There's an end coming, you know. Our spinning globe has an end date as certain as the expiration date on a milk carton. Now, should that sour our stomachs or bring us comfort, just how should we respond? Well, these are the questions we're going to dig into in just a minute as we talk with special guest Max Lucado. Welcome to the land and the book from Moody Radio. Our host, author and Israel expert, Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger. Charlie Fall is here again. And that means
the Jewish high holidays are just around the corner. These biblical feasts have been celebrated for thousands of years, but this year, of course, has added weight and significance as Jewish people around the world mark one year since that brutal attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists.
Yeah, absolutely. That's why our friends at Life in Messiah want to help you learn more about the fall feasts, the significance they have for us as believers in Jesus and how to stand with Jewish people during this time. They're offering a live zoom teaching session where they're knowledgeable. Field staff will walk you through the history and significance of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and
the Feast of Tabernacles. You'll also hear how you can use these holidays as a point of connection with your Jewish friends and neighbors, to show and share the love of Jesus with them. To sign up for this free teaching, all you have to do is visit Life in Messiah. Org and click on the Moody Radio logo there to sign up. Be sure to sign up today to discover the fascinating connections between these feasts and Jesus at Life in messiah.org.
And now a look at current events from the Middle East. Story number one fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate, as we saw this week. Is Israel planning to take on Hezbollah militarily, or will the conflict in the North remain at sort of a low level for the foreseeable future?
Well that conflict in the north is heating up. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said the situation can't continue, with over 60,000 Israelis still living as refugees from their own homes and towns. Hours after Israel foiled a second plot by Hezbollah to kill a former senior defense minister, thousands of encrypted pagers used by Hezbollah exploded, killing 12 and wounding nearly 3000, including some top officials. Israel hasn't claimed responsibility, but this has all the earmarks of one of their
clandestine operations. Several other events also suggest a major conflict could be close at hand. This past week, Israel's defense minister met with both the US secretary of defense and a senior US adviser who's been trying to broker a deal with Hezbollah. He stressed that the time for a
diplomatic solution is running out. Israel's top general in the north has been actively pushing to begin the ground operation, and some of the forces that were fighting in Gaza are now being moved to the north, with the winter rainy season set to begin in October. The time to move forward is before bad weather sets in. In fact, the first rain of the year actually fell this past Tuesday, reminding them that the time is short. The US is trying to keep Israel from attacking at least until after
our presidential elections. But if Israel waits too long, it could be another six months before the weather would cooperate to make a full scale land and air operation possible. The Israeli attack on Hezbollah missile positions on August 25th was a major success, with Israel destroying the majority of rockets and drones being prepared by Hezbollah before they could be fired. And last weekend, Israel launched a surprise attack in Syria, destroying an Iranian missile production facility built to
provide Hezbollah with precision missiles. There are three major differences between an attack against Hezbollah versus the war against Hamas. First, Hamas had the element of surprise. They captured all those hostages, which complicated the way Israel could respond. Well, that's not true here. By moving Israelis off the border to the north.
Israel kept Hezbollah from capturing civilian hostages. A second, the fight in Gaza was in a densely populated urban area, but much of the region in the north, not all but much, is more mountainous and less populated. The third difference, however, is that Hezbollah has more sophisticated rockets and drones and as a result will be a more formidable foe.
Story number two as America focuses on our upcoming elections, the U.S. appears to be quietly shifting its priorities in the Middle East. What's happening and what impact could this have on Israel?
Yeah, and it actually started more than a decade ago. The U.S. began shifting its focus from the Middle East to the Far East to protect against a growing threat from China. Making a nuclear deal with Iran and pulling our forces out of Afghanistan were all part of that larger repositioning. However, things didn't go according to According to plan, Iran has pushed to extend its control over large parts of the Middle East, while the Taliban have retaken Afghanistan.
As a result, Israel remains stuck in a very bad neighborhood. The US temporarily re-engaged to help Israel face the threatened attacks from Iran and Hezbollah, but now things could be changing again. The US and Iraq have reached an understanding on plans to withdraw US forces from Iraq over the next year, while they've been there officially to fight against ISIS. They've also served as a blocking force to stop Iran's
push to the west. Iran linked groups continue to attack US forces in Iraq, including a recent attack on a US diplomatic compound in the Baghdad airport. The US had positioned two aircraft carriers in the region as a warning to Iran against attacking Israel, but one of those carriers is now being sent home in Jordan's elections this past week. Islamists affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood made significant gains in parliament.
Their political goals include supporting Hamas and scrapping Jordan's peace treaty with Israel and in Afghanistan. The Taliban have allowed two of Osama bin Laden's sons to re-establish Al-Qaeda bases once again. The bottom line here is that as the US pulls back from its leadership role in the Middle East, the holes were leaving behind are being filled by Islamic fundamentalist groups. Israel could end up feeling as if we're
abandoning them to face these threats alone. And that would not be good.
Not at all. This is the land and the book from Moody Radio. Our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, has traveled to the Holy Land more than 100 times. He's been to Iraq, he's been to Jordan, he's been to Turkey. He understands what's at play here. Story number three. Still, another project has surfaced to bring help to restore the water level of the Dead Sea. What's so unusual about this latest proposal, Charlie? And does it have any chance of becoming reality?
Well, several things make this project unique. First, it seeks to bring water from the Mediterranean rather than the Red sea to the Dead Sea. And second, it wants to combine technologies to use green energy to make the project both sustainable and ecologically beneficial. It starts with the reality that the Dead Sea is actually 1400 feet below sea level. The plan is to install a series of pumping stations to bring water from the Mediterranean into the hill country,
where several desalination plants would be built. The fresh water produced by the plants would enter a large reservoir, while the brine left over would be temporarily stored in special pools during the day. The pumping stations would use electricity from solar panels, then at night, the brine would be released from the pools to flow down into the Dead Sea, and along the way the brine would cascade through a
series of hydropower stations to generate additional electricity. The electricity from the solar panels and the energy from the hydropower stations would more than offset the energy needed to pump the water up to the desalination plants. So what are
the chances of this ever becoming a reality? Well, the researchers stress stressed the benefits, including additional fresh water, halting the decline in the water level at the Dead Sea, and possibly doing all this with a project that's energy self-sufficient. But the project now needs to move into scientific trials to see if it can accomplish its goals. And then Israel would need to determine how it can pay for such a project at a time when its economy is
taking a beating from the war. Now, all that to say, don't expect this engineering marvel anytime soon.
Well, an Israeli father's quest to help his son has led to a new stroke recovery technology. Tell us about this encouraging story out of amazing Israel.
And this really is an encouraging story. It began when an Israeli physicist had a son who, at the age of three months, was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder. The father decided to devote his energy, his passion, his intellect into finding an effective treatment. Now he's still searching for that cure for his son. But in the process, he made some remarkable discoveries about the brain's ability to repair itself. And in fact, it's resulted in treatment proven
to help stroke victims. Now, he believes this same technology will at some point be able to help people with depression, PTSD, ADHD, spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries and familial dysautonomia, the condition that impacts his son. Now, he's developed a cloud based brainwave helmet that activates a low intensity electromagnetic field around a patient's head. The artificial brainwaves mimic healthy neural networks to encourage the growth of new links between
brain cells. The company he started is called brain Q, that is, brain with a letter Q following it. The helmet has been approved by the European Union, has been designated by the US Food and Drug Administration as a breakthrough device in clinical trials in India. Patients who wore the helmet for 45 minutes a day for two months recovered more quickly from strokes than those who did not. The treatment doesn't affect the brain directly. It affects the
ability of the brain to regenerate connections between cells. The father is still hopeful he's going to find a way to regrow neural links in people with his son's condition. Meanwhile, he's gratified that technology has been able to aid stroke victims. The dedication and compassion of this one father in amazing Israel is hopefully going to impact the lives of stroke victims around the world, but.
That's a great story, very encouraging, and we'll look forward to further developments there. Thank you, Charlie, and for the update on the news as well. You know, as you listen to the program, maybe you've never been to our website. We welcome you to check it out. It's the Land and the book.org. Program summaries, previews of things to come. Links to Charlie's books and a lot more at the land and the book.org. Well, what's happening next? Oh, not
just in the program. I'm talking about the end of the world. It's coming. The question is, you know, what's going to happen for you personally? Are you ready for that? Should our stomachs sour when we think about these things or be comforted. Our special guest, Max Lucado, sits down for a conversation you don't want to miss. That's next. Right here on the land and the book. There is an end coming, you know, an end to this age.
In fact, this spinning globe of ours has an end date as certain as the expiration date on a milk carton. And could it be just as soon, hey, should that sour our stomachs or bring us comfort, just how should we respond? Well, these are the questions we'll dig into next as we talk with Max Lucado here on the
land and the book. Welcome. I'm John Gager, and before jumping into today's conversation, I want you to think with me briefly about a creative idea for showing your Jewish friend something of the love of Jesus for them as followers of Messiah, one of the wonderful texts that we love to refer to again and again by way of prophetic evidence from the Old Testament as Isaiah 53. And yet, if you've ever had a conversation with a Jewish friend, you're aware that many Jewish people look at that text
quite a bit differently than we do. How do we bridge the gap and understand their understanding? That's a question for Justin Crone of Chosen People Ministries.
Well, a lot of Jewish people today believe is that Isaiah 53 is speaking of the nation of Israel, that they are the suffering servant. And yes, in many respects, the people of Israel throughout the centuries, including Israel today, has suffered. But if you look at the context of that passage, it really seems to be clearly speaking of an individual, of of a person. In fact, if you were to have a Jewish person who really doesn't know
scripture all that well, read Isaiah 53. In my experience, nine times out of ten they say, oh, that's speaking of Jesus. We also, I think, really need to note here too, that it wasn't until a thousand years or so after the time of Jesus that the normative view within the Jewish community was that Isaiah 53 was speaking of Israel. So prior to that time, uh, there was
debate over it. In fact, the closer you get to the time of Jesus, the consensus was that Isaiah 53 was speaking of a person, not the nation of Israel.
That's Justin Crone helping us see Isaiah 53 through the eyes of your Jewish friend today on the land and the book. If you haven't read one of Max Lucado's books, you are in a shockingly small minority and you've missed out. Max has the unique ability to share the plain truths of the Bible, but also comfort us with the kindness of Christ. It's a recipe so effective 150 million of his titles have been sold. Max is also a Bible
teacher at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. And we're here today to continue our conversation about his first full book on the end times, What Happens Next? A Traveler's Guide to the end of the age. Thanks for connecting again, Max.
Oh, it's my privilege, John. It's just a joy to be on your program, and I'm very honored to spend this time with you.
You've written so many devotional books, people might wonder why this book now? Why write it at this time?
I found, you know, on my next birthday will require 70 candles on a cake. And I don't know if any cake can hold that many. But as I've gotten older and my bald spots gotten bigger and my hair's gotten grayer and my gate's gotten slower, I find myself, John, just thinking about end times. I'm genuinely, personally curious what's going to happen. You know, when I when I take my final breath, what's the next thing I will see when my life is over on this earth. What awaits
me in God's plan? And, um, I've always had those questions. But as I've gotten older, uh, realizing that so much more sand on the bottom of the hourglass than there is on the top, I have been personally very interested. And as I found myself reading and studying more, I found other people who are genuinely curious as well. Maybe not because they're getting older, but. But just because they look around the world and they see it such a mess.
There's so much tragedy, so much heartache, and many of the prophecies that we read in Scripture we're seeing come true. And that's why so many people believe we are living in the end times or the end of the end times. I'm one of them, and it just makes sense. You know, if you go on a trip, you want to know all you can about your destination. How much more as we're preparing for the next life, should we know all we can About what Christ has in store for his church.
Well, despite the cataclysmic world events that we're seeing around us, a lot of Americans still have it pretty good right now. And frankly, they can't get real excited about the return of Christ. It seems to me that's a problem. How do we realign our affections?
That's really a great question. And maybe that's why, you know, the apostle Paul said, set your affections on things above. It's an act of discipleship, John, to set our affections on things above. To think about what is to come and not allow the blessings of this life, or the burdens of this life to be the dominant thought of this life. Every good thing about your life, whether it be health or wealth, all of those good things that's going to pass away, all of these things are passing away.
And also, I can say that just as quickly about all the burdens in this life, the sickness or the anxiety or the burdens, the bad relationships, those are going to pass away as well. We must see that this life is just a vapor. It's just here for a moment and then it's gone. It could not be any briefer than it is. I mean, it is an instant in comparison with eternity. So don't get too caught up in either what's good or what's bad about right now.
Let your focus be on what's about to happen, because that's what's going to matter the most.
Max Lucado is a writer whose books you've read, and he joins us today on the Land and the book. Well, God is certainly not captive to his own emotions still. And I don't want to, you know, beat this to a pulp. You can't help but wonder if he doesn't feel a sense of hurt over our lack of anticipation, our lack of excitement at the thought of what's to come. Your thoughts?
I think we see that when Jesus, you know, on the one of his final messages before his own betrayal and crucifixion. You know, he looked out over the city of Jerusalem and said, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you have stoned the prophets and the preachers. How many times would I have gathered you as a as a hen gathers her chicks, but you would not come? I hear a lot of sorrow, John,
and in his voice. And I can't help but think that as he looks upon the earth and sees how quickly we are to turn to pleasures or possessions for our fulfillment. How often, he says, how many times have I called you? How many times have I called you? And maybe somebody listening today, and you're sensing that nudging of the spirit that's telling you to quit turning to stuff or to people or to approval for your satisfaction? It's not going to last. It doesn't work. It's not
because God doesn't love you. It's just the opposite. He does love you and it's because he loves you. He's telling you, don't set your affections on things of the earth, but set them on things to come in heaven.
There are others who genuinely want to feel excited about the end of the age and the coming of Christ, but they are either intimidated by what they read or just plain fearful. What's your counsel there?
Well, I can understand because we're talking about, um, in the book I call prophecy the Serengeti of Scripture. It's vast, it's wild. And for many people, it's unexplored. And you're afraid of what awaits you. And yet prophecy, appropriately received and appropriately taught, is really a tool to encourage the church, not to intimidate the church. There are many books and many Bible teachers who have an approachable form of prophecy.
Now there are those, I understand. There are those who like to use prophecy and end times as a way to Self-promote, just like they use other topics. So stay away from those, but find a trustworthy teacher. Find an approachable book. Find a sermon series and you'll you'll soon see there are differing opinions about a variety of things like the millennium or the rapture. And that's okay. We all agree that Christ is coming, that the dead will be living and will be reigning with him. That's what
we all agree. We agree right there. Now, the other topics we're going to have discussions about until the until the Lord returns. But dive in, explore, and I think you'll you'll find your heart stirred as you try to imagine or envision what awaits us.
What happens next? A Traveler's Guide to the end of the age. That's our focus today on the land and the book. It is the latest from Max Lucado. I'm John Geiger, joined today by best selling author Max Lucado. And since you brought it up, many people wonder, Max, why couldn't God have been just a little bit more clear in laying out the future. Why so much imagery? Why so much left open for debate and discussion?
My goodness, what a good question. You know, when I was growing up, you can probably tell by my Texas twang I can't quite get rid of it, but I grew up in a small West Texas town, and and I remember my dad, uh, promising to take us on a camping trip from the flatlands. And I mean, seriously flat as a skillet flatlands of West Texas to the
Rocky Mountains. And, um, I recall we were, I think I was eight years old, and my dad sat my brother and me down and tried to describe what it was going to be like to see mountains, to see big trees, to breathe thin air. And because he had he had made several trips there. Well, I was just overwhelmed. I couldn't get my mind around it, you know, my little eight year old brain. Yeah. And, uh, I don't know if my dad said it, but somewhere either he said it or I thought it and that is just
got to trust him. Just got to trust the father. So maybe that's it. Maybe our little puny brains simply don't have the capacity to receive or embrace and comprehend all the great things that God has prepared for us. I have found it to be a fascinating subject to study. I'm genuinely excited about it. Over the years, I think I've trends changed in some of my opinions. I know I have, and I've come to embrace a more literal interpretation of the book of Revelation as opposed to an
allegorical interpretation. And those are good exercises for us, John. We need to work through those kind of questions. Again, it's where we're going to spend eternity. So it's very, very important. We do our best to try to understand what God has in store for us.
So what's a good and godly way to resolve the disagreements believers sometimes have over which images in revelation are metaphorical versus those that may be literal.
Well, I lean literal, and here's why. You know, Daniel, the Old Testament prophet, was a prophet, of course. And Daniel chapter nine includes one of the great prayers of the Bible. And the reason that Daniel was praying is because he had read the prophecy from a prophet of a prior generation, and Jeremiah prophesied that the children of
Israel would be in captivity for 70 years. And so toward the end of those 70 years, more specifically, at about year 67 or 68, Daniel prayed this prayer for God to keep his promise and deliver his people and return them to Jerusalem. So here's a prophet reading the words of a prophet teaching us how to interpret prophecy. Daniel didn't read the number 70 and say, well, that's probably allegorical or symbolic. He said, you know, that's a
real number. So when I flip my Bible over to revelation chapter 20 and read about a thousand year reign of Christ, I used to interpret that as a symbol or a picture. No longer John, I say, well, I think Daniel would have said, if John says a thousand years, then I'm going to reign with Christ for a thousand years. And so I came to embrace that as my tool
in understanding prophecy. I lean literal now, not always can we do that, but when possible, and unless there's a prevailing reason not to, I try to lean literal in my understanding of prophetic books.
Well, we're talking with Max Lucado about what happens next. It's a traveler's guide to the end of the age. You've got, let's say, 30s. It seems to me the number one thing we have to do to be ready is to know Jesus, to receive Jesus as Savior. Talk to that listener right now who's been dancing on the edges, is interested, but has never really crossed that bridge. What would you say to them?
I would say cross has done all the work. He's done the heavy lifting. He came for you. He showed his love for you. He taught you. He died for you. And he raised from the dead to show you that he has authority over life and death. So trusting. All you need to do is turn your heart to him. Say a simple prayer like, Lord, I'm a sinner, I admit it. I need a Savior, I trust you, I give you my heart. In Jesus name.
Amen. And if you just prayed that prayer, we welcome your email to the land and the book@moody.edu. That's the land and the book@moody.edu. Speaking of books, Max's is titled What Happens Next? A Traveler's Guide to the end of the age. We'll link you to that book when you visit our website. The land and the book.org. It has been a pleasure to speak with you the last couple of weeks. Max, thanks for carving out time to be with us.
John, it's my privilege. I hope we get to do it again someday.
And we're looking forward to more. There's more in this series than just this book, I understand.
We're going to keep revealing. And as God reveals to us, keep writing and and revealing. So I pray that it'll be an encouragement to others.
That's Max Lucado here on the land and the book. We're coming up. It's a visit with our friend Doctor Charlie Dyer and his answers to your Bible questions. That's next on the land and the book. Welcome back to the land and the book. Fall is here. And that means the Jewish High Holidays are right around the corner.
These biblical feasts have been celebrated for thousands of years, but this year kind of has added weight, added significance because Jewish people around the world are marking one year since the brutal attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists.
Yeah, John, that's why our friends at Life in Messiah want to help you learn more about the fall feasts, the significance they have for us as believers in Jesus, and how to stand with Jewish people during this time. They're offering a live zoom teaching session where their knowledgeable field staff will walk you through the history and significance of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and
the Feast of Tabernacles. You'll also hear how you can use these holidays as a point of connection with your Jewish friends and neighbors, to show and share the love of Jesus with them. To sign up for this free teaching, all you have to do is visit Life in Messiah org. Click on the Moody Radio logo and sign up. Be sure to sign up today and discover the fascinating connection between these feasts and Jesus at Life in messiah.org.
And with that, we'll dig into our question and answer segment, beginning with somebody who's a bit of a critic. Charlie Williams says, I disagree with people like you, David Jeremiah, Michael Wright, and others who only give generalizations on Bible prophecy, you don't know or see the details happening before your eyes. For example, when the Bible prophesied and the Trump will sound, it was predicting President Trump would declare Jerusalem the capital
of Israel. So many theologians, churches and Christians are just blind to what is happening. Charlie, your reactions?
Well, I'm happy to be associated with Michael Rolnick and David Jeremiah. In fact, I would issue a caution right now. I'd caution you to be very careful about reading into the Word of God by pulling words and phrases out of context. I see two major dangers in the way some people approach Bible prophecy. Some become prophetic agnostics. They're afraid to accept the reality that God did predict events that are future. In Second Peter three, Peter talks about
those who say, where's the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation. That's a danger. But the second danger is that some go the opposite direction and develop what I would call prophetic ADHD. They run from current event to current event and try to find each event in the Bible, pulling verses out of context to do so. Just for example, your reference to
the trump will sound. It's only found in first Corinthians 15 and it refers to the rapture, not to Mr. Trump. The bottom line is that God shared enough about the future to keep us from being unnerved by world events, but he left enough out to keep us walking by faith, not by sight. Take what God said literally, at face value in its context, and don't try to find some
deeper hidden meaning. That's what I believe it means when we're told to be workmen who don't need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
Deb has a question for us about dates in biblical history. In First Kings, chapter six, Solomon began to construct the temple in the fourth year of his reign, 480 years after the people of Israel were rescued from slavery in Egypt in Acts 1317 through 20. In Paul's sermon at Antioch in Pisidia, he said all this took about 450 years. Talking about the 40 years in the wilderness, plus the destroying of seven nations and Canaan, and giving their land
to Israel as an inheritance. So how can these dates be reconciled?
Well, I think the key is recognizing that they can be harmonized. If we look at two things. First, first Kings six one. The 480 years is an exact time. It's a timestamp in the Bible that marks the length of time between when Israel came out of the land of Egypt. That's 1446 B.C., and the date when Solomon began to build the house of the Lord. That was 966 BC. It's one of the fixed dates we have
that actually helps us date the time of the Exodus. Now, in acts 13, Paul is giving a broad historical overview covering three connected time periods. He talks about Israel's stay in the land of Egypt, the Exodus and the time of the conquest when God overthrew the nations in Canaan. So Paul, starting with Israel's entrance into Egypt and ending with Joshua's conquest twice. In those verses, Paul uses the Greek word hosts, which is translated about indicating he's speaking
in a broad, general time frame. And in that broad sense, Israel's sojourn in Egypt, its time in the wilderness and its years of conquest under Joshua did take about 450 years. So basically one passage is very specific and focuses on time all the way down to the time of Solomon. The other passage is more general. Each one is referring to a different starting point and a different ending point in the accounts.
Sharon says, I'm teaching job, and a question came up about what it means to curse God. We spoke about blessing God, then went on to cursing. And as I got into the study of cursing, I learned there are six common words for curse. What is God teaching us by using all these different words for curse?
Yeah, and a lot of the words are synonymous, just like we have synonyms in our language. But I did find something fascinating in all this. Let me start with the words that are found in chapters one and two. This might come as a surprise, but one word is used there three times. It's actually the normal Hebrew word for bless. It comes from the idea of kneeling down. And while that's how the word is used most often, it can be rather infrequently, like here mean just the opposite.
An illustration in English would be something like a person who's extremely disappointed in what someone's done for them, and they respond by saying sarcastically, that's great, thanks a lot. Well, the tone of their voice makes it clear it's not great and they're not thankful. The bottom line is, though, most of the words for curse are just synonyms in the Bible. But the most unusual aspect in job, especially is that word used in chapters one and two. That's
translated curse, but really means bless. And it's used in that context by Satan twice and once by job's wife. And I think in all three cases there's a strong sense of sarcasm being used.
Well with all the options you have in listening today, whether online or on air. Here you are with us at The Land and the book. And we're honored that you've chosen to do that. Thank you for your company. Our host, doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager. Buddy wants to know our Bible study group is studying Genesis. We're in chapter one. Can you give us any of your ideas or comments on issues such as the dinosaurs and
their timing, how they fit into the biblical account? The worldview is that dinosaurs died much earlier than Adam was formed, and that brings up the issue of when did death enter the world before or after Adam and Eve's fall? And how did sin enter God's world? Did he create it and allow sin to enter the world and tempt man, knowing that he would fail? How does all this work together?
Yeah, I wish I could answer all those questions you asked. However, that would take up this whole program. Probably the next one as well. Now, when it comes to creation, though, I just accept the reality of the creation account in Genesis. I believe in a seven day A literal creation. However, I also don't believe we have all the details that we might need to answer all those questions. For example, God created angels before he created the universe as we
know it. I think that's clear in job chapter 38, verses 1 to 7 there. God asked job. He says, where were you when I created the world? When the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy. Now my point here is that the angels were evidently created before the creation of the world as we know it, that created order. That angelic order is also likely when Satan rebelled against God before the creation of the world as we see it. That's why an evil serpent can
suddenly appear in the Garden of Eden right after creation. Now, could other animals, like dinosaurs, have been part of that earlier creation that was destroyed when God judged Satan and his followers? The answer is we don't know. Or could dinosaurs have existed on Earth prior to the time of the flood and died out with the flood and and
climate change that took place at that time? Again, we don't know, but I'm content in knowing that there are at least two reasonable explanations that can help explain how dinosaur fossils came into being. Now, if I start with what the Bible clearly says, I end up with a seven day creation that fashioned the universe as we see it today. And that culminated in the creation of humanity. And I believe that that creation was marred when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. And that's when sin
and death entered our current world. Now, in terms of how sin entered the world, we do know that God's not the author of sin. In describing the fall of Satan in Ezekiel 28, God's very careful. He says about Satan. He says, you were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till wickedness was found in you. God didn't create him evil. Satan chose to rebel against God. So I suggest you give yourself permission in your Bible study to say something like, you know, we don't have
all the answers to all these questions. So at least right now, let's focus on what we do know and give ourselves permission to hold the other things off to the side until we have more information. Now here's also some good resources you asked about. The Institute for Creation Research is a great source online that can help and provide scientifically respectable answers in support of a young earth. And Henry Morris wrote a book called The Genesis Record.
It's also a great commentary on the Book of Genesis that provides additional information, and you can find access to it at the Institute for Creation Research.
I love Todd's question. Do you think the designation of Judah's kings as good or bad, corresponds to them having salvation or not? I know that everybody's a mixed bag, so I'm wondering about how the writer of First and Second Kings determined, under the Spirit's guidance, of course, what designation to give each king. Your thoughts? Yeah.
I'm not sure we can say there's a one for one correspondence between that phrase and personal salvation. The phrase is a summary of the specific actions taken by each king, but were not given the details of their heart motivation. Now, in general, I probably assume that when they did evil in the sight of the Lord, or did what was right in the sight of the Lord, that does somehow translate spiritually. So I suspect there's at least some general
summary there of their spiritual character. But just because someone's not saved, they can still live a good moral life. So it is possible that those kings who even did what was right may not spiritually have been in a right relationship with God. Though I like to think that they were.
And that's a look at the questions that have come into us here at the land and the book. Again, our email address for your question. The land and the book@moody.edu. Our program isn't done. No. We got one more segment. It's Charlie's devotional. Stick around for that here on the land and the book. Let's be honest, there are things in life we dislike, strongly dislike. And then there are those things that we detest. Welcome back to the land and the book. I'm John Gager, confessing that one of
those things I detest is creamed corn. I know it might be your favorite, but I detest creamed corn. We've had many a conversation about this around the office. But Charlie, some things are detestable to our God, and it's a whole lot more serious than a can of creamed corn. Right?
Ah, you're right, John.
Okay, that's the subject of your devotional, which takes us to Proverbs 15. I'm looking forward to that. After we listen to a Holy Land experience testimony, what does somebody who's been to Israel take back with them? Listen.
Hi. My name is Beth. I'm from Texas and going to Hungary and seeing the waterfall and the difficulty of the passage for Ruth and Naomi. I've always loved that story, but it really deepened my understanding of the difficulties that Ruth went through in being there for Naomi and brought home again How richly God blessed her for her faithfulness. There were a number of stories that seeing where they happened deepened my understanding and helped me to fully appreciate what they went through.
Hi, I'm Michelle from Philadelphia, and one of the things I loved about this trip was Masada. And I think it was because Masada was a stronghold for David and so many of his Psalms. He mentions God being his stronghold and looking out over the Dead Sea, the mountains and the valleys. It was just it brings new meaning to those Psalms as you read them, that his stronghold, that big, huge rock we were on, is really God.
All right. Proverbs 15 is our focus. Creamed corn is not the subject. So, Charlie, what is John?
Well, I'm on the opposite of you. On the creamed corn. I love creamed corn. But there are things in life that we all dislike, even though those dislikes might differ. Now I'm part of a small group that dislikes coffee. I tried to drink a cup of coffee twice in my life, once when I was 16 and the second time about 50 years later. I couldn't finish either cup. I love the smell of coffee, but I can't overcome
that taste now. My wife loves a good cup of coffee, but if I offer her a taste of my Diet Coke with a fresh squeezed slice of lime, well, let's just say that particular beverage is all mine. She dislikes the taste of lime in a Diet Coke, and I'd ask each person listening, what are your particular dislikes? It can be a food or a beverage, or a particular texture or fragrance. Sometimes it can even be a person
who just seems to rub us the wrong way. But let's face it, we all have things that we just dislike or don't care for. Likes and dislikes can be a matter of personal preference. Often they can be traced back to experiences we had in our younger days, but there are times when something or someone moves from a personal dislike to an intense abhorrence. The action or item or person becomes detestable. The name Adolf Hitler generates that kind of response in most people. So does the smell
of a skunk. Did you ever notice that there are also things that God detests? And I'm not talking about personal preferences here. I mean things that God dislikes intensely, so much so that a Hebrew word is used, which is translated detests in some Bibles and abomination in others. In fact, this word is used three times in Proverbs 15 to describe things that are detestable to God. So travel back with me to the time of King Solomon to see what generates such a negative reaction from God.
In Proverbs 15 eight, Solomon writes, the Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him. That's the NIV translation. The New American Standard Bible translates the Hebrew this way the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. So what is it that God finds so detestable that it can be called
an abomination to him. It's a morally corrupt person, someone who's wicked, who believes that simply offering a sacrifice will somehow clear things with God. Ritual is no substitute for genuine repentance. Offering an animal sacrifice didn't atone for sin if it wasn't accompanied by a heart of genuine sorrow. Isaiah used the same word in Isaiah one As God rebuked the nation for their sin. Bring your worthless offerings
no longer. Incense is an abomination to me. The prophet goes on to describe the impact such hypocritical worship had on God. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you. Even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood. Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight. So in Proverbs 15 eight, if a religious ritual offered from an impure heart is
detestable to God, what will please him? Will. The second half of the verse provides the answer, The prayer of the upright is his delight. The word upright comes from a word having the idea of straight or level, as opposed to the wicked, who are constantly deviating from God's pathway of righteousness. The upright try to follow God's standards
of right and wrong. To summarize verse eight, God is saying, it doesn't matter how much religious stuff you try to do, if you're unwilling to submit to God and follow him, he will detest anything you try to do to buy him off. He hates religious hypocrisy, but if you want God to listen to your prayers, then focus on being a faithful follower living in obedience to him. The very next verse describes the second thing God dislikes intensely. The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves
those who pursue righteousness. If the first proverb focused on religious hypocrisy, this one focuses on specific actions and activities. The pathway of life chosen by the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. The word for way is the Hebrew word derekh, which pictures a roadway or a course of action. We can try to fool others or make excuses, but God can see into our hearts to know our
thoughts and motives. And he dislikes intensely someone who deliberately chooses to follow a pathway that leads away from God. In contrast, God loves a person who pursues righteousness rather than choosing the roadway of the wicked which leads away from God. The one whom God loves is someone who passionately seeks after righteousness. Righteousness is demonstrated in the way we act, the way we speak, the way we live according to God's ethical and moral standards. It's aligning our
lives with the righteous standards set by God. But Solomon has one more example of something God dislikes intensely. In this chapter. It's found in verse 26. The NIV expresses the verse this way the Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to him. The New American Standard provides a slightly more literal translation evil plans are an abomination to the Lord, but pleasant
words are pure. So what is it that God detests? Well, the word evil has the idea of something being bad or malignant or causing pain or misery. It's used of figs that had become rotten. God, who can see into the human heart, detest the evil, wicked thoughts that can creep into a person's mind. What kind of thoughts might these be? Perhaps thoughts of revenge or vengeance or wishing ill on someone if God detests. Thoughts contemplating anger or
wishing evil on others. What's the opposite? What is it that pleases God? Pure and pleasant thoughts, especially when they're communicated to that person rather than wishing a person harm. God looks with favor on those who seek to build up others and encourage them. So what is it that God dislikes intensely? He dislikes a hypocritical individual who tries
to pretend he or she is religious. God dislikes a person who pursues an ungodly lifestyle rather than seeking to arrange his or her life according to God's standards, and God dislikes a person who tries to harm others rather than build them up. So how does your life align with the likes and dislikes of God? Two pathways that diverge in opposite directions that might not always be visible to others, but are clearly visible to the God of
the universe, who can peer into the human heart. The author of Psalm one described the same two pathways and their results. So let's end by looking at his description of these two pathways the one God dislikes and the one God chooses to bless. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day
and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked. They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Sobering words and words we need to hear. Thank you. Charlie. Maybe you'd like to play today's program again. Or specifically this devotional again. You can hear it all at the Land and the book.org. We'd love to get your email. How is this program impacting your life? Helping you see Scripture differently? Maybe teach a Bible passage differently? We'd love to hear that story. And you can email us anytime at The Land and the Book at Moody Dot. Edu.
The land and the book at Moody dot. Edu. Well, our time has gone too quickly, but we sure appreciate your spending part of your day with us. On behalf of our host, Charlie Dyer, our producer, Dan Anderson, I'm John Gager. The land and the book is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.