Jacob came to America from Israel with one goal in mind to make money and lots of it. But then he met the Messiah. Immediately Jacob lost his home, his job, and all hope for the future. Still, he shared about Christ fearlessly, even when physically assaulted. Coming up, the remarkable story of Jacob Garlinghouse. Plus, we'll bring you all the headlines from the Middle East from a biblical perspective. Welcome back to the land and the book. Our host is
Israel expert Doctor Charlie Dyer, and I'm John Geiger. You know, Charlie, Passover will soon be upon us. And one of the traditional Passover questions is what makes this night different from all others? Passover, of course, is an important biblical holiday, has great meaning for both Jewish people and believers in Jesus. So I think this is a great question to ask.
It really is John, especially with Passover just around the corner. And if you want to learn more about what makes Passover so special, 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 to find out more and request your copy. That's life in messiah.org.
And now let's swing our focus toward current events from the Middle East. The top news story this past week was Iran's attack on Israel. Of course, last week you mentioned the likelihood of an imminent attack, and it actually took place last Saturday night. How successful was that attack and what do you think might come next?
Well, in terms of what Iran hoped to accomplish, the attack was a failure. Iran launched 170 attack drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles, and all but a handful were destroyed before ever getting close to their intended target. One key element in thwarting the attack was the dramatic show of support for Israel by the United States, Britain, Jordan, France and even some Gulf states. They helped shoot down over 100 drones as well as some of the other missiles,
while Israel handled all the rest. Most of the ballistic missiles Iran fired were intercepted by Israel's long range arrow air defense system, though a few managed to hit an Israeli air base in southern Israel, causing minor damage. Apparently, the attack focused on a strategic air base in Israel. Iran hoped to severely damaged the base, but they failed to do so. What happens next is the more difficult question to answer. Israel said it will retaliate at the
appropriate time. President Biden and the US administration are urging Israel not to respond militarily, because it could pull Washington into a wider Middle East conflict. The US said it wouldn't help in any response. The intervention by the US, Britain, France and Jordan helped Israel defeat Iran's attack. Had they not done so, the outcome could have been somewhat different. Now, as a result, Israel has acknowledged those who just came
to their aid and who are now urging restraint. The lack of casualties gives Israel the freedom to be more selective in how to respond. The only serious casualty was to a young Bedouin girl injured by shrapnel from an intercepted ballistic missile. It's easier to exercise restraint and patience when there isn't a rising death toll. Still, Israel will respond. The only questions are when and how will they attack
Iran directly? Or will they try to attack Iran's allies, Hezbollah, Syria and the Houthis to weaken Iran's grip on the region? The bottom line is that Iran launched a significant attack and it was repulsed with minimal damage. Right now, that's something of a victory for Israel. The systems they put in place and the alliance that's being forged in the
Middle East were all working just as planned. But there's still another chapter in this drama that's yet to be written, and we'll have to wait and see what that's going to be.
It seems to me, if Israel does not respond in some way, that only emboldens Iran further. Am I twisted in my thinking? What are your thoughts now?
You're right on target. That's in fact what Israel's leadership is saying. We've got to show Iran there's a price to pay for doing something like this, because this is the first direct attack on Israel from Iran in Israel's history. And they can't let that pass by without responding.
One last question. Had those missiles or some of them hit a hospital, hit a school, killed 150 people at that point, do you think Israel might have and should it happen in the future, would they go after Iran in a much bigger way, perhaps striking at their nuclear weapons?
It would be a much larger response, and it would have been more immediate. It would have already taken place. Yeah. Israel has the luxury of taking their time and giving a measured response only because the attack was so futile in terms of what it accomplished.
This is the land in the book from Modi Radio with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger. It's a look at current events from the week and this. Coming week is Passover. What impact do you think Passover will have on Israel in light of the current conflict in the Middle East? Charlie?
You know, I'm reminded of an old joke in Judaism that summarizes Jewish history this way. They tried to kill us. We survived. Let's eat. And certainly that narrative fits Passover, the first of Israel's cycle of annual feasts. Israel's existence was threatened by Pharaoh. God provided deliverance, and the feast of Passover was instituted to remember that this year, the theme of Passover and God's deliverance seems, I think, especially
appropriate from the genocidal attack on the Jewish people. On October 7th, through a rising tide of anti-Semitism worldwide to Iran's failed missile attack, and through it all, God continues to watch over his people. From a human perspective, Israel does face powerful enemies. I mean committed to their destruction. But Passover is a reminder that God's greater than those enemies.
The current situation. It reminds me of the first three verses of Psalm 124 if the Lord had not been on our side, let Israel say, if the Lord had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, then they would have swallowed us alive. Thankfully, God continues to deliver his people. And that's the reality emphasized in Passover. But we also know Passover pointed prophetically to the ultimate Passover lamb, Jesus, whose
blood was shed to provide deliverance from sin. That reality isn't understood by most in Israel today, though there is an ever growing believing remnant and believers there are sharing the good news with many still struggling with fear. We need to pray for the witness of those believers, and we need to ask God to continue watching over his people.
Well, the conflict between Israel and Iran crowded out most news coverage on the war with Gaza. But what's been happening in the negotiations with Hamas over those hostages?
Now, sadly, the negotiations took a backseat to the threats of Iran. Hamas rejected the most recent proposal that would have released 40 hostages. One reason for the rejection is that Hamas might not have 40 live hostages they can even offer in the deal. U.S. and Israeli officials fear
that most of the remaining hostages might be dead. Some might have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, but others died of wounds they received when they were captured by Hamas, and still others have apparently died from being tortured or executed by Hamas or Islamic Jihad fighters. Hamas might be unwilling to release some of the remaining hostages, because they're using them as human shields to protect their own leadership, or because of the reports these hostages would give up
being tortured and sexually abused while in captivity. Some news reports are suggesting Prime Minister Netanyahu is just indifferent to the fate of the hostages, and a deal could have been reached if he'd had just been more willing. And I can understand the anguish of families making charges like that. But when the charges are being made by those just because they're opposed to Netanyahu, well, that's not helpful. First, the price being demanded by Hamas is just too great.
It would require Israel to pull out of Gaza, leaving Hamas still in control with freedom to rebuild their military arsenal and their forces. It would embolden Hamas to attack again and continue to take hostages, knowing Israel will always back down. And also, Prime Minister Netanyahu has to balance the hostage negotiations against the greater needs of the nation.
You know, 130 hostages are significant, but so are 80,000 Israeli evacuees from the north who can't return home, or the nuclear threat from Iran, or the sacrifice already made by hundreds of Israeli soldiers who gave their lives trying to defeat Hamas. The prime minister needs to focus on the big picture, even if it sometimes makes him look uncaring.
His older brother died rescuing hostages from Entebbe back in 1976, so he understands personally the price that sometimes needs to be paid and the impact it can have on a family. People might be able to criticize him on other issues, but saying he doesn't care about the hostages is a political cheap shot that I believe just isn't true.
Charlie, with Hamas being as brazen as they are in holding out, it seems to me there apparently isn't yet enough pressure on them. Is there any scenario in which they would feel pressured to release at least more of those hostages?
Sadly, I think an attack on Rafah is probably the one issue that will put that pressure on them. But right now, the US and others are trying to force Israel not to do that. Yeah.
Well, we're being told that the future of transportation is electric cars, and for some they make sense. Others struggle with practical drawbacks like a lack of charging facilities and range anxiety, wondering if they'll have enough power to make it back home. And that's where an Israeli startup called Battery and Thomas come in. Tell us about this innovation solution from Amazing Israel.
You know, I don't own an electric car. A major reason happens to be the stories of those who struggle to get their car recharged. Even if charging stations are available, they can be out of service or already taken by someone else who got there first. And that's where this new innovation from. Battery and Thomas comes in. Thomas is
the name of a self-driving robot charger for cars. The company's plan is to set loose self-driving robots in parking garages, at corporations, residential buildings, shopping centers, hotels, anywhere there's a large number of cars. Thomas is a robotic charger that roams the parking garage and provides rapid charging. Each Thomas robot can charge up to 20 cars a day. The owner just uses a smartphone, enters the license plate number, indicates how much of a charge they need. Thomas locates
the car by reading the license plate at night. Thomas then recharges itself. Now, electric vehicles might be more attractive to commuters if they know Thomas is on duty to automatically recharge his or her vehicle at the parking lot, so it'll be ready for the drive home. And that's another innovative concept from Amazing Israel.
I love it. Great idea. Thank you. Up next, a conversation with Ed Frampton about the remarkable Jacob Garlinghouse here on the land and the book. After coming to Christ, he was disowned by his family, fired from his job, and evicted from his home. But that was just the beginning of the story and you'll hear it all next.
Welcome back to the land and the book. I'm John Jaeger, and if you're new to the program, this second segment brings you a conversation with a difference maker, somebody impacting the kingdom on behalf of Jewish people. We're going to get to the Odyssey of Jacob Garlinghouse after we pause for this thought on learning how to more effectively share Jesus with Jewish folks at work, or maybe in your neighborhood. Listen to this. You want to connect with your Jewish friend?
Why not? When Passover rolls around, ask that Jewish friend what Passover means to them. Roy Schwartz is with Chosen People Ministries. What do you think they'll say?
Well, probably it means we get to eat a great meal, a time for family to get together and to remember that were Jews and, uh, have a wonderful family gathering. It's it's a time of thanksgiving and family.
So how do we turn that around, then, to a conversation about Jesus?
Well, I would suggest that, you know, as believers, you could celebrate Passover as well, because for us, it is a time of family. I mean, God never abrogated the Passover. He tells us to retell the story. And so you can share with your Jewish friends. We celebrate Passover as well, because for us, it points to our redemption from bondage and slavery. We are so thankful for the Jewish people and what God did with the Jewish people, because it set the stage for us to understand the good news
that God redeems people from bondage and slavery. And so we celebrate it with our children and we retell the story.
Roy Schwartz is with Chosen People Ministries here on the land and the book. Doctor Ed Frampton is the president and general director of the International Board of Jewish Missions. Prior to assuming that role in 2006, he served as an IBM church planning missionary in Johannesburg, South Africa, founding two Baptist churches there, including one in the heart of the city's Jewish community. It's really an honor for us to leave our land in the book studios and join
you today, editor at the Everlasting Nation Museum. Thanks for being on the program.
It's great to be here, John.
Well, the guy who launched this ministry was in many ways an unlikely candidate. Seems to me describe the spiritual journey of Jacob Greenhouse.
Oh, it was an amazing journey he saw. You can find this in a book called traitor because he gave his autobiography. But Jacob was just a young boy, grew up in a rabbi's home in Austria, and he would be taken every morning, sometimes several times a day, to the synagogue. And there he would read the scriptures, and often he would say this, that his father would put honey on his lips, and so he would associate sweetness
with the Word of God. And so anyway, Jacob grew up and and there was an incident in his life that really brought a change. He accidentally ingested poison. And because of that, he had to be taken to Vienna, Austria. And he was left there for a number of months where he had to recover and have say he did recover. But what that did for him was help him to understand that as a boy he had been taught that Gentiles were and Christians were all, you know, against them,
and that they would all be seeking his hurt. And what he found out was that actually they were loving and kind, and he was really that challenged his mind even as a young boy. And so when he got to be a teenager, he wanted to journey out. And again, he would encounter Gentiles and others that challenged his thinking about when he was growing up, about his association with Gentiles, even,
and Christians in particular. But then because of that journey, his parents thought it might be well for him to go and spend some time in America. And he wanted to do that. And so he left Austria, but wanted the conditions in order to go to America, was that he would go visit his brother in Vienna when he went to visit his brother, who was somewhat of a celebrity because of his education, the brother began talking to him about the fact that someone had given him a
little book and he was studying it. And lo and behold, this brother had become a believer in Yeshua and had been saved. And so that angered Jacob as a young man. He was just a teenager, really.
He's angry that his brother has found the Messiah.
Absolutely. He was a traitor, you know. And so even though he loved his brother, he didn't want to hear anything about it. So he went on and made his journey to America.
In fact, wasn't that one of the conditions of this, of him welcoming him together? You know, you're welcome. But let's not talk about, you know, what exactly?
And that was always the case. And his brother tried to honor that, but at times would help him on his journey. So anyway, he arrived in America. And the story is that, of course, that he went to work for his uncle and he began focusing on making money and so forth, but he began becoming connected with people who were very kind to him. And over time, his brother came actually to America also, and then helped him
to become connected with some Christians. And he would go, but he really didn't want to have anything to do with it, but he was reading and studying also. So of course we know that it was that actually it was on Yom Kippur was one of the most significant days of his journey, where he went to a service a couple of days after that, and he actually testified that he had come to realize that Jesus is the Messiah, and he accepted him right there.
Today on the land in the book, were enjoying the hospitality of the International Board of Jewish Missions. We're at their Chattanooga headquarters, having left our studios, talking with the president and director of IBM, Doctor Ed Frampton, our focus, a guy named Jacob Garlinghouse. You know, earlier in his journey, he had questions about his Jewish faith. This is long before he's interested in Messiah, but he was told by a rabbi, it's a sin to ask questions. A Jew
is to believe and not question. How widespread do you think that mindset is today among Jewish people?
Oh, I still think it's there. And especially when I was in Johannesburg, our ministry was primarily among the Lubavitch Jewish young people in their 20s and the older rabbis. And so, you know, were angry when they would even ask questions about it because they weren't, first of all, they were never to mention that name. And there were people who would even come to my meetings that would come listen, but would tell me, I will not say
that name. So yes, it's still. That mindset of not even talking and not even questioning about is still there today.
After getting saved in New York City, Jacob understood the need for further training. So he attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago for two and a half years. How instrumental do you think that was in forming his theological foundations?
Actually, he talks about that in his autobiography, where he talks about the impact. And, you know, it was during those years that actually his mother, his uncle, came to America while he was at Moody and literally tried to buy him out of that, you know, to purchase him out. And then, of course, they met with him. And, you know, I think what people need to understand is it's a very hard thing for him to break that bond. But
he loved his mother and he honored her. But so he tells in detail in his story about how hard that was. When finally he came to grips with that, he had to go back to Moody. He had to go back to campus. And so that was the last time, really, that he had any significant conversation, anything with his mother. He didn't see her for years, saw one other time in the world, and then she died and they wouldn't tell him. So he's not sure that she ever came to faith. His dad did. I remember the story. He
got back to the campus. There was a whole group of people that had been praying daily for him, knowing he was going through this, and he writes about how significant that was in formulating his whole platform and foundation of theology.
Jacob had a fiery passion to reach Jewish people with the gospel, and he was also passionate about Israel returning to its biblical homeland. He even wrote a book about this titled The Rebirth of a Nation The Kicker. He sent a copy of that book to then president Harry Truman. Now Israel is not on the map as a nation at the time. Pick up the story from there.
Doctor Ed, it was amazing. He was somewhat of a lone voice in those years. Among some of the even fundamental Christians in America tried to warn about what was happening during that Holocaust time. And so that was a very discouraging thing for him. So he did that. He bought to the book, to him, and then he was able to schedule an appointment, and he came and he met with the president literally just a short time before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. And
there he had a conversation with the president. The president asked him questions about his hope as a Jewish person. Did he still have this Zionist type of hope? And he said he did. President Truman actually wrote to him later, expressing his deep gratitude for what Doctor Barnhouse had shared with him about the state of Israel. And of course, we know that God used the president to confirm the state of Israel being the first in the whole world.
Doctor Ed Frampton is the president and general director of the International Board of Jewish Missions. He joins us today on the land and the book. Jacob Garlinghouse founded IBM in 1949. So what does the ministry look like today? What do you guys do?
We go around the world internationally, whether it be in Asia or in Mexico. We have different divisions. And there in those countries, we challenge the churches to be aware of the Jewish communities and the need to love them, and to reach out with them with the gospel of Yeshua Messiah.
You guys today have a four day training event every year. Talk about.
That. Okay, we have the four day focus and the four day focus is our flagship program that's been going on for many years now. It's available to anyone. We students are free to come and we have families that come in. It's four days of focusing on Israel, on why we should love Israel, the history of Christianity and Israel together, of course, in our theology and the intertwining, but also, of course, a lot of it's also of how to effectively reach out to Jewish people with the
love of Messiah and with the gospel. So it's really exciting. We do a lot of our not only a lot of training and in our sessions, but also we practice and do things like that, you know, so there's a lot of role playing. We enjoy that. It's a lot of fun. There's even skits and things like that. So we we have a good time for four days.
Tell us a story of somebody whose life has been changed because of this ministry.
Okay. So the first one that comes to mind is, of course, in South Africa, because that's where I'm in his story now. Really. So I was down there. And this illustrates the importance of even discipleship and bringing people into the young man. Extinguished. Jonathan and Jonathan had been raised as an Orthodox Jewish person, and someone had given him a Bible, and his response was thanks, but no thanks. And he tossed it onto and he was like, oh, you know. But anyway, it was not only just a Tanakh,
it was also the New Testament together. So Jonathan, who was somewhat of a Hebrew scholar and also knew Greek because he went to a Greek school, and Jonathan, he had a car accident. And because of that he promised God if God would deliver. Him from that car, he would go read the Bible and so he may have a deal. And so he went back and he read the Bible. And sure enough, as he read, especially Matthew, he said, tears were streaming down my eyes and and anyway,
Jonathan came to know the Lord. Now, how this ministry impacted Jonathan was the fact that we came along and we began establishing a church there in Johannesburg. Jonathan had been disillusioned. He said, as a Jewish man, I did not believe there was any good church that I could ever go to. So he didn't. For a year. He just stayed home and he read messages. Interesting enough, he said, I read a guy that I didn't know who he was, but his name was Spurgeon. And and I said, Jonathan
Spurgeon discipled you. I can't believe it. But anyway, Jonathan ended up coming to our church that had been established in the Jewish community, and that was almost 20 years ago. And he is still a leader in that church and has grown married. So when I think of how God has used a ministry especially, or working through the local church to impact someone, he comes to mind always.
How can listeners get involved in the work of the International Board of Jewish Missions?
Well, you know, there are several ways. Of course. We love to invite you to our four day focus. But obviously, you know, we visit churches, we go around and churches all around the nation and around the world, and we have focus on the Israel Sundays and, uh, we'll do
Jewish evangelism seminars and things like that. Also, for those that are interested, we come to the city and if you have a significant Jewish population or identifiable Jewish population, we try to reach out with you in those communities and actually do hands on ministry. We also have times where we have groups that go to certain cities. For instance, we'll have an outreach in New York City yearly this year. We're in England, in London and different areas where there's
significant Jewish populations. And you can go, you can come with us and go out. We'll we'll use a lot of different ways to connect with the Jewish community and to spread the gospel and to give out the Word of God. It's a wonderful time. It really is. And so those are some of the ways you can be involved. And of course, you know, obviously giving to the ministry and helping us. I just got back from Israel. We've
been working there. There's some of the families that were affected with October 7th, and because of the generous giving of God's people, we were able to really help them, even getting resettled in homes for a while. So, you know, there's a lot of different ways humanitarian outreach in Israel.
Well, if you sense some excitement, it's because it's real. That's Doctor Ed Frampton, president and general director of the International Board of Jewish Missions. Great to visit with him at their headquarters in Chattanooga. Up next, Charlie Dyer's answers to your Bible questions. Keep it right here on the land and the book. Thanks for joining us today on The Land and the book from Moody Radio, if you're new.
This is our third segment, and our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, is going to work his way through a stack of Bible questions that have come to us via email. I'll share how you can connect with us later. The point that you need to know is that we didn't invent these questions. They have come from listeners, every single one of them, and we're looking forward to those questions. But right now, you know, Passover Charlie is going to be upon us very soon. And one of the traditional Passover
questions is, what makes this night different from all others? Passover, of course, is an important biblical holiday that has great meaning for both Jewish people and believers in Jesus. So I think that's a that's a key question to ask.
It is. And if people want to know more about what makes Passover so special, well, our friends at Life and 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 to 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 to find out more and to request your copy. That's life in messiah.org.
All right, I'm pumped. Charlie's Bible is open. Let's get right to our first question, this one from Elaine. She says during discussions regarding the Old Testament practice of temple sacrifice, a question arose among the members of my Bible study group. How do today's Jews atone for their sin and debate God's wrath?
Most religious Jews today believe that personal repentance that is returning to God is the way God allows them to experience forgiveness for sin. This is practiced especially during the ten days of all between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Talmud says that the person who studied the laws of sacrifice is considered as if
he's actually offered a sacrifice. Since the Talmud was completed after the temple was destroyed, that seems a bit of hocus pocus, you know, to get around the reality that it was no longer possible to offer an animal sacrifice, some ultra-Orthodox Jews today wave a chicken over their head on the eve of Yom Kippur, while asking God to atone for their sin by the slaughter of this animal. They then kill the chicken and donate it to the hungry as a way to find atonement. Others waive money,
which they then donate to charity. Now, the reality is that neither repentance alone, nor the sacrifice of a chicken, or the gift of money is sufficient to satisfy the Mosaic Law. It's interesting to me that the book of Hebrews, written shortly before the destruction of the temple, spoke of the sacrifice of Jesus as being the only sufficient sacrifice once for all for sin.
Lenny asks, how do I explain what happened during the 400 years of God's silence? In a simplistic way, how do I explain the development of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, etc.? How do I also explain the Talmud and Mishnah? I know these are huge topics, but somebody asked me point blank today what happened during the 400 years of God's silence, and I didn't know where to begin.
It reminded me of the, uh, the question. Somebody says, you know, explain creation in 500 words or less and give three examples. You know, it's a really tough to fit it together. So I'll try not to talk too fast here, but I like what Harold Hohner did in an article that he titled Between The Testaments. It's in the first volume of the Expository Bible Commentary. So here's a brief summary of what he did there, which I think is the best explanation I've seen. He focused first
on the historical development. So he divided that time into the Persian period and then the Greek period, and then the Roman period to focus on how they impacted the land and the Jewish people. And then he focused on
internal developments impacting especially the Jewish people. And that included the different parties that rose up in Judaism, the Pharisees, who grew out of the Maccabean Revolt against Antiochus Epiphanies, and the Sadducees, who centered around their control of the Second Temple that was rebuilt, and the Essenes, who separated from the first two with a focus on the Torah rather than the Oral law of the Pharisees or the
temple corruption of the Sadducees. And then the final thing I'd add are some of the cultural developments, including Hellenism. You know, the Greek language and culture becoming a common especially for trade in that day. The development of the Jewish oral tradition, paralleling the rise of Pharisees and the development of a strong messianic expectation, with apocryphal books actually
paralleling Daniel and Zechariah. They were written. And then these other books came along that also focused on the coming of the Messiah and the scenes in Qumran. The Jews definitely were looking for a messiah, but they saw him as another man who, at the start of the Maccabean revolt against the Tiresias. Well, they wanted another one like him who would defeat the Romans. So. But if you're looking for an overall theme for this, I think Galatians
four four is a great summary. In the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son, and that 400 silent years so well, they may have been silent in the sense that Scripture wasn't being written, but God was definitely at work setting the stage for the entrance of his son.
Question number two of the day. From Paul, he says. Psalm 130 speaks of the watchmen waiting for the morning. And that got me to wondering, how did they keep time in ancient Israel, especially at night?
Yeah, well, at night the Hebrews divided that night into 3 or 4 watches, as they're called. The specific length of time for that watch would vary, you know, from summer to winter. Summer it's shorter, winter there's longer night. And Psalm 90, verse four, which is the earliest of the Psalms Moses wrote, A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has gone by, or like a watch in the night. In Matthew 14, the disciples.
This is now the New Testament time. They were struggling on the lake while Jesus was in the mountain praying. And then it says in verse 25, there and in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. So both the Old and New Testaments used this larger blocks to measure the passing of time at night and without the sun, to provide a
more exact reference to the passing of time. This broader unit of measure, though inexact, provided a general way to divide the night up into these 3 or 4 blocks of time.
You're listening to the land in the book from Moody Radio, our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, is answering questions that come to him via email. If you've got one you'd like to send, here's how you connect the land and the book@moody.edu, Brian says in first John 113 we're told born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Does the wording here seem a little redundant to you? Will of the flesh sounds an awful lot like the will of man.
Is there a difference here I'm not seeing?
Yeah, I see John sharing three negatives and then one positive to show that the new birth experience comes through faith as opposed to human effort. So he begins in verse 12 saying that those who received Jesus have the right to become children. And then he explains, these are those who believe in his name. And then he gives the three negatives. He says, these children of God are not born of blood, which I take that to be referring to a person's pedigree or bloodline. You know, some
people still are born into royalty. And what he's saying, though, is that's not how someone becomes a child of God. You're not. It doesn't come because of who your parents were or who your relatives were. Then, he says, not born of the will of the flesh. And I see him referring there to human decision or human effort. Some believe they can work their own way into heaven or get into a relationship with God on their own, but they can't. And then the third, that's the one that's
the most difficult born of the will of man. I take that in the sense of not just individual human effort, you know, the flesh, but more of a collective effort. That is, humans devise their own religious system or their own code of conduct that they believe will allow them to receive God's approval. So what I see John saying is there's no special advantage at birth or individual effort or organized effort that can bring someone into a relationship
with God. God alone extends that privilege to individuals based on their faith in his son.
Jeff has a question about the Most Holy Place, the place where the Ark of the covenant would normally rest at the time of Zacharias and Jesus, he says, I was wondering what was behind the veil. I understand that the last mention of the Ark was in Second Chronicles 35 and Second Kings 23, but was the room empty at the time of Jesus? I know the veil was torn in two at the death of Jesus, but what was in that room, or what did it reveal?
Well, you know, you're right. And saying the last mention of the Ark of the covenant was at the time of King Josiah. Now, here are two additional pieces of information I think that could help answer the question. The first is Jeremiah 316 and looking beyond the time of impending doom to Israel's future restoration, Jeremiah writes, in those days when your numbers have increased in the land, men will no longer say the ark of the covenant of the Lord. It it will never enter their minds or
be remembered. It will not be missed, nor will another one be made. Jeremiah is saying that in the future the ark wouldn't be needed or missed. The second piece of information comes from the Jewish historian Josephus in describing the temple of Herod. He says, but in the innermost part of the temple of all was 20 cubits. And he gives the sizes. And he says, it's divided by the outer part by a veil. In there was nothing at all. It was inaccessible and inviolable, and not to
be seen by any. It's called the Holy of Holies now. So what he's saying is, in the Holy of Holies, there was nothing. And based on those two pieces of evidence, I believe that when God's glory left the temple at the time of Ezekiel and Jeremiah at the end of the First Temple period, the Ark of the covenant became nothing more than a gold covered box was likely taken to Babylon. The gold melted down, and that's why the Holy of Holies was empty in the temple that was
rebuilt following the captivity. And that wasn't a problem, because Jeremiah said they wouldn't need the ark and they wouldn't make another.
Dennis asks, what are some good books to recommend to point someone to the Messiah through studying the Old Testament? And is there a good book listing the messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus?
Well, I can recommend three books that people can look at. Uh, for the first question that could be helpful. One is Isaiah 53 explained by Mitch Glaser of Chosen People Ministries. The second is who is this exploring the Tanakh in Search of the Messiah? And that's by Levi Hazen from life. In Messiah Ministries, and the third is Mashiach, the Messiah
of the Hebrew Scriptures by Arnold Baum from Ariel Ministries. Now, in regard to the other part, there are a number of good books on that subject, but the one I like best and I keep on my shelf is the Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy, was edited by Michael Rudnick and Ed Bloom, and it has an exhaustive list of major passages and topics. It's more than just a listing
of the passages. It gives a solid explanation for each one, and it's really a goldmine of information that will reward careful study.
And that's a look at some of the questions that have come in recently. And again, if you'd like to get your question to Charlie, our email address is the land and the book at Moody Edu. One more segment to come. It's Charlie's devotional. That's next. Well, here we are, one week away from Passover, a significant time on all of our calendars. I'm John Jaeger, this is the land and the book and Charlie Passover very much at the heart of your devotional today.
I understand it is in fact, it's Peter's second most memorable Passover that we're going to be talking about.
I'm intrigued, and we'll get to that after we hear this thought from somebody who has been to the Holy Land and had a reflection that just has never left them, and they want to share it with us right now.
Let me just say that as a follower of Jesus Christ, we are commanded to love what he loves. And there is no doubt from studying the Bible that God in Jesus Christ loved this land. Love the people in this land. And before I came here, of course, you know, we wanted to come here because we wanted to see what God loved. But now we've seen, we've seen the land. We've seen the people. We've seen so much that it is going to be now. Uh, of course we'll continue to love Israel, but we'll do it in a just
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.
Acts. Chapter 12 is where we're headed. And, Charlie, I'll let you take it away.
Thanks, John. This coming week is the start of the Jewish holy days of Passover and Unleavened Bread. And to commemorate them, we're heading to the ancient city of Jerusalem, ten years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, on the eve of this particular Passover season. The city is filled with a mixture of hope and fear, and many citizens are excited about the reign of King Herod Agrippa the First. Just three years ago, the Romans added Judea
to the list of lands under his dominion. Though he was a client king of Rome, the territory over which he ruled was now virtually as large as that ruled by his grandfather, King Herod the Great. There were whispers that perhaps, just perhaps, Rome might again make Judea an independent kingdom under his rule. And now, with Passover here, the crowds arriving in Jerusalem bring with them a sense
of excitement and anticipation. But for the followers of Jesus, the approach of this particular Passover comes with foreboding and fear. Acts 12 explains why it was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. Judas had hung himself ten years ago, but James is the first of the
original apostles to be martyred. Had his death just been an isolated incident, it would have caused great sorrow, but it was part of a larger state sponsored attack on the church, and apparently it was done to appease the more radical religious opponents of these followers of Jesus. Luke then continues his grisly account. When Herod saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This
happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial. After the Passover, Peter was arrested and thrown in prison at the time of Passover and unleavened bread. The fact that both are mentioned suggests Peter's arrest coincided with the start of the
eight days for these two back to back events. As believers gathered in Jerusalem for these festivals, there was little to celebrate. As Luke explains, Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. But we can't be sure. But it's at least possible that Peter was confined in the same area where Jesus himself had been temporarily confined after being handed over to
pilot by the Jewish religious authorities. But while Jesus's confinement was only for a few hours, Peter remained the entire time of Passover and Unleavened bread. I titled today's devotional
Peter's Second Most memorable Passover. The most memorable must have been the final Passover with Jesus, the night he was betrayed from Jesus washing his feet to the shock over hearing, Jesus announces betrayal to the institution of the Lord's Table, to his falling asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane, to his feeble attempt at wielding a sword to rescue Jesus, to his three denials that Passover was one that still must have haunted Peter. It was the low point in
his role as a follower of Jesus. But if that event, ten years before had presented Peter at his worst, this Passover presents Peter as a man under God's full control. The events since acts two have generally shown Peter as a leader, boldly standing for the Lord, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and now facing what from a human perspective was likely going to be his final days on earth,
Peter displayed remarkable calmness and serenity. Luke continues, the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. This was the first century equivalent of a supermax prison. He was physically chained with two separate chains between two soldiers inside his prison cell,
while still other soldiers stood guard at the doorway. King Herod Agrippa was taking no chances of anyone mounting an escape attempt, but did you notice Peter's response to it all? He was sleeping. God's rescue plan was as dramatic as any Mission Impossible movie plot. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. This bright light didn't arouse the notice of the guards at the door, or the guards on either side of Peter,
or even. It seems that Peter himself. At least, that is until the angel hit Peter on his side to awaken him. The angel ordered Peter to get up quickly and to help make this possible, the chains fell off Peter's hands. I find the details in this account fascinating. The time of the year is March April and it can be cold at night in Jerusalem. The temperature will normally drop into the low 50s or even upper 40s, so the angel makes sure Peter is prepared for his escape.
Put on your clothes and sandals, which Peter does. But then the angel adds, wrap your cloak around you and follow me. I imagine the angel saying something like bundle up tightly, Peter, we don't want to rescue you from execution, only to have you die from pneumonia. God had placed a supernatural stupor on all the guards while all this was happening. They remained asleep. In fact, Peter himself thought he was asleep. And this was all a dream. Or as Luke says it, Peter thought he was seeing a
vision passing by both sets of interior guards. The angel brought Peter to the iron gate leading from the prison into the city. The gate opened by itself, and Peter, along with this angelic guide, passed through into a dark and deserted street. After a short distance, the angel vanished and Peter suddenly realized this wasn't a dream. God had rescued him from certain death. His first thought was to
report what had happened to the disciples. He rushed to the home of John, Mark's mother, where they were gathered to pray for his release and knocked on the outer entrance door. In the humorous ending to this story, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. I'm sure it went something like this. Who is it?
It's Peter.
Peter who? Peter. The one God just rescued from prison. But Rhoda got so excited that instead of opening the door, she ran back to the group to tell them Peter was outside. They started arguing with her, saying she was out of her mind. Only Peter's continued knocking, made them stop and go check. Well, I think you can see why this had to be Peter's second most memorable Passover. But what lessons can we glean from this story to
help us today? Not surprisingly, I see two. First, I see in Peter what it means to discover God's peace no matter what life brings our way. From a human perspective, his life was in mortal danger, but he knew his life was in God's hands, and so he was able to calmly sleep without having anxious thoughts disrupted slumber. He illustrated the truth. David wrote in Psalm four verse eight, I will lie down and sleep in peace for you alone.
Oh Lord, make me dwell in safety. And second, I see in the other disciples the real life example of how we often respond when we pray. They prayed earnestly, fervently, constantly for God to rescue Peter. The word used by Luke in verse five carries that range of meaning. But when Peter showed up and wrote or ran to tell them he was at the door, their response was, you're
out of your mind. Isn't it encouraging to know that God's answer to our prayers isn't as much dependent on the depth of our faith as it is on the power of the one to whom we're praying? Or as Paul said in Ephesians 320, God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. That's what those first century saints discovered. And so can we.
Wow. That's encouraging Charlie, I love that story. Come to life. And you really can hear that conversation between the servant girl and Peter. Wow. Hey, maybe you'd like to hear our broadcast again. This devotional again. Easy to do that at our website. Check out the land and the book.org. The land and the book.org. Hey, thanks for listening and thanks for sharing us with your friends. There's no ad budget here, so we appreciate the word of mouth endorsement
that you bring to those in your circle. We really do. Well, our time has gone. I'm John Jaeger on behalf of our host, Charlie Dyer, our producer, Dan Anderson. Thank you for listening, for connecting with us. The land and the book is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.