced, and then explain it's not two different messiahs,

it's two different comings. Which is what Peter was saying in that first Peter one passage.

trees covering the land? On my tour of Israel, I saw a nation largely barren of trees and by the way, whose job was it to bring in the wood to the side of the offerings?

Joshua says, you're numerous and very powerful. You will have not one allowance but the forested hill country as well. There it is, the forested hill country. Clear it and its farthest limits will be yours. So evidently the mountainous area in the center of the country was sparsely inhabited and covered in forests, in terms of whose job it

was to bring in the wood. Well, in Joshua chapter nine, verse 27, when Joshua made the deal with the Gibeonites who tricked Israel into making a peace treaty, he required them to be woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose. So it was the gibeonites job to gather all that wood for the altar.

And then add the time in the wilderness. That's probably a function for around 400 years. So how could the fabric last that long? Well, it's possible some parts of the fabric did wear out and needed to be replaced, but we also know when it was at Shiloh, a more permanent structure was built. And I say that. Because in first Samuel 315 we're told, Samuel opened the doors

of the house of the Lord. It suggests that the tent housing, that holy place, the Holy of Holies, had been replaced with a structure that had an entry door rather than a tent flap. Now, the tent might have still been draped over the top. We just don't know. But there appears to be a more permanent building by the time of Samuel, and that suggests to me that all the other materials might have been replaced as they were worn out.

Charlie Dyer. Next. Right here. Well, it's everybody's favorite time of year. Yeah. This week brings us tax day. Are you pumped? Are you excited? Are you ready? Are John Jager here? Pardon the foolishness, Charlie. I'm sure you had your stuff done weeks ago. Is that right?

a real way. And I'm looking forward to coming back. I don't know when that might happen or how that might happen, but I just know I of course, eventually we'll all be here forever. That's true. But before then, if the Lord tarries out, I'm just looking forward to the next trip.

on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. One of Jesus's 12 disciples had originally been a tax collector in Capernaum. Think of Matthew as the first century equivalent of an IRS agent. But by the time of our story, he had retired from government work to become a full time follower of Jesus. In fact, the change was rather dramatic. Having just healed a paralytic at Peter's house, Matthew himself records what happened next. Jesus saw a man named Matthew

sitting at the tax collectors booth. Follow me, he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him without so much as even a two week notice. Matthew went from the IRS to the IRS in his service. But now, in Matthew 17, following a time of extensive ministry, we again find Jesus and the disciples back in Capernaum. And that's where this fishy tax story begins. But this time we encounter a different taxing authority, much like someone today paying federal, state,

and sometimes even local taxes. So in Jesus's day, there were multiple taxing authorities. The Roman government was the most prominent and most despised, but the religious authorities also collected a tax for the upkeep of the temple. And it's functioning. And it's that taxing body that surprises Peter with a rather direct question. Matthew sets the scene this way. After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two drachma tax came to Peter and asked, doesn't

your teacher pay the temple tax? Caught somewhat off guard by the question, Peter didn't hesitate to respond. Yes, he does, he replied. Now Peter hadn't actually seen Jesus pay the tax, but he never hesitated in giving an authoritative answer, even if that answer might be wrong. When Peter finally made it back to the house where Jesus was staying, Jesus surprised him with an unusual question what do you think, Simon?

He asked, from whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes from their own sons or from others? Peter might not have understood why Jesus was asking such an unusual question, but once again he was quick to provide an answer from others. Jesus then explained the significance of the answer the sons of the king are exempt from paying taxes, and since the temple was God's house, God's Son was also not required to pay the tax. But Jesus followed his mild rebuke with a practical suggestion,

but so that we may not offend them. Go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch, open its mouth and you will find a four drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours. End of story or so it seems to us. But there's something fishy about that answer. Peter was a fisherman, and most of the time fishermen around the Sea of Galilee used nets rather than a hook and a line. So is this some

sort of practical joke on Jesus's part? It's not. But there is a joke from this story played out on most Christians who visit Israel and have a Saint Peter's fish lunch somewhere around the lake. It's a joke because the fish they eat wasn't the type caught by Peter. How do I know that? Well, it's not because of my love of fish or fishing, which, if you've listened to this program for any length of time, you already know. Know.

For this bit of truth, I defer to Mendel Nuna, a Jewish kibbutz who fished the Sea of Galilee for many years. Here's his insight. It's because of this miracle that the mushed that's the Hebrew name of the fish that's today called Saint Peter's fish was given. However, from the realistic point of view, and in contradiction to all accepted tradition, it cannot have been the fish caught by Peter with a hook and line in this famous miracle. The reason is simple the mush feeds on plankton and

is not attracted by other food. It's therefore caught with nets, not with hook and line. The fishermen on the lake have since time immemorial used hook and line with sardine as bait to fish for barbells, which are predators and bottom feeders. So the Saint Peter mushed or tilapia being served at the Sea of Galilee likely isn't the fish Peter caught with a hook and line. But back to

our fishy story. Peter threw in his line along the water's edge, wondering what would happen next, but he shouldn't have been surprised because Jesus told him exactly what would happen. He caught this bottom feeder and as he opened its mouth to retrieve the hook there, lodged inside was a four drachma coin. In Greek, it says he found a small stater which was equivalent to four drachmas. The story

actually ends before Peter carries out Jesus's command. So. So some believe Peter didn't actually catch a fish or pay the tax. But if that's the case, why did Matthew include the story at all? I think it's better to simply assume Peter did as Jesus commanded, caught the fish, found the coin, and paid the tax. And by the way, a drachma was the equivalent of a denarius or a day's wages. The annual temple tax was the equivalent of two days wages, and the coin inside the fish's mouth

paid that tax for both Peter and Jesus. But as we stand here on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and Capernaum, we need to ask ourselves an even bigger question why did Matthew include this story? Certainly, his background as a tax collector might be part of the reason. But within this section of his gospel, Matthew focuses on Peter and Jesus five times. In chapter 14, he mentions that it was Peter who tried to walk on the water to Jesus. In chapter 15, it's Peter who asked

Jesus to explain the parable to them. In chapter 16, Jesus blesses Peter for understanding who he was and then turns around and chastises Peter for denying Jesus's prediction of his coming death. And then here in chapter 17, Jesus explains to Peter why he didn't have to pay the temple tax because of his authority as God's Son. Whether or not Peter understood it at the time, Jesus was discipling him in a special way to help Peter master the lessons of living a godly life in a hostile world.

So did Peter master those lessons? I think the answer can be found in first Peter two. There Peter wrote, submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men, whether to the king as the supreme authority, or to governors who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a

cover up for evil. Live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone. Love the brotherhood of believers. Fear God, honor the King. And that brings us back to Tax Day and the IRS. What does God want from his followers today? He wants us to submit to civil authority and to do what's right in God's eyes. Or as Peter says, fear God and honor the King. So finish up those forms and get them mailed or sent electronically

by the deadline. And then thank God for being able to do good and not use your freedom as a cover up for evil. Oh yeah, and when you're done, stop by your nearest fish joint for a fish sandwich. Or if you're like me, head out for a Saint Peter's pizza. Or maybe even a Saint Peter's grilled chicken sandwich.

But we'll be back, Lord willing, next week. At this same time for another edition of The Land and the book, a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.