Everybody has a story, something to teach us about life. So from A to Z, get ready to meet some of the Bible's heroes, villains, and ordinary people. And as you get to know the God these people encountered, your own story will be better too. Welcome again to the land and the book. Our host is the widely respected Middle East expert and author Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager and Charlie. Last week we presented listeners with a book blast drawing our winner, by the way, Isobel Lundin
from Billings, Montana. Charlie, maybe you could share an excerpt from Isobel's email. I'd be.
Happy to. John. She said, I think the most important thing I gained this year from listening to the land in the book was becoming better educated to be able to speak up against anti-Semitism, and seeing the importance of writing to appointed and elected officials and those running for office, urging them to support Israel and speak up to denounce anti-Semitism.
And we'll look forward to doing another one of our famous book blast events in the near future. Stay tuned. Right now, though, Israel in the news forever. It seems this 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 return. It's crucial for us as believers to
have a proper understanding of Bible prophecy. So our view of the future is shaped by Scripture, not today's headlines.
Yeah, 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.
And now a look at current events from the Middle East. Reports from the Middle East keep vacillating between uneasy peace, limited attacks and all out war as Iran and Hezbollah face off against Israel. So what exactly has been happening and what might we expect in the coming days?
Well, you know, looking at all the contradictory reports, it's pretty clear no one really knows at any given moment what the leaders of Iran and Hezbollah are planning to do. They both say they'll strike Israel to punish it for attacks in their countries, but at the same time, they don't want to do something that could bring the U.S. and Israel against them militarily to cause them greater military
or economic harm. So what can we expect? Well, for the past two weeks, the world has watched for Iran and Hezbollah to launch an imminent attack, and it could still come at any time, even before this program actually airs. But it's also possible both countries are looking for some sort of excuse to back away from an attack, at least for now. The ceasefire and hostage negotiations that just resumed between Israel and Hamas could furnish them with that excuse.
Both countries have said they wouldn't attack if Israel agrees to a ceasefire with Hamas. Now, this could be a ploy to force Israel to accept specific cease fire conditions that would otherwise be rejected. Now, if there is an attack, both Iran and Hezbollah could attack together, though even that isn't a given, and the attack could extend over days. Though again, the scope of the attack and the length of it will only become clear if or when it unfolds.
Listening to all the threats being made by Iran and Hezbollah, though, reminds me of the threat against the King of Israel by the King of Syria back in first Kings 20. He threatened the total annihilation of the northern Kingdom of Israel and their capital, Samaria. And he said, May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely. If enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful. In essence, he said, we're going to
annihilate you. The response of the King of Israel is a good reminder why a leader shouldn't boast about what he's going to do before the fight even begins. King Ahab said to him, tell him, let him who girds on his armor not boast like those who take it off. In other words, don't get too overconfident before the battle starts. Only the one who remains standing in the end gets to boast. The bottom line application don't bet against Israel in any future fight.
All right. And as you mentioned, Charlie, Israel and Hamas have once again resumed indirect negotiations over a cease fire and hostage deal. What brought about the resumption in negotiations? I'm curious. And what are the prospects for a successful outcome?
Well, the negotiations resumed after the U.S. and Qatar and Egypt released a statement pressuring both Israel and Hamas to resume talks. The pressure being placed on Israel by the U.S. is quite intense, especially with the US providing so much military backing for Israel against Iran and Hezbollah. But as the talks began, both sides were continuing to play a
deadly game of chess, if you will. Conflicting reports were circulating that Hamas is desperate to conclude a deal, and that Sinwar has no desire at all to reach a deal. It's hard to get any further apart between. Those reports were also leaked, saying the deal was ready to be signed, while other reports said Hamas wants the mediation to be based on past talks and wasn't even planning on attending
the negotiations. So what do we know right now? Well, we know Sinwar, the new leader of Hamas, wants to prolong negotiations as long as possible. He believes his goals are being accomplished right now. He's turning the world against Israel while keeping Israel from reaching a military victory in Gaza. Apparently, Israel believes it's drawing the noose tighter around sinwar by continuing to eliminate Hamas's leadership and degrading its area of operation.
One example from this last week illustrates both aspects. Israel attacked a mosque connected to a school where dozens of Hamas fighters were gathered, along with a senior Hamas leader. Hamas reported that Israel had attacked a school, killing almost 100 civilians, including women and children. The report was uncritically picked up and broadcast by news media, bringing still more
worldwide condemnation on Israel. Israel responded by identifying, along with photos, 31 Hamas fighters who were killed, proving Israel apparently has very good intelligence in terms of who was in the building. They also provided aerial footage showing that the bombs used did not hit the school complex, just the building where these fighters had gathered. Now, in light of all this, what are the expected outcomes for these negotiations? Ultimately, it's
anyone's guess. The US is pushing to reach an agreement because they feel that could defuse the current conflict. Netanyahu's caught between pressure from our country and pressure from the far right parties in his own coalition, and Sinwar is caught between his continuing political success against Israel and his shrinking chances of remaining alive if the conflict continues. The real question in these negotiations is which side will blink first, or will it once again all fall apart?
That's doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager. This is the land and the book from Moody Radio on segment one, a look at current events from the Middle East. A 3300 year old Canaanite shipwreck was discovered off Israel's coast. What makes this discovery unique, Charlie?
Well, two items make this discovery so unique. The first is that this is the oldest intact shipwreck discovered in the eastern Mediterranean, dating to around the time of the beginning of the period of the judges in Israel. And the second thing that makes it unique is the fact that it was discovered so far from land. It was found by a ship searching for natural gas 56 miles off the coast, in water more than a mile deep. The ship contained hundreds of clay storage jars. Two were
brought to the surface using a submersible robot. Because the wreckage is so deep, it's remained relatively undisturbed. The one intriguing question the discovery has raised is this why was the ship so far from shore, literally over the horizon and out of sight of any land? Archaeologists have suggested this might show that the ancient navigators were more advanced than what had been assumed, possibly using celestial bodies to determine their position on the open sea, rather than always
sailing within sight of land. However, there might be a more mundane possibility the ship could have been caught in a sudden storm and pushed out into the sea before it could reach shore. In Ezekiel 27, he describes the city of tyre as a ship of state and pictures God destroying it just like a fierce storm destroying a literal ship on the sea. And that's what might have happened to this ship. It could also illustrate the storms that struck ships on on which Jonah was, and the
Apostle Paul when they sailed said later. A sudden, violent storm pushing a ship away from land and out into the open sea would have been frightening, and this particular ship ended up 56 miles from land when it finally went down.
Any thoughts as to the contents of the clay jars?
They have not said anything yet, and I suspect that's going to be something they'll be studying in detail in the next months.
Israeli scientists have turned a common parasite into a brain healer. Sounds intriguing. Tell us about this latest innovation out of amazing Israel. Yeah.
One problem with people suffering from neurological diseases is the difficulty in delivering drugs into the brain through that blood brain barrier, and that's where these Israeli scientists came up with the idea of using Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite sometimes called the cat parasite. Now, the parasite only reproduces in the guts of cats, but it's highly effective in infecting humans. About one third of the global population have been infected
at some point in time. The parasite is able to penetrate the human brain via the blood brain barrier, where it remains in a dormant state. Well, the scientists genetically engineered the parasite to enable it to secrete therapeutic proteins using laboratory animals. They were able to demonstrate that injecting the parasite into the subjects enabled the beneficial proteins to reach the brain. They've now set up a company called Epius Pharma to develop ways to implement the discovery of
this drug delivery and genetic editing process. The name they used for that company seems appropriate, since in Greek mythology, Epius was the man who crafted the Trojan horse. Their first project is to tackle Rett syndrome, a debilitating neurological disorder. But all in all, Jon, this is yet another discovery with amazing potential coming our way from, of course, amazing Israel.
Thank you. Charlie, what I love about the guest we've got coming in our next segment is our focus on the Bible's heroes, villains, and ordinary people. These are names that don't often hear about from the Bible. You're about to hear from them as we continue here on the land and the book. Everybody has a story, something to
teach us about life. So from A to Z, get ready to meet 125 of the thousands of heroes and villains and ordinary people in the Bible, and we'll get to know the God these people encountered, so your own story will be better. Hey, welcome to the second of four segments on the Land and the book. I'm John Gager, and before we dive into the stories of some great Bible characters, let's you and I think about the stories of our unsaved Jewish friends. How could we love them
more strategically for Christ? Think with me for just a moment. So you would like to have a conversation with your Jewish friend, and you'd like that conversation to be centered on Jesus and your Christian faith. But you're kind of nervous because they might just ask a question that you cannot answer. What then? Greg Savitt, what do you say?
Well, by your faith in Jesus, the New Testament that has over 250 direct quotes and 880 allusions, you will know more about the Bible than they will. And if they ask a question, go to the gospel of Google. Look it up right there on your phone, and if you don't have an answer, I would go and research them and find them the next day and say, I found the answer that you were looking for, and then
you can sit down and have a conversation. Jewish people will respect you more if you say, I really don't know that. That's a great question, as opposed to you just flying by the seat of your pants and giving them an answer that really you don't know anything about. So it's okay to say I don't understand and to get back to them.
Greg Savitt is with Rock of Israel and joins us with insights here on the land and the book. Woodrow Michael Kroll is an evangelical preacher and radio host. For many years, he served as the president and Bible teacher for the international Back to the Bible Radio and Television Ministry. That's where I had the privilege of linking up with him, and before that he was president of Davis College in
Johnson City, New York. In addition to preaching and teaching, Doctor Kroll is quite a writer, having authored more than 50 books expounding on the Bible and Christian living. And one of those books is a devotional called people in the Bible. And though it's been out for a while, the message is timeless. So it's a real pleasure to welcome Doctor Woodrow Kroll to the land and the book. Good to have you.
Thank you so much, John.
Hey, how did you choose the 125 Bible characters? Out of all the thousands that are in Scripture.
Uh, process of elimination, I've got maybe 250 or so, and I said, I have to cut this down to a readable size. And so I chose not necessarily the most popular or most well known, but characters that had stories sometimes that nobody even knows their story. And I wanted to tell that story. So that's how I chose those 50 characters.
Any surprises for you personally in this journey of researching all those Bible figures, you had to have invested a lot of time.
Yes. And over the course of the years, I have picked out characters in the Bible to do maybe a series of messages on them, characters who had just terrific stories behind them, terrific stories of their life or how they died or how they lived. And yet, these are the kind of people that don't make the top five or top 100 list. Some of them are names people would never even recognize, and yet they're in the Bible and they have a story of God's grace in their lives.
Pastor, radio host, college president, writer. Doctor Woodrow Kroll is all of these. He's also a great friend and the author of people in the Bible. I'm John Gager. You're listening to The Land and the book. I noted that you've included some villains in this collection. Some might ask why?
Well, there are people in the Bible, too, and not everybody who is mentioned in the Bible was a great hero. There were a lot of great villains in the Bible, men and women, I might add. And they have a story to tell of their evil, or perhaps sometimes their attempted evil. Uh, the good guys of the Bible. So their story is important because we learn from their stories how to watch out for wicked people or wicked intent from people today. So it's important that they're included in the book as well.
You know, one of my intriguing Bible characters for me personally is King Saul. I just feel so sad for the way he ended. I mean, nobody had a brighter start, a better start, a more likely success story ahead of him than Saul. And yet it just all fell apart.
Yeah, it's a shame. Affected his family as well. His sons died with him. Even David's best friend Jonathan. And Saul's life is a life that should have had certainly had had more promise than it ended with, and should have had a better conclusion. Except I think pride or jealousy got in his way. David, you know, they were saying that Saul killed his thousands and David's ten thousands and and it's just got to him. Here was this young prince that God had anointed. And Saul knew it,
but he didn't want to give up the throne. Certainly. And his actions toward David and toward even the people of the Empire Are clearly indicated that something was wrong with Saul in the end of his life.
Well, name 1 or 2 lesser known Bible characters that you look forward to meeting in heaven. And what is it about them that fascinates you?
Well, there are probably a dozen that their names are not household names. One of my favorites is a guy named Itai. Itai was a hero, but in the true sense of the word, an unknown hero. He was from the city of Gath, so he's called a Gittite. That's what you call people from Gath. And Itai befriended David and helped David in times of his need. And yet you find out in the end of the story that he comes from the same town that Goliath comes from.
So here's a man who clearly should have been an enemy of David, and yet he ends up being David's great friend and deliverer on occasion.
All right. How about another lesser known Bible character? I like that one that you're looking forward to hanging out with once we're in glory.
Well, of course, there are people like Barzillai, who was a man who helped David cross the Jordan River when he was on the run from his son Absalom. Barzillai was a relatively wealthy man. He helped David when he crossed over the Jordan into Transjordan. Then he helped him back into the land after David's son was dethroned and David was going back to the throne. He's one of those great characters. And then there are some people like Martha.
We know her name. We know what she does, but we don't know what her connection to the Lord really is and the family from which she comes. So Martha is better known, but still a story all on her own Because while Jesus said that Mary chose the better part, Martha was still very important in this story, an important role model for us today.
Well, and the thing about Martha is, if you read the account, it says that Martha welcomed Jesus into the home. It wasn't Mary, it was Martha. And I think there's something to be said for that sense of hospitality.
Yes. And, you know, Martha had certain questions for Jesus. And it shows us, I think, that when you're on a good basis with the Lord Jesus, when you're, uh, you know, you're all prayed up and all repented up, uh, when you're living a life that's pure and wholesome and something comes into your life and you want to question the Lord about it, that's okay. You know, it's all right to ask the Lord why didn't this happen? But we have to be willing to accept the answer. And
apparently Martha was. Because she's the one who welcomed Jesus into the house.
How does studying Bible characters enhance our walk with Christ.
Well, there are people like we are, you know, and we have a tendency because they're in the Bible story. We have a tendency to think these are untouchables. These are these are people. I could never be a David. Well, it's true, I never could be a David. But that doesn't mean that I can't employ in my life some of the character qualities I see in David. And the same thing is true for Moses or Abraham or the disciples.
Certainly the Lord Jesus and I want to incorporate in my life my daily living, some of the hero qualities that I find in these unsung heroes.
If you've joined us midstream, this is the land and the book. I'm John Gager, our guest, Doctor Woodrow Kroll, a man I've admired for decades. We're talking about people in the Bible. Answer the skeptic who says, look, we don't really need to dig into people. These lesser characters, particularly. We know plenty about the Bible. People that quote really matter.
Yeah, it all depends on your perspective. I think if you want to fly 37,000ft over the land, you choose a jet. If you want to get down into the land, you probably go by train or by car. Both of those are important. We use both trains cars and we use jets to get around. But by digging down into these people, we get stories and lessons from those stories that you don't get at 37,000ft. So it's important to have that high overview of the Bible. Learn as much
as we can. Genesis to revelation, but then to drill down in some characters to learn even more of what we could not get by flying high over the Bible.
All right, here's a personal confession and a request for advice. Are you ready for this?
Sure.
My my tendency I've noticed over the years is to set these great men and women of the Bible on a pedestal, and I'm sad when I go on to read that they've messed up. You mentioned David. Wonderful guy and we all knew what he ultimately got into. I suspect there are two lessons here. First, only Jesus belongs on a pedestal. And second, since my life is flawed, I shouldn't be surprised that they were flawed as well. What are your thoughts?
Yeah, that's certainly true. When we think of, let's say, David's life, when we think of his life, David clearly loved the Lord. I mean, he he was walking more closely with his God than most Christians do today. However, he also was a human being, and his human qualities overtook him on a number of occasions, the worst of which, of course, was the affair with Bathsheba. However, if you go far enough in David's story, you see that he
repented of that sin. He even wrote Psalm 51 as a written confession and repentance of his sin with Bathsheba. And here's a man who learned how to live, how to sin, and then how to repent of that sin and live again. And I think we learn so much from him and all the characters of the Bible.
And I think the fact that these flawed women and men were still used of God, that ought to be a great source of encouragement to us. Develop that thought just a bit further, Doctor Crowell.
Sure. Uh, you know, we we have to remember that we are nobody, uh, those that others set on a pedestal still are nobodies. You know, I, I loved my time in Christian radio. I have a binder, probably. Oh, an inch and a quarter thick of single spaced comments from people when I retired from radio. And, you know, they're just such delightful people, those who listen to Christian radio. However, if they set me on a pedestal, they need to
know that I grew up on a chicken farm. You know, I, I caught chickens at night just to help our families survive. And my life is no different from anyone else's life and anyone else that we might put on a pedestal. That's a mistake because we are people who have feet of clay. We're going to mess up, and we're going to have to learn how to ask God to forgive us and move on from when we messed up, to when we can do something very vital for the Lord.
In addition to preaching and teaching, Doctor Woodrow Kroll is quite a writer with more than 50 books to his credit. One of those books, a devotional called people in the Bible. That's our focus today on the land and the book. What kind of a message do you think these people in the Bible would have for us, the living? What would they want us to know or think or do.
Well, a lot of them messed up as we've talked about. A lot of them were in situations of their own making, and they had to learn how to handle failure, how to handle mistakes. We do too. I mean, we we mess up and we do this very same things that some of these people in the Bible do, their stories. If the story ends well, that is to say, if they get right with God and they get back in the saddle, so to speak, so that they can actually
be a part of the army of God. If that happens, we need to look at their lives and find out how did they do that? You know, how did God use them? What did God do to bring them back? Because we need that so often in our own lives. And if they didn't mess up, if they if they lived a life that was exemplary, we have to ask ourselves, what is the character quality in this person that I need in my life. And from that we learn how to live a life of the Lord.
Well, that's great advice. And there's more in the book. People in the Bible, a link to that and to Doctor Krull's ministry at our website, the land and the book. Org. Well, in our next segment, Doctor Charlie Dyer is back to answer Bible questions. And Doctor Crowell, I'm looking forward to connecting again in the future. Thanks for your time.
Thank you John. My pleasure.
More to come on the land and the book. Thanks for staying with us here at The Land and the book with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager, and we love this next segment because it's all about you, your thoughts, your wonderings as you wander through Scripture. No shortage of questions come to mind. Right, Charlie? Oh, I.
Love it, John. You're exactly right. When we read the Bible, It's amazing what questions it raises in our mind, and answering them gets us even deeper into the Bible.
Well, 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 homeland, Jesus returned. And it is really crucial, it seems to me that believers have a proper understanding of Bible prophecy. So our view of the future is shaped by Scripture, not just today's headlines. What do you think?
I agree completely, 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 for 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 free copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org.
And now drum roll please. Question number one for today's segment it's Jeff. He says based on your understanding of Old and New Testament prophecies, specifically second Thessalonians two verse four, how likely do you believe it is that current events in Israel are a precursor to the end times?
Well, I do find Bible prophecy something that people really ought to study, but in light of that, my answer might be surprising. I think an honest answer is that we don't know if current events are a precursor to the end times, and we won't know until the day God removes the church from the earth and resumes working to fulfill his program and his promises for Israel. I think that's the main point Paul is making there in
second Thessalonians two. Actually, in verses 1 to 8, the Thessalonians believed that the day of the Lord had already arrived, and Paul reminds them of specific events connected with that day that hadn't been fulfilled, and he says he'd already explained this to them earlier. Now, I do believe we might be seeing God setting the stage for the end times. For example, the Antichrist, to fulfill Daniel 927 has to
confirm a covenant with the many. It says for a seven year period, and to do that, Israel needs to be back in the land. And I do see Israel back in the land as a milestone event. It took place in 1948, and by the middle of that future seven year period, it says a functioning temple needs to be in place. In fact, at least 3 or 4 different places in the scriptures, it mentions that temple that's
going to be there. Now, this suggests that Israel also has to be back in the land and needs to be rebuilding that temple, which could be part of God setting the stage. But again, I believe the next event to be fulfilled is the removal of the church from earth. That will be followed by the resumption of God's program for the nation of Israel. So what we're seeing could
be a precursor to God resuming his program. But I don't think we can say with absolute certainty that what we're seeing today is being the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, since nothing needs to happen prior to God's return for his church. Boy that's.
Encouraging. Thank you Charlie. Todd takes us to two Samuel eight, verse 18, where we read that David's sons were priests. He wants to know how could this be, since David was not a Levite or a descendant of Aaron?
Yeah. And the Hebrew word used in Second Samuel 818 that describes David's sons is indeed Kohanim, which is the normal Hebrew word for priests. However, in this case, it's likely the reality that the word is being used in a less common sense to refer to some type of royal advisor. You know, the new American standard translates it as chief ministers. The NIV translates it their royal advisors. We do something similar in English, by the way. We use the word minister to refer to a high government
official as well as a member of the clergy. Now, some might say, well, Charlie, it sounds like you're just doing that as a cop out, but I believe it's supported by a parallel passage in First Chronicles 1817. The two sons are said to be chiefs at the king's side, or chief officials at the king's side, and the Hebrew word used there is richon, which has the idea of first or chief. It literally says the sons of David
were first by the hand of the king. So the parallel passage makes it clear that the two sons were functioning as chief court advisers, and not as priests or religious officials.
Question now from Robert. Is there any evidence that the Achaeans were expelled from temple worship in Jerusalem because of their endorsement of unapproved texts like Enoch and Jubilees?
Yeah, I don't know of any evidence that would suggest this. Josephus describes the scenes, and he does say at one point, the Essenes do not offer sacrifices because they have more pure lustrations of their own, on which account they are excluded from the common court of the temple, but offer their sacrifices themselves. But this exclusion he's talking about relates to sacrifices, not to the non-canonical books of the Bible. In fact, Josephus and another ancient writer, Philo, suggest the
Essenes were admired for their piety and generosity. So the only negative I can find is the one from Josephus relating to not offering sacrifices. It doesn't relate to those extra biblical books.
Thanks for listening to the land and the book today where we're looking at questions from the Bible. Your questions, questions also about prophecy, questions about Israel itself. They're all welcome when you email us at The Land and the book@moody.edu. Here's a question about prophecy. It seems to be fairly well documented that Muslims who control the Temple Mount treat the dome of the Rock as if it were Solomon's
Third Temple. Do you think there's any possibility that Israel or the rabbis in Israel will or could ever recognize the dome of the Rock as their own temple?
Well, you know, from the earliest Islamic times, up until the establishment of the State of Israel, Muslim sources were virtually unanimous in stating that the Temple Mount area of the Haram al-Sharif is where Solomon's Temple once stood. However, after the beginning of the modern state of Israel, especially since after Israel captured the city in 1967, Muslims have been adamant in insisting that the Jews have no historical
connection to Jerusalem or the Temple Mount. But now, to answer the question specifically, I do not believe the rabbis would ever recognize the dome of the Rock as the temple. They have solid historical information on the dimensions of the temple, and the dome of the Rock just doesn't match. I
read Biblical Archaeology Review. I don't recall in there being an article where Muslims were trying to simulate temple practices, but even if they were, those practices wouldn't match those that existed in Solomon's Temple or in the one at the time of Jesus.
This listener says it's clear that various different Islamic tribes conquered Judea or Palaestina, or whatever the Romans used to call it in the seven hundreds. And and this had a negative impact on the Jewish inhabitants as well. Do you cover the administrative practices of the different occupiers since 700 AD in your new book?
Yeah, and most of what new book? Well, the new book is the one that's coming out in October. Who Owns the land? And I talked with this fellow about it in the book. I do deal briefly with the groups that controlled the region during the Islamic period. However, I do so only in passing and without really covering the different administrative practices. For example, there is a short section that talks about the Arabs conquest of the Holy Land and how it began a period of nearly 13
centuries of Muslim rule. But the Arabs themselves only controlled the area about five of those centuries. Arab control ended when the Seljuk Turks took Jerusalem in 1071, and then it passed between different Muslim groups until the Ottomans finally
controlled it, and that ended in World War One. Now it's a confusing period for most in the West, and I try in the book not to get too technical or I'll put everybody to sleep, but there are other good sources available, and I have a lot of footnotes in there that direct people to them.
Well, here's a question from Charles. He says. I've read Jesus quote in John ten verses 34 through 36, where he answers the blasphemy charges by quoting Psalm 82, verse six. The God's mentioned there, though, are what he's confused was this first verse referring to celestial beings who is being called God's? Is verse six referring to men? Help us unpack this, Charlie.
Yeah, and this is going to sound a bit convoluted, so bear with me. I first start with the Psalm 82, the passage that Jesus is quoting, and the psalmist is drawing a parallel between God as the ultimate judge and the wicked rulers or judges in his day, who set themselves up almost as having the power of life and death over others like God, these human judges saw themselves as gods, lowercase g there, since they possess the power
to impact the lives of others. And the psalmist then asks God, you know, the ultimate judge, the capital G God, to call them to account for their actions. But here in another passages like Exodus 22 eight, the Hebrew word Elohim gods can indeed sometimes be used to refer to human judges. Now, in John ten, Jesus is answering Jews who want to stone him for blasphemy. They're accusing him of breaking God's law by claiming to be one with God.
Jesus points out that in the law itself, referring to the whole Old Testament, not just the mosaic law, that God is the ultimate judge and he could refer to human judges as gods in the sense of being expected
to carry out his work on earth. And his argument goes something like this if the Word of God can call human judges gods because of the work they were claiming to do for God, then how could the religious leaders in Jesus's day accuse him of blasphemy for claiming to be God's son while also doing God's work on earth? In essence, he's using the Word of God to blunt their argument they were trying to make against him.
One last question from Terry. I would appreciate knowing what your description of the Kingdom of God is. Any thoughts?
Yeah, I take the kingdom of God to be, especially in the book of Matthew, to refer to the coming Messianic Kingdom. We also would call it the Millennial Kingdom. You know, in the Lord's Prayer, Jesus said, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That second part of the phrase explains the first. That is, when God's kingdom comes. It's when God is ruling on earth as he has been in heaven. And Jesus will do that when he rules from David's throne over the entire earth.
Well, we promised you there'd be a lot of variety in these questions, and boy, there always is. Thank you for sharing yours with us when you email us at The Land and the book@moody.edu. Another segment to come. It's Charlie Dyer's devotional next, right here on the land and the book. You know, the older I get, the more I have to write things down. I've taken to doing that. Typically on my phone, I get 17 different apps that let me write down lists of to do things. But
this is the land in the book. And we're not about lists per se. We are about God's Book of Remembrance. That's a list of sorts, right, Charlie?
It is John.
And that's the focus as Charlie continues his interesting devotional series, 3/16 of the Bible. We're going to get to that after we listen to this testimony from an Israel traveler. Check this out.
The desert was the biggest thrill for me, and I think it may be because I've spent the last several months reading and studying the life of Abraham. So to go there and to see the Negev, and to see the land that he lived in, and to see Beersheba, to see the wealth that's located there. And to me, it made the Bible so much richer. And I'll give you just a small example. But one of the things we learned was about camels. And we would see camels
in the desert. And our tour guide, who was excellent, mentioned that camels would drink about ten buckets of water. And then she directed us to point it out to Abraham's servant, who went to the well and was told, you know that look for the woman who would not only offer water to you, but for your camels. Well, I went back to the Scripture that night and read that scripture. Do you know that Abraham's servant had ten camels? Do you know that each camel would have drunk ten
buckets of water? So Rebecca served 100 gallons of water to the camel. Now to me it makes the scripture so much richer. And that's one of 100 examples I could give you.
Charlie, I've been intrigued with where you've taken us in your three sixteens of the Bible. Where are we headed today?
Well, today we're heading to Malachi. Uh, but I got to back up just a second. It's week three of our five week series on these famous 316 of the Bible. And our destination today is going to be the city of Jerusalem and the last book of the Old Testament. Now, when I was growing up, John, I really thought the prophet who wrote this book was named Malachi. And no, I didn't hear the old joke about him being the
Italian prophet in our little corner of northeast Pennsylvania. There was a children's television program called Hatchi Malachi that featured Miss Judy. The name of the program actually came from a song of the same name that was recorded by Rosemary Clooney back in the early 1950s. But if the make believe Hatchi Malachi was a wonderful place that you really should see, as the opening line said, then the real life prophet named Malachi, not Malachi, lived in a
far less wonderful time and place. The Jewish exiles were back in Jerusalem and the temple had been rebuilt. But the halcyon days of Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, and even Nehemiah seemed like a distant memory. The first three of those had already passed from the scene, and Nehemiah had returned to Persia. Sadly, in his absence, the people slipped back into the same sinful patterns as before, and now their actions were matched by an attitude of arrogance, Apathy and cynicism.
In the first three chapters of his book, Malachi carries on a running debate between God and the people. God makes a statement only to have the people question its truthfulness. I have loved you, says the Lord. But you ask, how have you loved us? God rebukes the priests for showing contempt for his name, but they respond, how have we showed contempt for your name? God says that they have done so by offering defiled food on the altar. Their response? How have we defiled you? The debate continues
ad nauseam. You wearied the Lord with your words. How have we wearied him? You need to return to the Lord so he can return to you. How are we to return? You've robbed God. How have we robbed you? You've said harsh things against God. What have we said against you? In each round of this debate, Malachi delivers God's answer to their sarcastic question. So what had they done wrong? In spite of God's love and faithfulness to them,
the people had cheated God. They violated God's covenant and had broken faith with God and with their own spouses. They didn't trust his promise, justice, and redemption. Instead, they were cheating God by withholding what rightfully belonged to him. And through it all, they were displaying an attitude of self-centered arrogance. The people's arrogance and disrespect reached its climax in the middle of chapter three. God tells them that
they have said harsh things against him, literally. God says they are hard against me. Your words. The word for hard or harsh has the idea of trying to overpower or prevail against. In their arrogance, they were actually telling God he wasn't worth serving. Malachi explains why you have said it is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements? They had reached the point where they were calling those who were arrogant blessed. Why?
Because Malachi says they felt the evildoers prosper. And even those who challenge God escape. Don't miss what these people were saying, because it's crucial for understanding Malachi 316, the very next verse. In their arrogance, the people were saying, in effect, what's in it for me? I don't see any advantage in trying to obey God or follow him. Only suckers do that. Life is what you make of it. So I'm going to grab for everything I can and
make sure I take care of number one. Me. Sound familiar? That self-centered sense of arrogance and entitlement is as true today as it was during the days of Malachi. Their inflated sense of self-importance saw meeting their own wants and needs as being far more important than humbly submitting to God. And at least for a time, it looked like those who put themselves ahead of God were in fact coming
out on top. They were the ones prospering. They were the champs making those who put God first look like chumps. But that's when we come to Malachi 316. Listen to what the prophet wrote. Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. Now I see three parts to this verse. First, there were
still some who chose to put God first. They might only have been a remnant, but they were still present. They saw the majority heading in one direction, but they decided to continue following God's ways, even if that path seemed almost deserted. And yet they weren't alone. This faithful remnant talked with each other. They encouraged one another to remain faithful, to stay true to God. Never underestimate the importance of gathering with other like minded individuals to provide
mutual encouragement. As the writer of Hebrews put it, let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more so as you see the day approaching. The next part of the verse is just as important, perhaps even more so. And the Lord listened and heard. God took special notice of those who feared or revered him in a special way. Like the 7000 who hadn't bowed the knee to Baal in the times of Elijah,
God knew those who were still faithful. He paid special attention to them. There are times when you might feel alone, but if you placed God front and center in your life, you can be confident that he will never leave you nor forsake you. And finally, Malachi reports that a scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who
feared the Lord and honored his name. Now the image is of God as the divine King, having his angelic scribes record in his heavenly archive the names of those who are still faithful. But when Mordecai uncovered a plot against the king of Persia and reported it, Esther 223 says the event was recorded in the book of the Annals in the presence of the King. And though nothing happened immediately, at just the right moment, Mordecai was rewarded
for his faithful deed. In the same way, God is keeping a record of those who remain faithful in spite of what others might choose to do. Malachi ends his book with God's special promise to those who make it into his book. They will be mine, says the Lord Almighty. In the day when I make up my treasured possession, I will spare them. Just as in comparison a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between
those who serve God and those who do not. So what can we take home with us from our visit to Malachi 316? Once again, I see two important lessons. First, we need to distinguish between what we see now and what God says is still coming. It often does seem as if those who practice sin, rebellion, and selfishness are the ones who are getting ahead, while those who put God first fall behind. But we need to remember that God is keeping detailed records and that the end of
the story hasn't yet unfolded. There is a day coming when God will open his heavenly annals to reward those who remain faithful. And second, we need to remember the importance of encouraging our fellow believers to remain faithful and stay the course. Malachi 316 is a reminder to fear God, encourage the saints, and focus on his eternal reward.
Boy, I think that's a reminder we need today as well. Thank you Charlie.
You're welcome.
Lots to think about, and maybe you'd like to hear today's program again or share it with a friend. We encourage you to do that. It's available at the Land and the book. Org. Check out our podcast at the Land and the book.org. Thanks for making us a part of your day. I'm John Gager for our host, Charlie Dyer. The land and the book is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.