When some Christians hear the word Muslim, their knee jerk response is concerned fear, maybe even resentment. But when the Bible says God so loved the world, he includes Muslims and God is doing amazing, in some cases miraculous things throughout the Muslim world, especially in the Middle East. Coming up, an update on God's work in the Muslim world. Join us now for the land and the book. The one hour flyover of the Middle East with our host, Doctor
Charlie Dyer, noted Old Testament scholar, frequent traveler to Israel. Charlie, good to connect with you.
John, it's always good to be talking to you.
And as I look at the calendar, I note that Passover will soon be upon us. One of the traditional Passover questions is what makes this night different from all others? Passover is just an important biblical holiday that has great meaning for Jewish people and believers in Jesus. And this is a really good question to ask. It seems to me.
It is a good question to ask. And if you want to learn more about what makes Passover so special, well, our friends at Life in Messiah are offering to mail you a free copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. The booklet will lead you through the celebration of Passover to see the rich connections to Jesus, our Messiah, and the Last Supper. You'll also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder video with the Haggadah and video. You can
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.
Well, let's swing our focus toward current events in the Middle East. And of course, earlier this week, Israel launched a surprise series of airstrikes against Hamas. What was the purpose of this attack? And and what does this mean for the war with Hamas? Has it now resumed?
Well, the immediate purpose for the surprise attack was to disrupt Hamas's leadership and to pressure the group into releasing the remaining hostages. The attack was successful in eliminating several key political and military leaders from Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Hamas is claiming that by attacking Israel broke the cease fire that was in place, but since the first phase of that deal ended on March 1st, Hamas has refused to release additional Israelis being held. Instead, they've been using
the time to rebuild their infrastructure. Israel now faces, though, a key decision will they resume ground operations in Gaza, or will they continue striking from the air to pressure Hamas? The air campaign isn't as effective, and it allows Hamas to play the role of victim by displaying the bodies of non-combatants killed in the strikes. The world is already starting to condemn Israel for the attacks, but many in Israel are weary of the war, and a ground incursion
will result in additional Israeli casualties. There's currently a fierce debate going on in Israel between those who believe only force will get Hamas to release the hostages, and those who argue Hamas will respond by killing the remaining hostages. The one thing that's certain, though, is Hamas will try to use the situation to their advantage, unless Israel can present a united front.
Well, Charlie, to the point that you've raised, do you think this does result in any slight more willingness on the part of Hamas to consider releasing additional hostages?
Publicly, they would say no. Privately, if Hamas sees that it's losing its grip on power, then they'll be willing to negotiate. And I do think that those who are saying that Hamas only understands force are probably correct.
Story number two Israel is facing a March 31st deadline on a number of crucial votes in the Knesset, including the budget, a military draft bill for the ultra-Orthodox and judicial reform. What might we expect to see happen over these days, Charlie?
You know, sadly, if you watch our Congress, you'll see something similar. Just expect to see absolute chaos as the current coalition tries to push through all these key bills in the short time remaining. Here's one example. The judicial reform bill, which increases political control over the appointment of judges, has to first deal with over 71,000 specific objections that were filed by the opposition. Now, these procedural matters were mainly designed to delay the bill from coming to a vote.
And then there's the budget. By law, the budget has to be approved by March 31st, or the Knesset is automatically dissolved and new elections have to be called. The ultra-Orthodox parties have said they won't vote to approve the budget unless the Knesset first approves a law exempting the majority of the ultra-Orthodox from being drafted. Their opposition to the budget could cause the current coalition to collapse if
they follow through on that threat. Even with Ben-Gvir and his party now reentering the coalition, the vote could still be razor thin. The majority of Israelis believe all Israelis, including the ultra-Orthodox, need to do their part to share in the burden of military service. And as if these major issues aren't enough, well, there's also the discussion over the firing of the current attorney general and the head of Shin Bet, Israel's security services, who opposed Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Each of these moves will also generate additional controversy and legal challenges. The current session of the Knesset extends to April 2nd, so there will likely be an attempt to prioritize getting the budget passed by the March 31st deadline, and then to finalize any other remaining items in whatever time is left. Opposition parties are already testing the water, looking toward new elections should the current coalition collapse.
It's the land and the book from Moody Radio with our host, Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager, and as always in this opening segment, we take a look at current events and what's behind them. Syria's interim president signed into law a new constitution enshrining Islamic rule. What impact will this decision have on Syria.
Well, the decision to adopt a new constitution so quickly, especially one enshrining Islamic rule, threatens to undo the new president's earlier attempts to promote unity. Less than a week after the Kurds and Druze agreed to join the government, both groups appeared dissatisfied with the new constitution. The Kurdish led group governing northeastern Syria rejected the new constitution outright and called for it to be rewritten. Their main concern is that it doesn't go far enough to protect the
rights of Syria's diverse communities. It simply replaces one form of authoritarianism with another. The brutal murder of thousands of Alawites by jihadist fighters connected to the new regime should serve as an exclamation point on the danger posed by
another Islamic extremist government in that area. In Geneva, the UN special envoy for Syria did urge Syria's new leaders to form an inclusive transitional government and to investigate the recent sectarian violence, but it's unclear if anything has actually been done. This new leader of Syria has switched from wearing military fatigues to wearing a suit, and has swapped his jihadist nom de guerre, Abu Mohammad Al-julani for his
own real name, Ahmed Ashara. But only time will tell if these actions are part of a genuine change in focus, or just an attempt to repackage the jihadist brand to deceive the West while they continue to consolidate power.
Story number four the confirmation hearing for Mike Huckabee to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel has been delayed until this coming week. I've read just a bit about this, Charlie, but what is really causing the delay? And can anything be done to help move it forward?
Well, apparently the delay is being caused by opposition to Governor Huckabee on the part of some Democratic lawmakers and the liberal Jewish community. Huckabee's strong pro-Israel stance, along with his willingness to use terms like Judea and Samaria rather than West Bank, upset those who are not as supportive of Israel. In addition, there are some who object to having an evangelical Christian rather than someone who's Jewish, serving
as US ambassador to Israel. Now, I find this sad, because Governor Huckabee has shown himself to be a strong friend and supporter of the nation of Israel. Now, thankfully, there are some, like Democratic Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania, who seem willing to reach across the aisle and support Huckabee's nomination. Most Israelis appreciate his consistent support, including his willingness to take a stand for the Jewish people following
Hamas's brutal attack on October 7th. So what can we do? Well, first, we need to be praying for his confirmation hearing, which is now scheduled to begin this coming week. And if you feel led to write to your senators expressing support for having Governor Huckabee appointed as our ambassador to Israel.
Well, an Israeli startup has developed an artificial intelligence system to help airports dramatically reduce flight delays by 50%. Well, that sounds good to me, Charlie. How exactly does this new system work, though?
Yeah, I'm with you, John. As a frustrated flyer, this story definitely got my attention. Anyone who's done a lot of flying, especially recently, knows that flight disruptions and delays have increased over the last few years. And that's where
this Jerusalem based startup called Intel Act. Intel Capital Act might just be the right technology program at the right time, using artificial intelligence and a video classification algorithm that integrates with an airport's IT platform and their CCTV infrastructure, it detects service anomalies in real time to predict and resolve
bottlenecks and service delays. It also tracks every step in the turnaround process, from cleaning a plane to unloading and loading cargo, refueling, restocking supplies, unloading and loading passengers, and then at each step, it provides actionable steps to improve that time. Now, while it can't resolve every problem like weather delays or equipment malfunctions, it can help smooth out
the on time arrival and departure schedule. After testing the system in Tel Aviv with El Al, the company has signed a large contract to deploy the system at three major airports in Europe. They've also signed on to do a pilot program at Miami International Airport here in the States. Someday, and hopefully soon, you'll be able to head to the airport with greater assurance that your flight will depart and
arrive on time. With help from the artificial intelligence software program developed by intellect out of Amazing Israel.
So you're saying, Charlie, not only might we be able to fly the friendly skies, but they might be the timely skies as well.
Oh, let's hope so, John.
And that's a look at current events. Thank you Charlie. Well, you know, a lot of people have a knee jerk reaction to the rise of Islam in their neighborhoods. But God so loved the world, and we're about to get some updated stories on what God is doing in the Muslim world. In the Middle East, stories you'll be sharing around the dinner table tonight, right here on the land and the book. When some Christians hear the word Muslim, their knee jerk response is concerned fear, maybe even resentment.
When the Bible says God so loved the world, he intended that to include Muslims. Every last one of them. And the headline that many of us seem to miss is that God is doing amazing, in some cases, miraculous things throughout the Muslim world and including the Middle East, where we're headed next for an on the ground update. Hey, I'm glad you've joined us today for the land of the book. Pretty sure that you'll feel the same way
after you hear the encouraging stories coming your way. In this segment, I'm John Gager, and before we start with story number one, here's a quick thought about how you and I can lovingly share Jesus with the Muslim friends that are at work in our neighborhood, maybe down the street. So you'd like to reach out to a muslim coworker or friend or neighbor, but the hijab itself just scares you, intimidates you. What do you do? Lina Abujamra, born in Lebanon,
is a pediatric ER doctor, author of resolved. What do we do?
Ask the story behind the person. I mean, I think this is the number one breaker of walls.
Wait, you can't say, why are you wearing that?
No. That's the story of the life of the person, not about the hijab that comes after, you know, you can ask them, hey, you know what? Why do you wear this hijab? I think so many of us are afraid to ask the obvious. When we were intense ministering in Lebanon recently, we sat down and the Arab woman asked my American team, ask us questions and my guide, who was with us, kind of the middle person who's always there, had warned us, you know, just kind of
go with the flow. But the women are begging us, ask us questions about our lives, ask us who we are. So try to ignore that hijab and get to know the person behind it. What do you need to ask? Ask about their kids. Ask about their husbands. Ask them where they're from. Ask them what they like to do for fun.
Lina. That sounds remarkably like a normal conversation.
It might be hard for some people. John I don't know how you do with that, but. Yeah. Yeah, that's exactly what I'm going for here.
Well, you know, and that really strikes at the heart, I think, of some of our fears that need not be fears. A normal conversation is a great conversation to have. You're saying.
Yeah. And be willing to admit if you don't know, like, hey, I'm not sure I'm going to offend you if I say this or, you know, apologize if you do. And I think most people you know who grow up into adulthood in the United States have some basic, you know, you know, not to say certain things when you're in the TSA line. You know what? You know what I mean? You just get those natural instincts to follow the lead of the spirit. And the more you do it, the easier it becomes.
A normal conversation. Think about that when you think about your Muslim friend. Thanks, Lina. Stefano Ferrer is the president of call of Hope, U.S. for more than a century, call of Hope has been making the gospel accessible to Muslims through creative media, relational evangelism, humanitarian aid, and church planting initiatives in more than 20 years of ministry. Stefanos travels have taken him throughout the Middle East, Africa, India and Southeast Asia. He lives in Germany with his wife
and their two children. It's great to have you back on the land in the book. It's been too long, Stefano.
Thank you. John. I'm excited to be here. Yeah.
I love your enthusiasm always. But back to that first question. Why do so many of us believers still feel a sense of fear when it comes to our Muslim neighbors?
Well, I mean, I do understand that we watch the news, we hear all the bad things happening all around the world. We hear the reports about persecuted Christians, and we just feel that Muslims are violent, that Muslims are against us, that Muslims want to do this and that against us. I think this is what we hear, and we forget that Muslims are actually people who are just misled by Islam. You know what they do even when they do attacks or terrorism attacks, they think they do the right thing.
They think they please Allah. And we have to understand that they are just misled and that we need to tell them the truth and we need to love them. I think love here is just the key.
All right, let's jump to the chase for somebody listening right now who says, you know what? I'm one of those frightened ones, John, that you're talking about. Stefano, what's a good first step for them to take to pray?
Really? I mean, this is what I really think. Pray how you can only reach out to Muslims or even communicate with Muslims in a in a good way if you are able to love them. But I am not able to love laugh now. I'm only able to laugh now when I pray to the Lord that he might pour out this love into my heart. That's really the first thing I need to do that I asked the Lord, help me to love and help me to get a different view. That's really the first thing we should do.
And then I think the Lord gives us opportunities. You know, when we go with such a prayerful heart, then I see my friend, or I see my colleague, or I see my neighbor and and these people feel it. Believe me, they feel when you love them. In Lebanon, for example, one of our co-workers, he works with blind and disabled, and he goes into Hizbollah family's homes. You know, and I always ask myself how. I mean, they hate him.
He's a Christian. How is that possible? And then I understand that they feel that he loves them, you know, and that he is really there because he wants to show them love. Well, he actually also tells them I come in the name of Jesus. He's not hiding that. But they feel the love. So I think when we are out on the road here and people feel we are not against them, we are open. Yes, we are interested in them. We might even invite them for a coffee or at least ask them how you are. What
are you doing? How is your job that makes all the difference? And they feel if this is true or it's not.
Yeah, yeah, you're so right. I mean, you can't crank that up. You can't fake it. You either love them or you don't. And as you say, the source of that love is Jesus himself. We're not going to whip that up ourselves. What God is doing today in the Muslim world. That's our conversation today on the land and the book with Stefano Ferrer. He serves with call of Hope, U.S. you are just back from Lebanon. Tell us a favorite story that comes to mind.
I was in Lebanon and I was preaching in a service only with Muslim background believers. We have around 4000 Muslim background believers during the last few years I was preaching there. I talked about the trust in Jesus and I just ended with an a man and an old woman stands up and she was telling me, well, she's the neighbor of our pastor there, and she's from Hezbollah. You know, um, her two brothers are Hezbollah fighters. And then she was telling me about the war happening in September,
October in Lebanon. She told me that so many rockets came, well, very, very close to her home. One house got exploded and she was full of fear during the night. Her brothers were there. She was so fearful, anxious. And she thought, well, I'm just looking for the Christians. Maybe they are still there. And she went to the neighboring House visiting our pastor and his wife, and she told them, hey, why are you still here? As Christians, you can flee. You can
go to secure areas. Why are you here? And Pastor Touma told her, well, number one, because we don't want to leave you all here alone. We are here to help you. But secondly, we are here because we trust in Jesus. And she said, trust in Jesus. What do you mean? And he explained it to her that Jesus is with them and that he leads their life. And moreover, that's the name of this woman. She looked at him and she said, wow, I wish I could also trust
in this Jesus. Like this. And that was the beginning. And from that onwards she came to the service. And now when I met her, she had given her life already to Jesus. Wow. But the start was this. I want to trust this Jesus. is, how can this Christians do that, you know, and stay so calm. And I think the Lord really gave fruit out of this willingness of our pastor there to stay. And of course, that wasn't him. That was the Lord giving it to him.
But that goes back to your very, very first point, this idea of loving the people. She sensed that love. That's not phony. You can't crank that up. They're staying in the middle of bombs. And that communicated a whole lot.
Absolutely. And you know, it's the Lord helping there. Because I remember when all these bombs came past the tumor, our co-worker, he called me and he said, well, Stefano, listen, tomorrow I will be gone. I need to leave that place. And I said, hey, yes, you're free to move, please. Next morning I called him and I said, where are you? And he said, what do you mean? I said, where are you now? So he said, well, I'm at work. I said, well, but yesterday night you told me you
were going to flee. He said, no, no, no, no, forget about it. I'm very sure the Lord is with me. We are needed here. We will stay, You know, that's the Lord just helping. Through.
Stefano affair travels regularly throughout the Middle East, Africa, India, Southeast Asia. He joins us today on the land and the book to share what he's seeing in the Middle East. We've heard for some time now that God often speaks to Muslims in dreams and visions, maybe appearing as a white angel, that sort of thing. And some wonder why God chooses to speak to Muslims in this supernatural way. Your thoughts.
But you know, I'm sure that is happening, especially in cases where people cannot be reached, where it is just not possible. But frankly speaking, what we see the most is that people are reached with the Word of God. This is just what I see, of course, and in many cases this is possible. And then the Lord is using you and me and the missionaries out there to share His Word. But the Lord can do everything you know, and he has every way. And and I also saw that.
But we have to be careful just to think about these supernatural ways. In many cases, the Lord just wants to use us and wants to get us into it.
All right. Take us to another favorite story of yours, whether it's Lebanon, whether it's somewhere else in the Middle East. A story that has God's signature written all over it.
You know, when I was a few weeks ago in Lebanon, I met so many people who just received the Lord Pastor Toma. He visited all these refugees. You know, around 1.5 million Hezbollah people left their homes and were on the move. I mean, just think about it. 5.5 million in the country, 1.5 are on the move. And he met with so many of them and he told them his story. He is a Christian but nominal Christian background. And he always tells them, I hated you Muslims because
you killed my grandmother, my brother. In the Civil War, many of my uncles, I hated you. I wanted to kill you. Wow. But then the law touched my heart. I understood that the Lord loves me. And I gave my life to Jesus. And then I understood that he also loves Muslims. This is what he usually tells them. And he said, my heart got changed. And there was a guy called Hussein. Hussein listened to that and then he said, I always hated you Christians. I hated you
so much. But now I understand that you Christians have a different heart than I have. And can you help me to get this different heart? And that was the start that they discussed with each other. And this guy actually was an imam. I mean, he was a religious leader After a few weeks he comes to church and Brother Thoma, as always, asked the people, well, if somebody wants to give his life to Jesus today, then stand up.
And this religious leader stands up and says, well, I want everybody here to hear that I gave my life to Jesus and that I trust him, and that I know that he will bring me into Paradise. You know, I mean, you cannot make up such stories. And this is happening right now with these refugees. You know, many of these Hezbollah people are they are down now. They understood that all of this Islam, they always were running behind their leaders. Their leaders are not there anymore. Many
of them, you know that. And now they understand. Hey, something is wrong here and we need to find something else. And then they see the Christians and they see, how these Christians are different.
Yeah. Well, how would you guide listeners to pray for the Muslim world with more intensity, more of a laser focus? How can we sharpen our prayers right where we are now in this time in history?
Well, number one is get informed. I mean, there are so many ministries out there which work among Muslims, either call of Hope or any other ministry. Get informed because if you just pray like oh Lord, please touch them. No. Pray for specific people. Ask the Lord to touch your heart. You know, this is what I always see, that many of our prayer partners are very attached to a certain person. And they asked me and said, well, you reported about this and that person, how is he now? How did
he develop? Right. Because I pray for him since two months, every day. I think that makes the difference that you can pray specifically for a person, for a situation. But of course you can only do that when you are well informed.
Yeah, pray specifically for a specific person. Great advice from Stefano Fier, who's with call of Hope us. There's a link to his website at ours. The land and the book. Org. Man, I hate it when I see the clock going away like it is, because you're just a blessing and we sure appreciate your story.
Stefano, thank you so much that it was possible for me to share today.
And there's more to come on the land and the book. You know what's next? Questions and answers right here. Welcome back to the land and the book. If you're new to the program, we divide the hour up into four different segments. Number one, current events. Number two, Ministry in the Middle East. A conversation with somebody who's making a difference. Segment three where we're at right now, it's all about
your questions as you study the scriptures. And segment four if you're curious, it's a devotional from our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, but answering the questions that come our way is Doctor Gerald Peterman, longtime faculty member at Moody Bible Institute. A great friend of this broadcast, a friend of mine personally, and we're looking forward to what you got to share with us today.
Well, thank you, sir. Me too.
Quick thought here, though. What does Passover mean for us as believers in Jesus? Some remember the story from the book of Exodus, but there's so much more to it. Did you know that the Last Supper was actually a Passover meal? Not only did Jesus and his disciples celebrate Passover, it also foreshadowed his death on the cross for our redemption. Now, Jewish people, of course, have been observing the feast of
Passover for thousands of years. Understanding the history. The importance of this holiday, though, will help you better connect with your Jewish friends and neighbors. And boy, what better way is there to learn about Passover than to experience a Passover Seder for yourself? If you have never celebrated Passover well, our friends at Life in Messiah would love to partner
with you in hosting a Seder experience. Every year, their staff engage churches and small groups in an interactive Messiah in the Passover Seder, allowing participants to taste, to touch, to see the redemption story. And if you're interested and you'd like to have somebody lead a Seder in your area, visit Life in messiah.org and click on the Moody Radio button there to learn more. That's life in messiah.org. And as always, no shortage of questions. Doctor Gerald Peterman, whose
Bible is open. There's a smile on his face. So I guess I'll just get right to it. Right? Good.
Good.
All right. Here's one from Joy. She says, I'm studying revelation and have a question about chapter 12, verses seven and eight. I always thought this was talking about the initial war in heaven, but in studying various commentaries, they talk about it being in the middle of the tribulation, where Satan is no longer given access to heaven. However, one commentary said that this occurred when Jesus ascended to heaven after his death. So what are your views on all this?
Well, first, I'm really glad you're studying revelation. We ought to do it more often, I think. Daniel Green, in his commentary on revelation found in the Moody Bible Commentary, gets this right. So from revelation chapter six, verse one, all the way to the end of chapter 18, that large section talks about the tribulation period when God will carry out his wrath toward sinners and bring Israel to himself. The perspective changes back and forth during those chapters. Sometimes
a perspective from earth, sometimes from heaven. And then after the verses you mentioned joy, we find this. Now a war arose in heaven. Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon, and the dragon and the angels fought back. But he was defeated, and there was no longer a place for him in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down the ancient serpent, who is called the devil
and Satan. So it looks like from revelation 12 that Satan will have access to heaven until he is defeated and thrown down in the tribulation period.
You know, I think a lot of people are afraid of studying the book of Revelation, and part of the reason is because they're wondering, you know, why isn't there just more clarity in revelation and maybe in Daniel and other places? Why does it have to be so shrouded, so wrapped up in, in imagery and that kind of thing?
Well, that's a great question. Sometimes we hear about something and it's hard for us to know how to describe it. John has a vision. He sees a vision of something. He is, by the Spirit's guidance, giving us his description. But sometimes his description kind of doesn't fit the way we understand things. This is typical for apocalyptic literature. That is, the writers use imagery which were not familiar with. Yes, that's why we come to revelation. It seems so foreign.
If we were to read other examples of apocalyptic literature and all its imagery, then we would come back to revelation and say, oh, this is beginning to make more sense, I think.
And don't you think, though, that God also intends that in the exercise of this study, trying to unravel some of these things that we do a little stretching, we do a little growing, we do.
Oh, indeed. Pushing it challenges us, and it forces us to really concentrate and to stretch us. Indeed it does that.
One last thought about revelation. I know this is just conjecture, but you know, you've got the 11 apostles who? Judas, of course, having hung himself. But here are the 11 that walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, learned from Jesus. But only John had this revelation. So how is his life different? How is his Christian experience different from the other apostles, having had this revelation made known to him? What do you think?
Well, I think John has a unique experience with Jesus. John has some unique insights into Christ, and I think as the beloved disciple, almost certainly John is the beloved disciple of John's Gospel. Jesus blesses Him with this revelation because of that intimacy that he has with our Lord.
So I think he's forever in my mind, you know, forever fixed on these things that he's seen. Right. You can't let go of him.
Right, right.
Images like that. How could you just say, well, that was very nice. I think I'll write it down and we'll call it good.
They had to be just stunning for his heart and mind.
Exactly. Yeah. All right, back to this question from Joy. When I read in commentaries, I see that some say that Michael in the Bible is Jesus. What are your thoughts on this?
Oh, I've heard this perspective before, and I have dear Christian friends who think the angel Michael is Jesus. And clearly Michael is righteous and powerful. But let's look and see what the Bible actually says. So first we find Michael in the book of Daniel. Three times Daniel sees a vision about a spiritual battle. Yes, the angel talking to Daniel says, Michael is the one of the chief princes of this spiritual battle. Michael is said to be
in charge of Daniel's people, Israel. So I think we can say from Old Testament evidence that we could call Michael the guardian angel of Israel. Oh, but let's go to the New Testament. Then we find in Jude nine that Michael is an archangel who has a dispute with Satan. Now, there's no indication in Jude that Jesus is Michael. And then the only other time we encounter an archangel in
Scripture is first Thessalonians 416. There Paul says, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, and the voice of the archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. So here a distinction is made between Christ and the archangel. So I think Christ works through Michael the Archangel's voice. We should keep in mind, too, that Jehovah's Witnesses, who deny the Trinity, say that Jesus is not God in the flesh, right? But they say
he is the Archangel Michael. So I think we should be careful with that. The last thing I want to put in is I don't think the archangel is Jesus, because the writer of Hebrews spends a lot of time in chapters one and two, demonstrating that Jesus is far superior to all angels.
Well said. Thank you. All right. Ramesh asks, what is the significance of Melchizedek? Before I let you answer that, I want to remind listeners that you can get your question to us any time. Doctor Gerald Peterman welcomes those questions at the land and the book at Moody Dot. Edu. That's a mouthful. Let me slow it down. It's the land and the book@moody.edu. All right, so Ramesh is asking
what is the significance of Melchizedek? Hebrews seven says that without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. Can you explain the first part of this verse? How did Abraham know of Melchizedek in the first place? And what compelled him to offer a 10th of everything?
Oh, good questions. Good questions indeed. Melchizedek. Wow, a very interesting person. Now, he's mentioned three times in our Bible. First is Genesis 14, when Abraham encounters him, the next time is Psalm 110. And that is really amazing stuff. And then the last time is he's mentioned several times in the book of Hebrews. Now, as we're reading the Old Testament, here's what we regularly see a character, a person is mentioned and introduced into the history, and that
person is given a genealogy. When you encounter Abraham, chapter 11 of Genesis, you get his genealogy. When you encounter Moses, you get his genealogy. Typically also when these characters die, you hear about it. Sure. So when Abraham dies in Genesis 25, it's talked about. But Melchizedek shows up in Genesis 14. There's no background, there's no mom, there's no dad. And then the writer of Hebrews says, no mother, no father, no genealogy. I take it no genealogy is the same
as saying, no mother, no father. That is, he did have real parents. But in the story we're not told who they are.
Right, right, right.
Now, the next question is what compelled Abraham to give a 10th to Melchizedek? Well, that's another great question. Neither Genesis nor Hebrews answer the question directly, but here's what it looks like when you're in Genesis. We find that Melchizedek is a priest king, the first priest mentioned in the Old Testament, a priest king who is priest of
God Most High. Somehow Abraham knows that this is a priest of the only God, and so he gives him a 10th of the spoils from war that he had in Genesis 14.
Very interesting. Thank you for that question, Ramesh. Thank you for your answers, Doctor Peterman. And again, we would love to connect with you. If you've got a question, email yours to the land and the book@moody.edu. Have you been to our website lately? Here's the thing we want you to notice at the land and the book. Org. We've got a podcast of this program that you can download.
You can share it with your friends. It's a great way to extend this ministry to people that you know, that care about God's chosen people, about the Middle East, and all that God is doing there. Look for our podcast when you visit the land and the book.org. More to come as Charlie Dyer returns with his devotional. It's next right here. From Moody Radio. This is the land and the book I'm John Gager. Glad to have you along for our fourth and final segment. It's a devotional
from Charlie Dyer. Remind our listeners, Charlie, of the the name of this series and what your thought behind it.
Yeah, it's 11 inscriptions to the Bible, and what I'm trying to do is focus on our 11 inscriptions, discovered by archaeologists that help us in our understanding of the Word of God.
Well, you don't have to be an archaeologist to go to and appreciate the land of Israel. Take this comment, for example, from someone who's been there and shares this with you and me.
Hi, my name is Johanna and I was 15 years old when we first went to Israel, and the thing that really struck me the most was seeing that the names in the Bible that we so often just cruise over are actual, real geographical locations. And seeing the mountainside where our Savior was born, and that it wasn't a nice green pasture with a beautifully built stable, but just
a rock hollow in a wall. And it shows how humble Christ is and how beautiful God is, that he can give us the opportunity to see the places that meant the most to him as well.
Hello, my name is Bill and a couple of years ago we had the great privilege of taking our kids on a two week trip through Israel and it was just brilliant. The kids had friends along on the trip as well, and what impressed me most was just being able to show them all these places and seeing the lights come on in their faces when they realize that the places that they'd heard and read about were real.
And now, two years down the track, whenever we read the Bible together, we can't have that strange, disconnected feeling anymore. We're interested in where places were and, and and what it's about, and we can picture them now as we think about it. So yeah, we had a fantastic time.
Well, I'm looking forward to today's installment in our devotional series, 11 inscriptions. The Shoulder of Hinnom Amulet sounds like a deep mystery. Charlie.
Uh, it is John, but it's a place that you know well, because you and I have both been there. This is the sixth devotional in my 11 week series that I've called 11 Inscriptions to the Bible. So we're just past the halfway point in this series where we're looking at written inscriptions uncovered by archaeologists that give us new insight into our understanding of the Bible, and our search for today's inscription takes us to the edge of
the Hinnom Valley in Jerusalem. The location is called Ketef Hinnom, the shoulder of Hinnom. It's the spot where the ridge opposite the city of Jerusalem forms a bit of a saddle, a low spot where it was easiest for travelers on the way of the patriarchs to drop into the Hinnom valley and to make their way across to the city of David. Over time, the city of Jerusalem expanded onto the western hill just across the Hinnom, but this low
spot in the ridge remained the easiest crossing point. Today's stop is a bonus stop on our tours if we've made good time the last few days, and if the schedule allows, then one final spot we can add to our trip is a visit to the tombs at the shoulder of Hinnom. It's a fun way to spend an extra half hour explaining what a family tomb complex looked like during the time just before the Babylonian captivity We
get volunteers to line up on the burial benches. This particular tomb could hold up to seven bodies at one time, and they can look into the repository carved underneath one of the benches. After allowing the body to decay for a year, the bones were collected and placed in this repository. The person was literally gathered to his fathers, but as quirky and educational as the site might be. We're here because of an amazing discovery that came from this very tomb.
In 1979, Israeli archaeologist Gabriel Barkay led a team of student volunteers to excavate the site. Though it appeared as if the site had been thoroughly looted in the past, they discovered that a layer of limestone inside the repository had dislodged and fallen from the ceiling, completely hiding everything below. The slab was removed and the treasures from the tomb came to light. Now it wasn't like uncovering King Tut's tomb. There were no chariots or golden masks or alabaster jars.
But in addition to the bones, they did discover about a thousand small objects. Most were clay lamps and jars, along with needles and pins, glass bottles, jewelry, and even some arrowheads. But the most remarkable objects discovered were two small silver pieces that looked like, well, they looked something like cigarette butts, but it was quickly determined that they were rolled up pieces of silver that had once been
worn as necklaces or amulets. It took years of careful work for scientists to unroll the tiny scrolls and discover what was written inside. When the scrolls were opened, the archaeologists discovered ancient Hebrew letters carefully inscribed on each piece. These thin pieces of silver had been rolled up to make an amulet, likely worn as a favorite necklace, and when the owner died, he or she was buried with
this prized possession. But what was written on these scrolls, the larger of the two, begins by talking about Yahweh the Great, who keeps the covenant, and who is gracious toward those who love him and who keep his commandments. Then it goes on to say, for redemption is in him, for Yahweh is our restorer and rock. May Yahweh bless you. May he keep you. May Yahweh make his face shine. And that's where the bottom of the scroll was broken away.
The smaller amulet has a liner so that aren't clearly legible. At the very beginning, though it might have given the person's name and family identity. But then it goes on to say, May you be blessed by Yahweh the warrior and rebuker of evil. May Yahweh bless you and keep you. May Yahweh make his face shine upon you and grant you peace. Sound familiar? Both amulets end by quoting from number six the passage where Moses told Aaron how he
and his sons were to bless Israel. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his son, saying, thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them, the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you, and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall they invoke my name on the sons of Israel, and I then will
bless them here in this family tomb. Archaeologists discovered two references to this very blessing assigned to Aaron and his descendants by Moses. Even down to using the covenant keeping name of God Yahweh. Pretty amazing. And it's even more amazing when we realize that this is the earliest written quotation of Scripture ever uncovered by archaeologists. But there's one
more amazing thing about these amulets. And to understand what it is, I need to explain how many critics interpret the first five books of the Bible, rather than accepting that the books were written by Moses. They divide them up into different independent sources that they say weren't patched
together until after the Babylonian captivity. They see at least four such sources, often labeled j, E, D, and P. They would claim that the earliest of these, the j or Yahwistic source, dates no earlier than 950 BC, and the most recent of the sources, the p or priestly source, dates to the time of the Jewish exile in Babylon or later. This theory is sometimes called the documentary hypothesis. If you ever took a religion course in college, you
probably came across it. Now here's what's amazing. This theory has said that the priestly benediction of Aaron was part of the P document, the one not written until the time of the Babylonian captivity. But these amulets were found in a tomb that stopped being used at the time of the Babylonian captivity. And they were quoting that benediction. It's hard to quote something that supposedly doesn't exist yet.
The documentary hypothesis, or jedp theory has been disproved a number of ways, even though it's still being taught in many universities and seminaries. It was proposed by scholars who refused to accept the Bible at face value. And even when evidence like these amulets is discovered, the theory still refuses to die. So what lesson can we take away from our visit to this tomb on the edge of the Hinnom valley. How about this? You can trust the Bible in spite of attempts to discredit it or to
try to explain it away. New evidence keeps being discovered to support its historical truth. And because you can trust the Bible, you can also trust the God who wrote the Bible. He's the one who has promised to bless you and keep you, to make his face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you and to give you peace. The people buried in this tomb more than 2600 years
ago knew that to be true. And so can you today. Now, if you'd like to see photos of this tomb complex overlooking the Hinnom Valley, or the inscription from number six now on display in the Israel Museum, or head over to our land in the book Facebook page and look at the pictures that I've posted there.
Thank you Charlie. And again, check out that Facebook page. I love the way Charlie puts so much energy into these photos and descriptions. Very, very interesting. And Charlie, you know, for somebody who has yet to take advantage of our of our podcast. I want you to encourage them to do that because a lot of people listening, sure, they hear us on a radio station, but many can't. And this podcast is a way of making the program available to everybody, right?
Absolutely. You know, for some people, they can't hear the program when it's broadcast. This gives them an opportunity to not miss that week's program, to go and listen to it any time that it fits. And it gives them something they can share with friends that the friends can listen to at any given time.
All right. That podcast is waiting for you now at our website, the land and the book.org. That's the land and the book. Org. Other great features there as well, including information about past programs, future programs and more at the land and the book. Org on behalf of our team producer Dan Anderson, our host, Charlie Dyer, I'm John Geiger, thanking you for listening to The Land and the book, a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.