The war with Hamas. It's fought with bullets and bombs. But there's a second, equally important war going on in the Middle East right now. It's the war of public opinion fought largely in the media. It's a struggle as fierce as any skirmish on the battlefield. Who's winning and why? That's our conversation coming up. Welcome to the land and the book. Our host is noted Old Testament scholar and
author Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gauger, and it's no secret that Israel has been on all of our minds and hearts for months now, many of us struggling with questions of what to think, what to feel. But in the midst of all this, God's heart for the Jewish people remains unchanged. He is faithful to his chosen people.
That's right, John. And that's why, as this year comes to a close, our friends at Life in Messiah would like to help you better connect with this crucial aspect of God's character. They're offering their new book, Sharing God's Heart to Land. In the book listeners, this 30 day guided reflection will help connect you with God's heart for
his precious people. The articles written by Life and Messiah staff provide insight into Jewish life and culture, and they can help prepare you to share with your friends the peace of Messiah they so desperately need. If you'd like one of these insightful books for yourself or as a gift for someone else, visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button to find out how you can receive your copy. That's life in messiah.org.
Well, Charlie, as we get ready to start a new year, it gives us an opportunity to kind of look over the horizon to see what might be heading our way. By the way, Charlie, how did we do this last year?
You know, overall, John, not too bad. Nobody saw Hamas's October 7th attack coming. That took everyone by surprise. I think the same is true for the ferocity of Israel's response. The war against Hamas has now been going on for three months, and we did say last January that conflict between Israel and the Palestinians was a real possibility, caused in part by Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority losing
its grip on power. And we felt that if the terror groups ratcheted up the violence, they could force Israel to attack both against Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza and against the Palestinians in the West Bank, you know, we also expected continued conflict with Iran, but didn't see it turning into open conflict unless Israel felt Iran was getting close to developing nuclear weapons. And thankfully, that hasn't happened,
at least not yet. As 2023 began, Turkey's President Erdogan said he wanted a relationship between Turkey and Israel to improve. I felt that seemed unrealistic at the time because the key point of friction between them is still Gaza and Hamas. And of course, that became all too clear in the past three months. And our final story to start 2023 was tourism. And we said at the time that 2023 looked to be a banner year for tourists, which it was all the way up until October 7th.
Right. Well, speaking of October 7th and the war that's unfolded now, what's your latest assessment of that, Charlie? Where does it stand? What do we really need to know?
I think what we need to know most is Israel is pushing on. You know, we I think most people would hope for a quick victory while this tunnel system underneath Gaza, all of the things Israel has experienced, it's slow going. They're being slow, methodical and working their way through. Unfortunately, the pressure on Israel from the UN, from the rest of the world and even now, sadly from the U.S. is to wrap it up quickly, you know, just call it quits and go home. And that's not what Israel wants.
They need to finish the job, or they'll be just facing the same enemy again in the future. All right.
Let's look ahead to 2024. Our top story has to be the ongoing conflict between Israel, Hamas and the Palestinians. What does the New Year hold for Israel's relationship with the Palestinians? Will Hamas disappear? Will they resurface? Will Israel finally wipe them out? And who will eventually replace Mahmoud Abbas as head of the Palestinian Authority?
Well, the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians really is moving into uncharted territory. Israel has said it won't allow Hamas to rule Gaza. But at the same time, I'm not sure if they can totally eradicate Hamas, or at least the theological underpinnings that produced Hamas. You know, Hamas goes back and traces its roots to the Muslim Brotherhood, which morphed into groups like al-Qaida and ISIS and Hamas.
But it's like whack a mole, you know, you you knock one version down and another seems to pop up. And it's hard to imagine Israel agreeing to a two state solution with Mahmoud Abbas or the Palestinian Authority, since they're the ones who lost Gaza to Hamas in the first place. And yet, that seems to be what the US and the West keep pressuring Israel to accept. But after the horrors of October 7th, I don't see Israel
trusting any promises made by the Palestinians. Watch for the West to try and get Jordan or Egypt or the Gulf states or some other group to come in and provide security in Gaza to keep Hamas out of power. But two big issues do still remain. And first, what happens in the West Bank after Abbas dies? And second, how long will it be until Israel has an even larger conflict with Hezbollah and possibly its sponsor, Iran? You know, those questions remain unanswered as we start this new year.
From Moody Radio. This is the land and the book. We're looking at what's coming our way in the Middle East in 2024. The second story has to be the political uncertainty in Israel. Can the current coalition survive? And perhaps more significantly, can Prime Minister Netanyahu continue to remain in charge of whatever coalition comes on the scene?
Well, once the war winds down, the political divisions that were there before will rise again to the surface. And for the first time in years, there's a possibility of Netanyahu being voted out of office, either by losing control of his own party to those who are dissatisfied with his leadership, or, more likely, being forced to call new elections, and having his party dropped dramatically in the number of seats that wins in the Knesset. People are looking for
accountability for Israel's lack of preparedness on October 7th. And if you remember the sign on Harry Truman's desk, ultimately the buck stops with the one in charge. So there's going to be a lot of pressure on him. Watch for a push to have the current government dissolve and for new elections to be called. And if that happens, actually, you might want to watch Benny Gantz and his National Unity Party. They've certainly emerged in polls as the largest
potential party in any new Knesset. He would try to form a majority coalition without the parties on the far right and the far left. Now, some judicial reform might still happen. That was the big story before October 7th, but it'll be far less than what was being pushed for by members of the current coalition. Now I have to end, though, John, saying this predicting Israel's shifting political
climate is difficult. So this could change completely if the current coalition is able to hang together through the next year. But right now that seems somewhat unlikely.
Another of our top stories for 2024 should be the potential for conflict between Israel and Iran, along with her allies, Hezbollah and the Houthis. Could this become the next conflict in the region, or can they be restrained without resorting to war?
You know, I see this, John, as the sort of Damocles hanging over the whole region. And it does have every group there concerned. Israel and the West are concerned about Iran crossing the nuclear threshold. Iran, though, is concerned that Israel or the US will launch an attack to
disrupt their nuclear ambitions or even degrade their military. President Biden is concerned about stirring up more trouble in the Middle East during an election year, when there's already a growing anti-Israel sentiment within the progressive wing of his own party, Hezbollah. And the Houthis will do whatever Iran orders them to do, since Iran's the supplier of their weapons and the spiritual
leader of their Shiite forces. If Hezbollah launches a major attack, Israel will try to do to them the same thing they've been doing to Hamas. There's also a remote possibility of Israel taking the initiative and launching an attack, rather than waiting for Hezbollah to do so. But thankfully, that seems unlikely now. If the Houthis continue to disrupt shipping, we could see a conflict between them and the West.
They're building up forces there. Even as this year ends and the new year begins, it's also possible Israel would get involved if the Houthis continue firing missiles at a lot right now, if Israel's war with Hamas ends without widening into a larger conflict with Hezbollah or the Houthis, then it's possible that 2024 could be a year of tense, quiet. And certainly that's what the US and the West and likely Israel would like as well.
Well, finally, let's return one last time to tourism. How long, once this war is wrapped up, will it take for tourism to recover from all of the disruption?
Yeah, my short answer. It's going to take longer than I would like. I think first, the conflict with Hamas has to end. You know, the rockets have to stop being fired at Israel. A measure of calm has to be established there. And then thousands of Israelis who've been displaced, living with relatives or in hotels need to be able to go home, you know, down near Gaza. That also means houses are going to have to be rebuilt. And finally,
the world's airlines need to begin flying to Israel. Once all that happens, I think tourism can begin to return to normal. The problem, at least for us tour groups, is that most church groups take up to a year or more to set up and announce, and have their people sign up for a trip. The tours for this past fall were lost, and so are many of the tours planned for the early spring. It's possible that tours already scheduled for the late spring and on into the
summer and fall will be able to go. But the longer things take to resolve, the more likely it is that those tours will also start canceling. You know, I'm tentatively scheduled to lead four groups to Israel in 2020 for the first trip in late February, and early March has already been postponed to the. Fall because of the airlines. It all reminds me of James 415, where he writes that we're to say, if it's the Lord's will, we'll
live and do this or that. The bottom line is that only God knows for sure what's going to happen in 2024.
Well, as we look toward 2024, how can listeners to this program so faithful they gather every week, pray for Israel right now.
I think what they can pray for is, first, the peace of Jerusalem. Ask God to give Israel wisdom and knowing how to take care of the war with Hamas, and then also how to handle the Houthis and Hezbollah and ask God to just intervene in a way that will bring peace. Uh, second, I think what they can do is pray for safety for people in Israel and for those who've been harmed. Uh, you know, think of the emotional trauma that those people have experienced and ask God to just intervened.
All right. Great prayer request. Good ideas. Thanks, Charlie. The war with Hamas insights and issues. Next on the land and the book. The war with Hamas fought with bullets and bombs. But there's a second, equally important war going on in the Middle East. It's the war of public opinion fought largely in the media. It's a struggle as fierce as any battlefield skirmish. Who's winning and why? Welcome back to the land and the book. I'm John Jaeger, and when it comes to the Middle East and Israel
in particular, we've got lots of questions, don't we? And that's why we're excited for this conversation. Our guest is Janam Cohen, who is consul general of Israel to the Midwest. He's a career diplomat with nearly two decades of experience in the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has served in Spain, Columbia, Berlin, Germany and the U.S. before arriving in Chicago. Though, Nam held the position of senior policy advisor to Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and director of the
Policy Department in the Minister's Bureau. Prior to that council, General Cohen was the director of the U.N. Political Affairs Department, where he oversaw Israel's diplomatic campaigns in the UN Security Council and General Assembly in Israel. It really is a pleasure to welcome him back to the land of the book program today. Thanks for honoring us for making the trip into our studio today.
Thank you for hosting me again. It's such a pleasure to be here. Thank you.
I wish we had a less serious subject today, I really do. But you look back at 2023 right now, you think of the record setting tourism numbers that Israel experienced and then kaboom, the events of October 7th. How did you first learn of the attack?
Oh, well, you're you're.
Throwing me back. You know, I was coming back to my home from a Shabbat dinner, Friday night dinner with friends, and before going to sleep, I was just checking my mobile phone to see if there's some news coming from Israel, because it was nighttime here in Chicago, by morning time in Israel. And then the news broke. We understood that something was going on. At that time. We didn't understand
the scope and the scale of that. I was staying up all night and then we learned about the horrible news.
Well, shockingly, here in America, there has been support for Hamas. According to a Harvard Harris poll, 51% of Americans ages 18 to 24 believe Hamas was justified in its brutal terrorist attacks on innocent Israeli citizens back on October the 7th, I am dumbfounded. Does this surprise you 51% of 18 to 24 year olds? Why or why not?
I was shocked when I saw these numbers, but then I started a process of learning to understand better what happened to America that brought these horrible numbers into reality. And I'm surprised. I'm shocked. But I know that there is a whole process behind that that led to these numbers, and I think it has to do with brainwashing of young people's minds on the social media. We can definitely talk about TikTok and its part in that on university campuses and on some of the, I would also say,
mainstream media outlets here in America. And I think that everything amounts to the situation that many among the younger generation cannot tell the difference between truth and lie, between right and wrong. And I think that this is something that requires a lot of education and a lot of change.
All right. Since we are talking about 18 to 24 year olds in particular, TikTok is their number one source, apparently for news. And of course, with the Chinese influence and with other forces at work, boy, you have to scratch your head and say, how could they possibly come to any other conclusion than that? I mean, why wouldn't they think that Hamas was justified based on that world of TikTok?
You know, I'm.
Looking at the numbers of the posts in TikToks. There's a lot of research that was made about that. The numbers are, you know, appalling. It's 4 to 1 or even 5 to 1 pro Hamas posts against pro-Israel posts. And one one should ask, you know, themselves, how did that happen? Who's behind it? And that's a serious question that needs to be answered. Yeah.
You wonder why this can be so when Hamas atrocities are so well documented. We live in a, you know, show me the proof kind of thing. We love horror movies with violence and gore and full color depiction. But, you know, you've got burned bodies, decapitated babies, raped women, children tied together with their parents, mutilated corpses, all on camera. With all of this, there are rallies on university campuses celebrating Hamas's murderous cause. What do you see as some
other contributing factors here? How do we explain this?
I think that the younger generation is not interested anymore about facts, and they have been encouraged not to be interested in facts. They're interested in narratives. They're interested in perceptions, they're interested in feelings and beliefs and are in facts. And this is something that we have to change, because I think that we saw that, you know, in the Congress, there was a hearing to some of the presence of
the leading universities in these countries. They were unable to say the very basic truth that, you know, encouraging the genocide of Jews is wrong is against the code of conduct. What happened to us? The major issue is that we're not talking about facts. We're talking about perceptions of narratives and agendas. And this is something that's very basic and it needs to be changed.
Yeah. You mentioned those university presidents. And I remember one of their comments, carefully couched in language, was, is it ever right to pursue the eradication or death of Israelis? And the response was, well, it depends on the context.
It depends on the context.
And I wanted to say, would you please describe for me the context in which that would be right?
Absolutely. You know, it depends on the context that it really killed me. You know, some things do not depend on the context for me. One thing is the calling for the elimination or genocide of whatever ethnic or religious group. Another thing is a calling for, you know, some of these, you know, stupid young things. Most of them do not understand that. But they're calling on university campuses and on the streets here in Chicago and elsewhere, from the river
to the sea. Palestine will be free. You ask them what river? What sea? They do not know. But actually what stands behind it is the Hamas call for the elimination of the Jewish state of Israel that is today between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. They're calling and I'm using their terms. They're calling for the ethnic cleansing of 7 million Jews. They live today in the Jewish state of Israel. This is racist. This is anti-Semitic.
It is wrong. And we need to let them understand that it is wrong with.
Us in our land of the book studio today is Janam Cohen, consul general of Israel to the Midwest. I'm John Jaeger, and obviously we're talking about the war with Hamas. What is Israel doing to counteract this misinformation?
We are trying to talk about facts because this is where we have to center our debate about facts. One of the things we've been doing and has proved very effective, even though this is something that is unprecedented, we've never done it before, is sharing a 47 minutes, what we call the horror movie of recaps of the videos of October 7th, the Hamas terrorist attack against Israelis. They took the life of 1200 Israelis, the biggest killing of Jews
since the Holocaust. We're sharing this movie with elected officials, with congressmen, with senators, with journalists, because they want them to see and understand what happened. This is something that's very graphic. It's very hard to watch. It's not for the general public, but we believe that public opinion leaders should be exposed to that to understand the scope and the scale of the atrocities of. And seventh because they are the ones who who actually shape the public opinion.
So access to this footage to opinion makers and and reporters and so on. What kind of an impact is that having not just on the media, but on the prevailing global discussion?
It's it has a tremendous effect. You know, everybody that's been able to show this movie, we're talking about governors, senators, congressmen, journalists, they're unable to talk after that. Many of them, many of the journalists changed their minds. They wrote, you know, op eds, columns about their experience just watching that, what
it meant for them. But it is a very long process, and I feel that there is very big forces that are against us that try to divert the discourse from what happened on October 7th to claim that Israel should not exist in this region, that the Jewish state have not right to exist in the Middle East. And that is our major challenge.
Well, let's swing our focus toward the nation of Israel itself internally. How do you feel the war is being portrayed in Israel media itself? Is it fair coverage or do you do you face similar struggles in communicating basic facts there?
No, I think that in Israel, among the media and among, you know, 95% of our population, Jews and Arabs alike, by the way, there's a very strong understanding about why we're doing that. What happened on October 7th was something that is unprecedented in our modern Jewish history since the Holocaust. This is a war right now on our existence, you know, on our Jewish state. So, you see, you know, from right and left, Jews and Arabs alike in Israel are
fighting together. We have a lot of Arabs, Israeli Arabs who are fighting in the Gaza Strip against Hamas because they understand that Hamas are not only against the Jews, they're against the the mere existence of Israel.
He's a career diplomat with 15 years of experience in the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our guest today on the land in the book is Counsel General Enam Cohen. One of the arguments being used against Israel is the issue of civilian casualties. Okay. Now I'm going to read you some quotes from an interesting article I picked up on the UN estimates that the civilian to combatant death ratio in conflicts since the Second World War averages 9
to 1. That's nine civilians for every one soldier. All right. Now, the loss of any life. Tragic, no question about it. In Iraq in that war, estimates suggest U.S. forces killed three civilians for every one combatant in in Afghanistan, between 3 and 5 to one. Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan. This is not an American.
It's a British guy. He says Israel has a 2 to 1 civilian to combatant death ratio in Gaza, extremely low, which to me is proof that Israel really is working hard to protect civilians. But despite going out of the way to warn people before attacking, despite the leaflets, Israel is shown as the wicked one. How do you account for that?
I think there's a lot of psychology behind it, but I want to refer to what you said because our numbers are really unprecedented. Again, every civilian that's getting killed, it's a tragedy and we try to minimize and mitigate it. But as you mentioned, the numbers are really unprecedented in the modern, you know, warfare. And this is something that we try to explain to people. But, you know, when you're so obsessed with your hatred against Israel, in some
cases against Jews, facts do not matter. Numbers do not matter. They're obsessed with the narrative that Israel is a strong, oppressing power against the poor. Palestinians. Are the poor Palestinians? Yes. Are they suffering for sure? Who's to be blamed for the suffering? That's Hamas. And this is the truth that we always have to remember.
We often hear it said that America is Israel's biggest ally in the West, and we certainly hope that remains. But I think many lesser informed Americans forget or undervalue the equally true statement that Israel is our biggest ally in the Middle East, and that's a neighborhood where we definitely need a reliable friend. Do you feel, as I do, that part of the equation is undervalued in America? And if so, why?
This is a.
Message that we try to deliver because I think it's very mutual. I mean, America is our biggest ally in the world for sure. America is the biggest superpower in the world, for sure. And I wanted to remind us, because the world needs the leadership of America and not of other countries. The world needs to be led by by the values of America, freedom and democracy values that we share in Israel. Israel is the only democracy in
the Middle East. Let's remember that. And I think this is why it is so important for America to have a strong Israel in the Middle East. But let me tell you one more thing, because you know what? I'm reading the numbers. I'm looking at the polls. And even though we see a lot of protests on the streets, on university campuses of the extreme left, I think it's not the case for the vast majority of Americans. I'm
looking at the numbers. The vast majority of Americans, the good Americans all across the country, do understand that they do support Israel. They do stand with the values that Israel represent of freedom and democracy. I mean, these numbers this understanding makes me stronger counsel.
General Lanham Cohen likes exploring new cuisines and tries to balance his calories with daily jogging. He's wearing his no, he's not wearing tennis shoes. He speaks English, Hebrew, Spanish and German. The obvious follow up to this whole conversation is what can we do? What can listeners do to begin to impact this, this conflict?
Thank you. It is so important, I have to tell you that in the past weeks and months since October 7th, I've been receiving so many emails and telephone calls with people, you know, good Americans from all across the Midwest and all across the country calling, asking how we can support, how we can help Israel. We want to stand with you. Many people send, you know, just money or donations to
Israeli committee that have been heard. That's great. Many go to Israel to volunteer to support since we a lot of, you know, hundreds of thousands of Israeli men and women have been involved in the warfare in Gaza. So many volunteers came from the United States to support, for example,
the agriculture in Israel. That's been amazing. And I know that when this war comes to an end, we'll get back to normality and we need people to come back to Israel, visit the Holy Land, go see Jerusalem, go see Israel, support Israel, show your solidarity, go enjoy our amazing cuisine. You know how good the.
Food in Israel is. Just go do that. This is a.
Great support you can do. You're going to enjoy and you're going to show solidarity to Israelis. And I believe that that's a great support.
Yeah.
Well, you talk about the Israeli cuisine. I think they have out chocolate and Switzerland and certainly the U.S.. I don't understand this. This is amazing. Uh, let's talk about tourism for a moment. Let's say the the war was entirely done by March 31st. Let me just put that on a calendar. March 31st. It's done. How long after that? Before tourism could be up and running.
You know what?
I believe it's going to end much before that. I'm going to take a risk and say much, much before it. And I've been talking to some of the, um, air travel companies, for example, flying from the United States to Israel. They're so looking forward to resuming their direct flights to Israel. They understand that there's a lot of demand. I believe that within 2 or 3 weeks we'll see direct flights. We'll see again, a lot of demand for tourism in Israel.
And I believe that people can definitely plan their spring and summer vacations for A to Israel. It's going to be fun.
Well, we'll look forward to that. And we certainly look forward to having you back in the studio for a much more brighter, friendlier conversation.
Right. Always a pleasure to be here.
Thank you.
That's counsel General Cohen here on the land and the book. Well questions and answers. That's what's coming up next. Don't go away a great segment coming your way here on Moody Radio's The Land and the book. Welcome back to the land in the book Moody Radio. I'm John Geiger. It's always a good day when we're able to open the Word of God and see what it says in response to your questions. Yep. That's what this focus is all about. I'll tell you how you can get your
question to us. After I point out that Israel has been on all of our minds, all of our hearts these past months, many of us struggling with questions of what to think and to feel in this conflict and in the midst of it all. God's heart for the Jewish people, though, remains absolutely unchanged. He is faithful to his chosen people. Right, Charlie?
That's right, John. And that's why, as this year is drawing to a close, our friends at Life in Messiah would like to help you better connect with this crucial aspect of God's character. They're offering their new book, Sharing God's Heart to Land. In the book listeners, this 30 day guided reflection will help connect you with God's heart for his precious people. The articles written by Life and
Messiah staff provide insight into Jewish life and culture. They can help prepare you to share with your friends the peace of Messiah they so desperately need. If you would like one of these insightful books for yourself or as a gift for someone else, visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button there to find out how you can receive your copy. That's life in messiah.org.
All right, we've got a great slate of questions today, starting with summer. Uh, her question takes us to an interesting discussion. And she, by the way, is a ninth grader. She says, for school, I'm debating whether or not the United States should abolish the death penalty as a piece of negative evidence, I used Exodus 21, which states, if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from the altar, that he may die. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life
for life. I for I tooth for a tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. Summer says I felt this clearly proved that capital punishment is biblical, and for that reason we shouldn't abolish it. But then I was asked this cross examination Didn't Jesus abolish the death penalty in John eight when he said, the one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her when
referencing the adulteress caught in sin. I didn't know how to answer this, and it made me second guess the accuracy of my original evidence. If you were in my shoes, how would you respond?
Oh thanks Summer, I would respond this way first, Jesus didn't abolish the death penalty or any other law. In fact, in Matthew 517 he said, don't think that I have come to abolish the law of the prophets. I didn't come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. Second, under Roman occupation and control, the Jewish people didn't have the right to put people to death for violating the Mosaic Law. The Romans reserved the right of capital punishment for themselves.
In fact, when the Jewish religious leaders condemned Jesus to death, they still needed to take him to pilot and ask the Romans to impose the death penalty. And John 18 they said it this way when Pilate told him, take him to yourselves. And judging by your own law, they responded, but we have no right to execute anyone. And third, and this gets to the heart of the matter, the events in John eight with the woman taking in adultery,
were actually a setup designed to trap Jesus. The religious leaders brought the woman to Jesus and said she was caught in the very act of adultery in the law of Moses commands us to stone such a woman. What do you say? Well, if she was caught in the very act, where's the man with whom she was committing adultery? They just wanted to use her as a test case. And John makes that clear. In fact, in verse six he says they were using this question as a trap
in order to have a basis for accusing him. The leaders thought they had Jesus trapped. If if they said, uh, what do you think? And he said, well, you do it. The law of Moses says they would run to the Romans and then say, Jesus is telling people to ignore Roman law and take matters into their own hands. But if he said, well, the Romans are in charge, you need to let her go. Then they could tell everyone, hey,
Jesus is ignoring the law of Moses. And my point here is that John eight isn't an appropriate passage to use for or against capital punishment, because the whole account wasn't intended to reveal Jesus's views on capital punishment, it was intended as a trap to ensnare him.
Next question what did Moses sons do? Were they chiefs or judges?
Yeah, this is a bit of a mystery. Apparently, Gershom and Eliezer joined Moses in the wilderness following the crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus chapter 18, but they then disappear from the Pentateuch. Their genealogy is mentioned in chronicles, where it says each had sons who were, quote, chiefs. Another word used theirs, Roche, that means head or chief. And we're not sure if they were chiefs of families
or clans, but evidently they had some level of rulership. Otherwise, Moses's family seems to disappear from history, with just two exceptions. David apparently appointed a descendant of Gershom as his royal treasurer. It's mentioned in First Chronicles 26. And second, it's possible that one of Gershom descendants went into idolatry. Now this is a bit uncertain, but in the account of the tribe of Dan leaving to seek an inheritance in judges 18,
there's a reference to Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Manasseh. Now, at first that doesn't seem to match anything. And it might not. But if the noon Hebrew letters in the Hebrew spelling of Manasseh is removed, and one manuscript does spell it with that letter above the line, then the text would say, Son of Gershom, son of Moshe or Moses. Now I think we need to leave that one as an unsolved mystery, but it's possible this could be a reference to the grandson of Moses taking on the role
of a false prophet. But then again, it might not.
You can get your questions to us anytime with an email to the land and the book at Moody's. Edu. Next question. What did the priest do when they were not called into rotation in the tabernacle or temple?
I suspect they went about other normal duties. That is, once they were in the land, they were part time farmers and herdsmen who took care of their own allotment of land that God gave them. I suspect they were also consulted by people who wanted answers from God's Word on specific questions. The priests had studied the law while the people didn't have their own copy. So the priest became the, if you will, the Wikipedia of the day for the average person.
You're listening to the land in the book from Moody Radio, our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, answering your Bible questions. I'm John Geiger, intrigued with what you're wondering about. Like this question how were the lots cast for priests to determine what role they filled while on duty in the temple? Did this have anything to do with Urim and Thummim?
I don't believe it was connected with the Urim and Thummim. I say that because apparently that was used to provide kind of a yes no answer to a specific question, depending on which stone the high priest pulled out of the breastplate. The way the priests were selected was by drawing lots. This could have been as simple as having the names of the different families on on bits of pottery or some other item that was then drawn from
a basket. We don't know the exact details, but the process likely became formalized as the number of priests increased. But whatever method they used, the assumption was the method being chosen was random, which made sure that ultimately it was God who was determining the specific selection.
One more question about priests is there a current role of the priest today?
Yeah, and actually there is the word Cohen is the name of a priest or name for a priest. And so many Jewish individuals with that name. No, their descendants of Aaron, the Temple Mount faithful has been working on making priestly garments and other items for that still future temple, and they're also conducting training to help. These would be priests know all the detailed rituals connected with the temple
and temple sacrifice. There's also an annual Priestly Blessing performed at the Western Wall, though I'm not sure how they choose which priests get to perform the actual blessing.
Jimmy wants to know how long were the Israelites enslaved in Egypt, adding, she really appreciates the program and looks forward to listening to it every week.
Well, that's a straightforward question, but it has something of a complicated answer. But I'll try and keep it here as simple as I can. I start with two major scriptures that set the basic parameters. The first is Genesis 1513. God said to Abraham there, know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that's not theirs, and they'll be servants there, and they'll be afflicted for
400 years. The second is right at the time of the Exodus and Exodus 12, verses 40 and 41, Moses wrote, the time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of Israel went out from the land of Egypt. Now, as I see it, there's two major problems. And the first is textual, some
Septuagint translations. And Josephus, the Jewish historian, suggests that the 400 or 430 years were from the time of Abraham to the Exodus, and that Israel was only in Egypt for 215 of those years. However, I think the best manuscript evidence suggests that it should be read as it is in our Bibles. That is, it's 400 or 430 years in those two passages. And that difference can be understood in in terms of the first passage being a rounded number 400, while the second gives the exact number
of years. Now, the second problem, though, is the question of how long Israel was oppressed while in Egypt, and at first Genesis 15 seems to suggest that the persecution lasted that whole length of time. But the specific details suggest the 400 years refers to more than just the time of persecution. It also includes the time, he says, when you'll be sojourners in a land that's not theirs, and the time when they would be servants there. The actual time of persecution was part of that time, but
only part. Exodus one round, verses 6 to 12, pictures Israel's transition in Egypt from a place of privilege under Joseph to a place of slavery and persecution. And we're not told the exact number of years that the Israelites were actually enslaved. But we know it extended from before the birth of Moses until the time of the Exodus. And Moses was 80 years old at that time, so it had to be at least 80 years.
Last question is there a specific word for the belief that God chose believers because he knew that they would say yes to the salvation call?
Yeah, that's called conditional election. And it's belief that God looked ahead, saw who'd placed their trust in Christ, and then elected them to be saved based on the decision he knew they'd make. Now, the problem with that view, it doesn't match passages like Ephesians one where God says he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,
and he predestined us to adoption as sons. Now I have a problem reconciling that with the belief in Romans eight, where it says, he those he predestined, he called, those he called, he justified. So God did predestined believers. And yet at the same time, I know I made a choice when I chose to place my faith in Christ. I can't reconcile how I put those two together, but I believe them both because God said both.
Well, I hope you'll stick around next for Charlie's devotional that's here on the land and the book. Well, it's that time of year again. Time when a whole lot of people go about setting up some New Year's resolutions. I'm John Geiger with our host, Charlie Dyer, and I'm gonna just put you against the wall here, Charlie, asking, do you ever set up New Year's resolutions yourself?
I do not, as I've lived life, I found out that I better not make a resolution than to make it, and then feel guilty for not fulfilling it.
Nevertheless, you have focused today's devotion on New Year's resolutions. Where are we going?
We're actually heading to Ecclesiastes 12. We're going to talk to Solomon about a good New Year's resolution.
All right. All of that and more as we first hear this Holy Land experience testimony from someone who's been to Israel and wanted to share this with you and me.
Hi, my name is Debbie and I went to Israel in 1998 and when I found when I went to Israel is I was expecting this going home experience. But
it wasn't that for me. What happened was, is that all these wonderful parables and stories that I had learned about in Scripture came to life, and there were questions that were answered for me as an American living in this country that could never have been answered unless I was there actually seeing the landscape, most specifically the Sea of Galilee, the story of the disciples screaming for fear when they were in the boat in the middle of a storm, in the middle of the night. The questions
were answered for me. Why were they so terrified? And when you see the Sea of Galilee at night, you understand very clearly, and you understand why it was such a magnificent story, and there was so much to learn from that. I highly recommend going to Israel. It's a wonderful experience and it does draw you closer and nearer to God than you could ever possibly imagine.
Well, we could all use some wisdom, and particularly at a time when we're looking at a brand new year, maybe setting up some resolutions. Charlie, I'll let you take it from there.
Ah, thanks, John. Yeah? The new year is upon us. It's time to make that New Year's resolution. Right. Well, before you do, here are the results of recent research on the effectiveness of last year's resolutions. Just 8% of people fully achieved their New Year's goals, while 80% totally failed. Another group analyzed more than 31 million health related resolutions posted online last year, and they pinpointed the date when most people reported failing. It was January 12th, less than
two weeks into the new year. We're heading to Jerusalem this cold December day to discover why this is so, and what we can do to set achievable resolutions for the new year, and our expert on the subject is going to be none other than King Solomon himself. Now, as we approach the entrance to his palace, just below the temple, we spot Solomon walking out toward us. He
appears to be older than we first imagined. We're visiting Solomon near the end of his 40 year reign, but though he's only in his early 60s, he appears gaunt and stooped, as if he's been carrying the weight of responsibility on his shoulders for far too long. He has a woolen cloak wrapped around his shoulders to guard against the chilly wind. Sweeping down across the top of Mount Moriah.
He pauses and motions for us to join him and follow him back up the stairs and into the relative warmth of his amazing palace, the House of the Forest of Lebanon, so named because of all the cedar trees imported and used as pillars inside. As we enter, Solomon looks closely at our clothes. Our brightly colored squall jackets, jeans, and waterproof hiking boots are definitely out of place among the sandals, tunics and woolen shawls of the palace servants
and guards. But perhaps pretending not to notice, he says, what can I help you with today? Well, we're here because back in our day, it's the beginning of a new year, and every new year, people make resolutions about what they want to change in their lives, how to better themselves. But for the most part, we fail miserably. Do you have any thoughts on why that's so and what we can do to be more successful in achieving
our goals as we start the new year of? Solomon smiles and looks at us with warm but weary eyes that let us know he understands the struggle we face. Well, let me share with you what I recently wrote and what I believe will be my final summary of life's wisdom. And he reaches for a leather scroll on a nearby table and begins to unroll it. First. Remember this what you're facing is nothing new. Does this sound like the struggle you faced the first of the new year and
every other day that follows. And then he begins reading from the scroll. What has been will be again. What has been done will be done again. There's nothing new under the sun. My point here is that the struggle you face trying to follow through on your goals is nothing new. Life and human nature haven't changed. Now you might think that your new gadgets, your smartphones, fitness watches
and software programs should make a difference. We don't have those here in my day yet the principles behind them have always existed. I may not have an electric calendar program, but I can scratch notes and reminders to myself on broken pieces of pottery. Here's how I describe that in my book. Is there anything of which one can say, look, this is something new. It was here already long ago. It was here before our time. We set goals and
we have ways to remind ourselves to follow through. And sadly, we also fail. Just like you, you seem to focus a great deal on trying to find personal satisfaction, to recapture the vigor of youth, to discover the elusive goals of happiness, fulfillment, and contentment. From what I hear, many of your resolutions focus on ways to stay healthy and push back the march of time that causes your eyes to. To grow. Dim your shoulders to stoop. Your hair to turn white or fall out. And your arms and legs
to lose their strength. And every year you fail only to try again the following year. Perhaps the problem is that you're focusing on the wrong New Year's resolution. As I share in this book, I also spent much of my life trying to find personal satisfaction and fulfillment in many different ways. But as I sadly discovered, each turned out to be meaningless, like trying to chase after the wind.
We're stunned by Solomon's blunt words. If the New Year's resolutions we've been making are doomed to failure, then what's the answer? Should we simply give up, drift aimlessly through life? Never said any goals. As if knowing our thoughts, Solomon continues. The problem is that most goals we tend to set for ourselves are shallow and self-serving. We want to improve ourselves, find personal satisfaction for ourselves, achieve for ourselves. Our goals
are self focused, and then life intervenes. Delays, disruptions, and discouragement cause most of us to give up. But it's even worse for the small number who succeed. Once they achieve their goal, their sense of satisfaction is short lived. Now what do they do? They must set new, higher goals, or they have to keep working to maintain whatever level of progress they've achieved, or else they find themselves slipping back.
But if the goals we focused on, like those in most New Year's resolutions, are a recipe for failure, then is there any worthwhile goal that we ought to focus on for the coming year? Solomon chuckles and turns back to the scroll, unrolling it nearly to the other end. He searches for the words he knows are there. Spotting them, he begins reading. Now all has been heard. Here's the conclusion of the matter fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man. The key for your new year is to focus not on yourselves, but on God. As I wrote in the book of Proverbs, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To fear God is to have a true, reverential awe of who God really is. It's understanding his power and might and wisdom and holiness and his love and compassion. The best goal for the New Year, and for every single day in that year, is to work hard to
learn more about God. And you do that by getting into the message he left for you in His Word. Note that my final goal is twofold Fear God and also to keep his commandments. So what you're telling us then, is that the best New Year's resolution we can make is to get to know God in a deeper and more intimate way, and that the best way to do that is to spend more time in his word. Solomon nods. You've just described the most practical and beneficial New Year's
resolution you can make. Now don't misunderstand. There's nothing wrong with trying to exercise, eat right, and live as healthful away as possible. In fact, I understand that someone wrote about that in a later part of God's Word which you possess. Let's see if I remember it correctly. Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and
life to come. And the word for training there is gimnasia, which means exercise, and from which you get the word gymnasium. So you see, exercise does have some value, but your real New Year's resolution should focus on godliness. Or as I said in my book, Fear God and keep his commandments. Make that your new Year's resolution and you will not go wrong. And still smiling, Solomon walks us to the door and waves goodbye as we head toward home.
Boy, that's powerful Charlie. What a picture! A conversation with Solomon himself. Thank you for sharing that devotional. If you'd like to play it again, and now's a great day to do it. As we head into this new year, why not head to our website, The land and the
book org, the land and the book org. Been a great year with you, and I hope you'll join us again for a brand new broadcast, brand new season, brand new year next time here on the land and the book, a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.