May 21st, just after 9 p.m.

outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., two Israeli embassy staff members are gunned down as police take the gunman into custody.

He shouts free, free Palestine!

But there's so much more to this tragedy that you need to know.

We'll share the rest of the story coming up.

Welcome to the land and the book, where we'll start with an update on the entire Middle East region.

Our host is noted Middle East expert Doctor Charlie Dyer.

I'm John Gieger.

Charlie, your day going okay.

My day is going great.

John.

Thank you for asking.

Well, you know, I'm thinking about the fact that as believers, there's a great need for us to share the gospel with the Jewish people.

In fact, many of our listeners faithfully pray and partner with ministries that are doing just that.

But what if you could personally take part in bringing the gospel to Jewish people?

Well, our friends at Life in Messiah.

Love the opportunity to get believers involved in Jewish ministry.

They regularly organize outreach teams to Brooklyn, South Florida, and even to Israel outside of times of conflict.

These ministry trips will equip you to understand how to share the gospel with Jewish people.

I'll give you the opportunity to actively share your faith and provide tools and resources that you can take home with you.

If you want to get hands on training and practical experience in Jewish evangelism, you can learn more by visiting life.in.

Messiah.

Org and clicking on the Moody Radio button there.

That's life in Messiah.

And now a look at current events from the Middle East.

With Israel's Knesset now on break until October.

What's the future of Prime Minister Netanyahu's coalition?

Our new elections on the horizon?

Or can the government maybe hang on until October 2026, when elections have to take place?

Well, over the years, the one thing we've learned is never to underestimate the political skill of Prime Minister Netanyahu.

He really is a political master now.

Can his coalition survive another year until elections have to be held?

Well, based on history, that doesn't seem likely.

As skilled as Netanyahu is, he now presides over a minority government, with two parties on the right giving him very little room to manoeuvre.

Look for him first to see if he can get a compromise bill passed to provide exemption for military service for the ultra-Orthodox.

This would allow those parties to rejoin the coalition, though it won't necessarily be a popular move with many Israelis.

Then watch to see how Netanyahu handles continuing negotiations with Hamas.

An agreement with Hamas could cost him the support of Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

But if the agreement leads to the return of all the hostages and the removal of Hamas from political and military power in Gaza, it will be seen by many Israelis as a very positive leadership decision.

Third, Watch to see if Netanyahu can bring about judicial reform and possibly have his trial end and the charges against him dismissed.

Finally.

Watch to see if Netanyahu can work with President Trump to expand the Abraham Accords and secure peace agreements with other Muslim countries, Saudi Arabia would be the main prize, though there are discussions with other nations.

If Netanyahu can pull off these diplomatic coups, he'll be in a much stronger position heading into the winter Knesset session.

He could then see how long the current coalition can survive.

At some point, he could dissolve the Knesset and call for new elections.

This would allow him to control the timing of the next election and focus not on what happened October 7th, but on what he's been able to accomplish since then.

Just like in the US, people in Israel love to appreciate a strong leader who can get things accomplished.

And that's the image Netanyahu wants to project as they move ultimately toward elections.

Charlie, we've heard so much for so long about expanding the Abraham Accords and Saudi Arabia.

Always in that first tier.

How likely is it assuming assuming there is nothing further terribly explosive with the Gaza conflict, nothing further going on with Iran that that could take place.

What's your personal take?

I think they'll have to finesse the idea of having some kind of a Palestinian entity.

Saudi Arabia has said in the past they want a Palestinian state.

Israel won't permit that.

But between those two extremes, there's probably some wording that could get that accomplished.

And I think that Netanyahu will work very hard to make that happen.

The country of Syria seems to be in danger of descending into chaos.

Can the new government take control of that country, or is it once again heading toward another civil war?

Well, you know, things have calmed down somewhat since the events a few weeks ago, but those events did illustrate the fractured nature of Syria.

The current government grew out of Islamic roots and moved rapidly to eliminate the government of Bashar Assad.

Elements within the government are pushing for an even greater Islamic focus.

It's no accident that since taking power, there have been attacks against minority groups like the Alawites, the Syrian Orthodox Christians and most recently, the Druze.

It's unclear if the new government can control the different armed Islamic groups, since theologically they all view groups like the Alawites and the Druze as heretical.

They also have negative attitudes toward Christians and Jews.

Much of the West still views Syria as a single country, but the reality is that Syria is a very diverse country theologically and ethnically.

Ethnically, the majority of the people are Arab, but the second largest group are the Kurds, who live in northeast Syria, followed by the Armenians.

Religiously, about 75% of the population are Sunni Muslims, about 10% are Christians, and around 5% are Druze.

The remainder are Alawites, Yazidis and some Shiite groups.

Two weeks ago, Israel stepped in to help the Druze community when it was attacked.

A shaky truce was put in place, but the fear is that the government in Damascus is more naturally aligned with Islamic Arab groups and is less likely to support or defend religious and ethnic minorities.

As a result, Syria could face continuing ethnic and religious struggles in the coming days.

Charlie, those statistics just paint the picture so well, and they point to the fact that we really, as Americans, don't grasp the nuances, the complexities that are behind all these headlines.

Yeah, we're used to having democracies with votes.

And in the Middle East it's all about tribal loyalty and religious affiliation.

That's Doctor Charlie Dyer, I'm John Gager.

This is the land and the book, working through a list of current events that have all taken place this past week in the Middle East.

Israel's tourism industry has struggled through several years of disruption due to both Covid and the war.

Is relief on the horizon, or could they be facing still more hurdles ahead?

You know, I would love to say relief is just on the horizon, but I think they are still facing some struggles, both logistically and politically.

Logistically, Israel needs to work to rebuild its infrastructure.

Now, I'm not referring to sites or hotels or roads or things like that.

I'm referring to the people side of things.

The guides, who are out of work for several years sought other employment.

They'll need to be wooed back and retrained, or else new guides will need to be trained.

The same is true of bus drivers, hotel staff, restaurants and all the other hospitality positions that were lost.

Some travel agencies and tour companies even went out of business.

Now all that can be rebuilt, especially if tourism increases gradually over the next year.

And I'm confident it will.

In fact, I'm planning on taking a group back this November and I don't anticipate us experiencing any major disruptions or difficulties.

But the political struggles confronting tourism could prove to be more difficult and persistent.

There have been a small number of Israeli settlers who've attacked Christian sites in the past, and some religious zealots in government agencies have tried to undermine an evangelical presence in the land, even denying entry to some groups.

American Ambassador Mike Huckabee caused a stir a few weeks ago when he publicized a letter to the interior minister accusing Israel of refusing to allow entry to some Christian groups.

He even threatened to declare that Israel doesn't welcome Christians.

Huckabee's letter was a serious wake up call for Israel, because he has consistently been a leading evangelical friend and supporter of the Jewish state and people.

Putting it in the words of Mayberry's own Barney Fife, Ambassador Huckabee was telling Israel's leaders they needed to nip it in the bud before these kind of actions harm Israel's relationship with one of their strongest sources of support.

Now, thankfully, the message was heard clearly and understood, and the issue of visas being withheld was resolved.

I just wish every tourist related problem could be solved that quickly.

But I do have hope, at least long term, for tourism in Israel.

All right.

I appreciate that perspective.

Hope that's true.

Well, a dangerous fact of life in many hospitals is the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

The good news is that Israeli researchers are developing a vaccine to provide protection.

What are the details behind this latest breakthrough from Amazing Israel?

Well, scientists from Tel Aviv University and the Israel Institute of Biological Research developed a vaccine using lipid nanoparticles that shows 100% protection.

Now, the initial vaccine developed is for pneumonic plague and the testing is being done on animals.

But here are two main reasons this discovery is so significant.

First, the vaccine currently being developed can be modified and used to tackle other bioterror threats.

But second, and this is the point of this whole story, this process can be used to develop a vaccine to prevent infections from antibiotic resistant bacteria in hospitals.

Each year in Israel, about 5000 people die in hospitals from bacterial infections.

And the number worldwide, including here in the US, rises into the millions.

The goal of the researchers is to develop a vaccine against the 3 or 4 most common bacteria, and then to administer it to patients at the time of admission, virtually eliminating all antibiotic resistant bacterial infections in hospitals.

Whether confronting a deadly plague or an antibiotic resistant infection, this new technique will allow scientists to quickly design and produce a vaccine to stop bacterial infections from spreading.

And that is definitely good news coming our way from amazing Israel.

Thank you Charlie.

Hey, if you've got a Bible question, why not email it to the land and the book at?

It might be featured in an upcoming segment here on the program.

Well, a look at that tragic story of the couple gunned down in Washington, D.C.

next on the land and the book.

May 21st, just after 9 p.m., outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., two Israeli embassy staff are gunned down by 31 year old Elias Rodriguez.

As police take him into custody, he shouts free, free Palestine!

But there's so much more to this tragedy that you need to know.

We'll share the details coming up.

David Bosque and his wife, Jamie, are both graduates of Moody Bible Institute.

David was raised in a messianic Jewish home in Israel, and following his time at Moody, he pastored and led worship for many years at a Hebrew speaking congregation in Jerusalem.

He and his wife are currently in Kentucky with their boys, Judah, age seven, and Joseph, age four, where David is pursuing his PhD.

After this, Lord willing, they plan to move back home to teach and minister in Israel.

Hey David, we're really glad to have you on the program.

Welcome to the land and the book.

Hey, wonderful to be with you, John.

Thanks for having me.

So reintroduce us to this couple that was killed that tragic night, May 21st.

Yeah.

So a good friend of mine named Yaron Leszczynski, he's a guy I grew up with.

He's an Israeli Jewish young man and his soon to be fiancee, Sarah Milgrom.

They were attending an event in Washington, DC, and as they were leaving, they were, as you mentioned, they were tragically murdered there outside.

Um, Yaron was a wonderful, wonderful man.

Uh, he and I had been friends for many years.

We went to the same Messianic Jewish congregation in downtown Jerusalem.

I was a associate pastor there, and he and I had a really wonderful connection, a great relationship.

He was a very deep thinker.

He and I would talk after service.

We would have services on Fridays, and he and I would talk about life.

And he, you know, he was about ten years younger than me.

So I kind of was able to share a little bit about my experiences, what I learned, and some of the hopes and dreams he had for his life, where he was going to study, what he was going to do.

We talked a lot about our faith, talked a lot about some of the maybe deeper questions of the faith that usually people in that in that time of their life are searching, maybe, you know, not struggling with doubts but really wanting to understand, you know, as many people do at that age, they want to kind of figure out why they're going to pursue the life they're going to pursue.

And he and I were able to really connect on a very sweet level, and I was able to speak into his life on some things.

And so a tragic loss, truly.

He was really a wonderful, wonderful young man.

So I'm struck by the fact already that this is a whole lot more than a news headline for you.

This is a relationship that is suddenly ended.

Yeah, it was really it was difficult.

Listen, as Israelis, we're watching the news every day, probably multiple times a day, especially when things get heated.

And I remember the night where it happened.

I kind of looked at my phone as I was going to bed.

I turned to my wife and I said, hey, there was a shooting in D.C.

it looks like maybe some Israelis were were killed.

And that was about the end of it.

You know, it's sad.

And I put my phone down and went to sleep.

And then I woke up around 4 a.m., and you're just inundated with all the messages of of it, that it was Ya'alon who was killed.

And you're beginning to put the pieces together.

I remember sitting down and posting something on Facebook just to kind of honor him.

And, you know, people were able to to see that and hear a little bit about his life.

But, you know, I was I was devastated.

I know that it was very hard for the community back home.

He was such a beloved figure.

And this again, this has been happening for a long time, ever since October 7th and even before.

You're always kind of waking up in the morning checking your phone, hoping that the names that appear of soldiers who have been killed or civilians who have been killed are not people, you know, even though it hurts to see those names.

But every now and then it is someone that you know and it really hits home.

He's a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, been a pastor in Jerusalem, and is now working on his PhD here in the United States.

David Bosque is our guest today on the land and the book.

I'm John Gager.

Glad you've joined us.

You know, as I've read some of the background on the attack, David, it's beyond vicious.

According to the FBI, the alleged killer attacked at close range on the couple, firing at least 21 rounds.

He continued to shoot even after the victims had fallen, reloaded his weapon and executed milligram as she tried to crawl away.

What does this say to us about that killer?

You know, unfortunately, these types of people are not new to us, especially growing up in Israel.

I know John would have known this well.

We're very much used to this kind of hatred.

It's obviously inspired by a demonic force that goes back a long time.

You know, anti-Semitism, this type of hatred is nothing new on the world stage.

It's nothing new in Scripture.

we see some of the most devastating abuses of the Jewish people as we read through the pages.

And so this is nothing new to us.

I don't think many Israelis would have been surprised to hear what you just said.

Maybe for people in the West, it's something that we don't like to grapple with.

The fact that there is this level of demonic hatred that exists specifically for this people group.

And I think it's more common than we would like to admit.

I know that we see stuff.

We've been seeing things on college campuses over the past year that, you know, you would think a lot of these people might not be so far away from from turning into someone like this man.

So it's devastating.

But it's a very real reality becoming more real in the West.

But it's been very real for us in the East for a long time.

After the attack, we're told that the alleged gunman entered the museum, reportedly pretending to be fleeing the shooting.

He then revealed a red keffiyeh and shouted free, free Palestine as he was taken into custody.

In a later statement to investigators, Rodriguez stated I did it for Palestine.

I did it for Gaza.

What does this tell us about the attacker?

Well, it tells us in a very real sense that there's a fair amount of brainwashing that's been going on for quite a while.

This, again, for us, this is nothing new.

Honestly, this is the first time I've lived in the States when things like this have happened.

So I'm beginning to see how the West views these types of things.

But it's again, it's nothing new.

It seems to me that there's an uptick in indoctrination that's happening, whether it's on social media or in mainstream media, that people are clued into a certain echo chamber where they're hearing lies perpetrated.

To think that Israel, you know, Israel and Israeli soldiers have it within their minds to do these atrocities is so far from the truth.

And I can say that as a former Israeli soldier, this is so far beyond anything that we would want.

Our desire has always been for peace.

You can study the history of Israel, and you see time and time again Israelis desiring peace, even to their own detriment.

So I think that there's an unfortunate amount of indoctrination and brainwashing happening, especially with young people these days.

True hate versus true love.

That's today's conversation in a nutshell.

I'm John Gieger, joined by Israeli David Boesky, who's helping us make sense of the Washington, DC shooting that left two Messianic Jews dead.

As an Israeli Messianic Jew, how do you make sense of what we're seeing develop from a biblical perspective?

Well, I'm very grateful to Moody Bible Institute for giving me so much of my education, teaching me how to read the Bible and many of the things that I learned when I was there have given me tools to basically assess what I see when I open the newspaper or when I read what's online.

And I think when I when I look at biblical prophecy, I look at passages like Zechariah 14 or Joel three.

These are two of the most the clearest passages in the Old Testament about the second coming of Jesus.

I see that it tells us that all the nations of the earth are going to gather against Israel.

This is going to be something that is without exception.

So I'm not surprised when I see these things happening even in America.

But I also know that those same passages talk about Jesus coming back.

He's going to land on the Mount of Olives.

He's actually going to wage war against the nations that come against his people.

So for me, as a as a student of Scripture, not just as a observer of the news and of culture, I'm not shocked by what I see, but it does make me want to kind of sit up in my chair, take note, and prepare.

I think God has given us a game plan.

He's given us our marching orders very clearly in Scripture so that when these things happen, we're not caught off guard.

Today on the land and the book, we've connected with David Bossie, a pastor from Jerusalem, currently working on his PhD here in the United States.

Our sad story is one of true hate versus true love.

You being a PhD student, I'm curious, how do you hope to educate the teachable in this this conflict?

What's a biblical response to those who are instigating the trouble?

I mean, isn't any dialogue just a waste of time anyway?

You know, I think there are instances where where certain dialogue might be a waste of time.

I know that a lot of people get into fights on social media.

Sometimes people see good arguments, bad arguments.

I think if you're genuinely trying to influence somebody, or if you just want to be able to hear where they're coming from, see potentially a side of the picture that you don't know.

My experience has been it's best to do things one on one.

Anytime you get into a crowd, you know it can very easily turn into a mob.

And so the best conversations I've had is when I reach out to a person individually, ask them out to coffee, hear their heart.

I think a lot of people might have, uh, there's something inside of them that wants to see peace.

I think we all want peace.

And I think a lot of times the disagreement is, how do we arrive at that peace?

So meeting with someone one on one is extremely effective.

I'm at a seminary right now, and some of the effective things I've been able to do, I've been able to speak with the administration, I've spoken with faculty members, and I've tried to influence those who influence others.

So if I can't do it through the mob, then you do it through people who who might have an open ear.

Uh, you know, my wife and I, after the October 7th massacre, we actually were able to put on kind of a prayer vigil for the hostages.

Obviously, there's still hostages that we're waiting to hopefully see them be freed, but we rented a bunch of chairs, put them in our front lawn, put pictures of the hostages on the chairs, and had people come and pray.

It was a very easy thing to do.

It was.

It got the word out.

It inspired prayer.

So I think there's a lot of helpful strategies that people can do.

But if it's just arguing with someone online, I haven't seen that to be the most effective route.

Yeah.

Well, you served as a soldier you mentioned in the Israel Defense Forces.

What do you make of the criticisms against Israel and its military genocide butchers, that kind of thing?

Yeah, again, a lot of these things are actually very easy to address.

I think people think that they have to get a PhD in geopolitics, and I don't think that's the case.

As an Israeli soldier, for those who don't know, everyone in Israel is drafted into the military.

Men serve for three years and girls serve for two years.

So everyone is a soldier.

And a big part of our training is actually training in what we call the principles of the IDF, or the spirit of the IDF.

You can look this up online, and there are principles that we are trained to live by.

There's ten specific principles, and two of them are that we are trained to value human life.

It actually says that the IDF soldier, he's supposed to recognize the critical importance of human life and behave in a way that's going to protect other human life.

One of our principles is that we are trained to understand the purity of our weapons, the purity of arms, that we have to make sure that we don't use our weapons in a way that's going to cause any undue pain to anybody.

That doesn't mean that war isn't war, but it doesn't mean that we're going to go beyond what's required of us to make sure that we preserve human life.

So if you look at the things that the IDF has tried to do to minimize casualties dropping, I think it's something like 16 million leaflets that we've dropped from the skies to tell people, hey, there's terrorists in this structure, you need to get out.

Phone calls that have been made, text messages that have been sent.

I think Israel has done more than any other nation in history to try and minimize casualties.

On the flip side, you have an organization specifically in ASA of Hamas, and the preamble of their charter that was written in 1988 says that Israel will exist and continue to exist until Islam obliterates it, just as it has obliterated others before it.

So it's so clear the dichotomy in the in the foundational principles by which these forces function.

We want to preserve life.

That includes saving our hostages.

It includes minimizing civilian casualties.

We're on the other hand, Hamas wants to maximize human casualties, whether on the Israeli side or even their own people, by using them as human shields.

So sometimes it's difficult to even grapple with how someone would not be able to see these dynamics at play.

But I do think it's a it's a spiritual deception that the enemy wants to cloak people's eyes from what's clearly out there.

Let's leave listeners with some practical advice for getting involved in confronting anti-Semitism.

What thoughts do you have, David?

Well, first and foremost, I think we should be students of the scriptures.

I think that's our best roadmap going forward, both in understanding the calling that God has for the church, the calling he has on the Jewish people, the relationship between the church and the Jewish people, how people can provoke Jewish people to jealousy.

Listen, my heart has always been to see my people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus.

That's all I, that's my that's my be all, end all.

So study the scriptures because God is very, very clear on how he wants us to act, how he wants us to conduct ourselves.

There's a lot of great resources.

People can be educated.

If you want a faith based news outlet, there's a website called All Israel News.com, and that's a faith based news outlet that gives you kind of on the ground, up to date information.

There's a great website called David's Tent Org where you can get newsletters on more historical, geographical, biblical perspective.

It's a wonderful website.

There's also great news outlets.

I know, you know, if you want something in English, there's a website called Ynet News.com.

This is an Israeli secular news outlet.

If you want up to date news on what's going on in Israel, but I would recommend there's actually a book that came out very recently that I would highly recommend.

It's a book by a fellow named Douglas Murray.

The book is called On Democracies and Death Cults, and it basically talks about a lot of what happened on October 7th, what led up to it, what's happened since then.

But it gives a really great perspective on the cultural background of what's going on in the Middle East.

So if people want to get into a really easy good read, I would recommend that you can go to website like Standwithus comm.

If you want to be more proactive in your advocacy.

They have great resources.

They can probably partner with you to host events that would let people know, but I think those are some of the practical, maybe advocacy things that people can do, but also pray.

I think maybe the most important thing we can do is pray.

Paul tells us in Romans ten that his desire is that the Jewish people would be saved.

He tells us to share the gospel with them.

He tells us to to intercede on their behalf.

So if you know, Jewish people reach out to them, I think people would really appreciate knowing that you're in their corner, knowing that you're standing with them in this difficult time.

Because in America, it's not only happening in the Middle East, there are Jewish people suffering in America as well.

Great.

Well, David, thank you for those perspectives.

Very practical tips there, and I appreciate your coming on the program today.

Hope you have a wonderful day.

Thank you John.

Take care.

Blessings.

That's David Boesky and our friend Gerald Peterman is in the studio to look at your Bible questions.

Next on the land and the book.

There is nothing so satisfying as getting an answer to a truly ponderous Bible question.

At least that's my opinion.

Hi, I'm John Geiger.

Welcome to segment three of The Land and the book.

Always a pleasure to sit across from Doctor Gerald Peterman of our Moody Bible Institute faculty who's never lacking for questions.

I've noticed The, uh, ponderous, sir.

The better.

I like your grammar.

That's good.

Well, here's a thought, though.

First, as we, uh, start off this segment, as believers, there's a great need for us to share the gospel with the Jewish people.

In fact, many of our listeners faithfully pray and partner with ministries that are doing just that.

But what if you could personally take part in bringing the gospel to Jewish people?

Well, our friends at Life and Messiah love the opportunity to get believers involved in Jewish ministry.

And they regularly organize outreach teams to Brooklyn, South Florida, even to Israel outside of times of conflict.

And these ministry trips will equip you to understand how to share the gospel with Jewish people, give you the opportunity to actively share your faith, and provide tools and resources that you can take home with you.

If you want to get hands on training and practical experience in Jewish evangelism, you can learn more by visiting Life in Messiah and clicking on the Moody Radio button.

That's life in Messiah.

Oh well, as always, never a shortage of Bible questions.

Doctor Peterman, let's dig in with this question from Betty.

She takes us to Proverbs 31 asking, who was Lemuel?

Was he a Hebrew king?

Not documented anywhere in kings?

Or was he from some other country or region just with a Hebrew name?

Or is he actually Solomon?

I've wondered the question Who is Lemuel?

The answer is we don't know.

His name means something like belonging to God.

But there's no record of any Hebrew king by this name.

It seems very unlikely to me that it's Solomon.

It seems very likely to me that we have a Gentile who's become a proselyte to Judaism, and he's written all sorts of proverbs.

And then the collectors thought, Lemuel has got some wisdom.

Let's incorporate some of his stuff into our book.

So the short answer is, we don't really know, but that's a pretty good guess.

Yeah.

Alice asks.

I've heard that Angel really means messenger, is that correct?

Well, the short answer is yes it does.

So if you're reading in Luke seven, for instance, when John the Baptist has a really low point, he's beginning to doubt Jesus.

He sends a couple of his disciples to Jesus to ask, are you the one we're waiting for?

Or is it someone else?

And then Jesus gives a response, you know I'm the Messiah.

And then it says that John's angels, his messengers, you know, went back to John.

So sometimes the messenger is a human person, although of course, other times the angel is this frightening divine character from God who often just scares people.

Remember Zechariah?

Yeah.

He's just frightened.

Uh, so Angel a messenger for sure.

Yeah.

And this concept of light, you know, I think of the Star Wars films.

They've done a great job imaging some of these characters.

Yeah, but imagine something so supernaturally bright that it just drops you to your face.

Yes.

This is happening over and over and over in scripture, when people encounter angels, pretty much they are terrified and the light is just stunning for them.

Yeah, they're not these fuzzy little creatures that we see in gift shops.

Right, right.

All right.

David's question.

He says, I was reading in judges 11 about Jephthah's vow to the Lord regarding the Lord giving victory over the ammonites.

He vowed that he would offer to the Lord as a burnt offering whatever came out of his house first.

When he returned home while his daughter came out and she mourned her virginity for two months, and then he did what he had vowed.

Well, the passage speaks of mourning her virginity.

I have heard that she had not been offered as a burnt offering, but that she would not marry and not have children.

Human sacrifice is never condoned in the scriptures.

Am I am I onto a right explanation here?

David is on to a right explanation.

Yes.

The.

I think the offering as a burnt offering never happened.

And I've got three reasons for this.

That is.

First, the Holy Spirit comes upon Jephthah when he says he's going to do this vow.

Well, this is not a Holy Spirit inspired vow.

If he knows, it means sacrificing his daughter.

Right.

And and then if he knows, this means sacrificing his daughter.

And then it says a burnt offering.

But if you go to Leviticus and what the law says about burnt offering, that would be a male, not a female.

And then lastly, what's really strange, and David points this out, is she mourns her virginity.

What's all that about?

It's about this.

She is his only child.

If he's going to have offspring other family, it would have to be through her.

But if she's offered up to God to serve only God and to be single the rest of her life, I take it this is what the vow means.

He has no family.

That is something for both of them to mourn.

Yeah.

This is the land and the book from Moody Radio.

Doctor Gerald Peterman is answering our Bible questions.

I'm John Gager.

And you know that particularly, uh, this answer you just referenced stands out to me.

You know, in our culture, children increasingly are not viewed as a big thing, but families and children and lineage, absolute musts in ancient Israel.

Oh, family.

Very, very highly valued.

What do we hear from Scripture?

Offspring comes from God as a gift.

So to have a large family is a blessing from God.

Rich has a question for us.

He says.

Last month, when our pastor was leading us in the Lord's Supper, we went to Luke 22 where Jesus says, this cup is the new covenant in my blood.

And then quickly.

Pastor added that Luke 22 relates to a prophecy in Jeremiah 31.

So that afternoon I went to Jeremiah 31, but it led to a bunch of other questions.

Jeremiah 31 says, God will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

So if it's for Israel as a Gentile, am I allowed in?

Well.

I'm going to answer a question not asked.

I want more people like Rich in my congregation.

Yeah.

When I hear something from the pulpit, I'm going to investigate that.

So to get back to Rich's question, the shorter answer is yes.

As a Gentile, you are allowed in.

How do we know this?

All right.

We know this because all the way back to Genesis 12, God has been promising that through Abraham, his Jewish family, all the nations would be blessed.

And then we come to Matthew 28.

What do we find?

Our Lord carries that on.

That is, he doesn't say, go make disciples of all Jews, although that is something very important that we ought to be doing it.

He says, go make disciples of all nations.

So in other words, all nations, Gentiles, I'm included, are going to be enjoying benefits from the Messiah.

We've got some other Jeremiah 31 questions queued up here as well.

Let's get to them.

This listener wants to know is Jeremiah 31 the only place in the Old Testament where the New Covenant is mentioned?

Yes, that is a great Question if we're looking for just those two words together.

New Covenant Jeremiah 31 is the only place.

It's a very important place.

But many times God speaks to us using different words.

Yes.

And so we go back to our Old Testament and we search and we find words like everlasting covenant.

Isaiah 55 incline your ear.

Come to me, hear, and your soul may live.

I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

This is long past the time of David, some 200 years after David.

There's going to be a new covenant, or I should say, an everlasting covenant built on his promises.

This is about the Davidic king.

This is about the greater Son of David.

Let me take you to one more passage.

If we if we go to Ezekiel.

Now, I know, folks, some of that stuff is really hard, but hang in there.

If we go to Ezekiel 36 all throughout the book of Ezekiel, the prophet talks about God's people having a heart of stone.

They're very hard hearted.

Oh, and then he opens up with a fantastic promise.

This is Ezekiel 36.

I'm going to start at verse 24, for I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.

I will also sprinkle clean water on you.

You will be clean.

I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.

I will give you a new heart.

There's a good word and a new spirit within you.

I will remove your heart of stone.

I will give you a heart of flesh.

I will place my spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes.

Now, the New Covenant is not mentioned explicitly in this passage, but that is a new covenant promise.

Receiving the Holy Spirit the power to obey.

Yes.

Ah, that's just wonderful stuff.

Well, I never saw that there before.

Thank you for showing that to me.

One of my favorite texts of the Old Testament.

Well, we've got one more Jeremiah 31 question, and it's this if I've got the law of God written on my heart, like Jeremiah 3133 says, am I supposed to obey all the commandments in Leviticus and Deuteronomy?

Rich, rich, thank you for asking really tough questions, I appreciate that.

In most English translations of Jeremiah 31, we find.

I will write my law on their heart.

The Hebrew term for law here is Torah.

Perhaps you've heard that term before.

But Torah is the general term for guidance or teaching or instruction.

In Genesis 26, that's long before the law of Moses is given.

It said that Abraham obeys God's Torah, his instruction.

So Jeremiah promises that with the new covenant, God will write his instruction on her heart.

I take it this instruction is written on our heart through rebirth by the Holy Spirit, and by his dwelling with us to guide us into his will.

Doctor Gerald Peterman answering questions this week and every week on the land and the book.

I should mention that you can get your question to him with a quick email to the land and the book at.

Again, that's the land and the book at.

Give him a few days to get to your question.

He'll email you back and then be patient as we work it into the broadcast.

The land and the book at Moody.

Charlie Dyer's devotional is coming right up.

Sure appreciate you staying with us here at the Land and the book.

I'm John Geiger, our host, doctor Charlie Dyer.

We're heading into our fourth and final segment.

It's a favorite for many.

Charlie, I have to tell you, in the trips we've taken to Israel together, I have made just zero progress with my Hebrew.

And in fact, I'm amazed at the number of things that I find virtually impossible to pronounce among them.

Tisha B'Av.

What are we talking about here?

Tisha is the number nine, and AV is a month in the Jewish calendar.

So Tisha B'Av is the ninth of the month of AV.

All right.

And that's our focus in the devotional you're about to hear after we listen to this Holy Land experience.

Hello.

My name is Tony Laurinaitis, and, uh, the thing I remembered most about Israel is just how it's added a whole new dimension.

Uh, when I go to read the scripture, just seeing the places that we've been to, uh, now has far more significance.

As I read about, uh, various books in the Bible that refer to geographical locations and, and the people that, uh, were an integral part of each book.

Just seeing how the Lord has worked and with each person, and how their faith and obedience with the Lord helped them get through areas around the Dead Sea and through the valleys.

And just it adds a whole new dimension to Scripture.

Hi, this is daddy Laura.

I have to say that on our last day sitting in Saint Ann's Church with the high ceilings and having all of us sing, um, it is well with my soul was like being at heaven's gates with all of my brothers and sisters in Christ, and just waiting for the Lord to accept us into his kingdom there.

And it was a beautiful, beautiful moment and just finalized the trip and just felt like I was there with my Lord.

Thank you.

All right, Charlie, take it away with today's devotional.

Okay.

Thanks, John.

Well, I gotta to ask you and everybody listening.

Do you suffer from Friggatriskaidekaphobia?

Well, that's the fear of Friday the 13th.

Those who do believe bad things happen on that particular day.

And some look to history for proof.

On Friday, August 13th, 1521, the Aztec Empire came to an end.

On Friday, September 13th, 1940, German bombs hit Buckingham Palace in London, destroying the chapel on Friday, November 13th, 1970.

A cyclone killed 300,000 people in Bangladesh on Friday, January 13th, 2012.

The Costa Concordia cruise ship ran aground and capsized, killing 32 people.

And if you're really concerned about bad things happening on Friday the 13th.

Scientists are predicting an asteroid will come extremely close to Earth on Friday, April 13th, 2029.

So it certainly looks as if bad things do happen on Friday the 13th.

But stop and think about that for a moment.

Bad things happen somewhere around the world virtually every day of the year.

The events I just described didn't single out any one country or group.

They're just random events worldwide that happen to take place on the 13th day of any given month.

That was a Friday a coincidence?

Yes.

Significance?

No.

Not really.

But there is one day that does seem to hold such significance.

A day that causes Friday the 13th to pale in comparison.

A day that's brought untold tragedy, pain, loss and sorrow multiple times over to the Jewish people.

That day is the ninth of AV, a day with a history of sad, tragic and even horrific events.

The month of AV is the fifth month in the Jewish calendar, usually beginning somewhere in August.

Tisha B'Av, which, as we said before, means the ninth day of AV begins this Saturday night and extends through Sunday, and its arrival marks a day of fasting and mourning for the Jewish people.

But what makes this day so tragic?

Well, here's a partial list of events, all of which took place on the ninth of AV.

Solomon's temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC.

Herod's temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70.

The second Jewish revolt against Rome was crushed in A.D.

132, and more than 100,000 Jews were killed on that one day.

One year later, the Roman commander in Jerusalem had the site of the Jewish temple plowed up on the ninth of AV.

Traditionally, the ninth of AV was the day the 12 spies who'd been sent out by Moses returned to give their report on the Promised Land.

It's the day the Jews were expelled from England in 1290.

It's the day the Jews were expelled from France in 1306.

It's the day the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492.

It's the day in 1941 when Heinrich Himmler received approval from the Nazi Party to begin implementing the Final Solution, which ultimately killed 6 million Jews in Europe.

It's easy to see why this day is the most sorrowful day of the year for the Jewish people.

The ninth of AV was recognized as a time of sorrow as early as the Babylonian captivity.

In fact, it was the subject of a question posed to the prophet Zechariah by a group of exiles who had returned to Jerusalem to begin rebuilding the temple.

In Zechariah seven three they approached the prophet and asked, should I mourn and fast?

In the fifth month, as I've been doing for so many years, the Babylonians captured Jerusalem on the ninth day of the fourth month, and one month later, the commander of Nebuchadnezzar's army gave the order to set fire to the temple of the Lord.

Throughout the Babylonian captivity, the people did mourn the capture of the city on the fourth month.

But the focus of this question to Zechariah was on the destruction of the temple in the fifth month, on the ninth of AV.

That's why this day was a day of mourning and sorrow.

But now a remnant had returned, and they were in the process of rebuilding the temple.

They came to Zechariah to ask if they should continue mourning the destruction of Solomon's Temple, now that a new one was being built.

Well, we know from history that they did continue to mourn in sorrow on this day.

And we also know that a host of other tragic events which occurred on the same day, have added to that sense of sorrow.

Now, if this devotional only looked to the past, it would certainly be a tragic reminder of how seriously God views sin.

But when Zechariah shared God's answer to the Remnant's question, his response looked beyond the past and even the present to offer hope for the future.

Zechariah pointed to a time when all of God's days of fasting and mourning would become days of feasting and joy.

This is what the Lord Almighty says.

The fast of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and 10th months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah.

So when will that day come?

In chapter eight, Zechariah used the phrase this is what the Lord Almighty says ten different times.

Each time he follows that phrase with new details about when they could expect God to turn sorrow into joy.

That amazing transformation will take place when God returns to Zion and dwells in Jerusalem on his holy mountain.

When the city is again filled with God's people, both old and young, when God is working in miraculous ways to restore and protect his people, when all the blessings God promised to the Jewish people will come to pass, when the nations of the world come to Jerusalem to seek out the God of Israel.

And when the nations acknowledge that the people of Israel are God's chosen people, those events haven't yet come to pass, but they will.

When Jesus, the promised Messiah, returns to earth a second time to take his place on David's throne, to rule as King of kings and Lord of lords, and to fulfill all God's promises to Israel.

And frankly, that day could be drawing near.

But what lessons can we take with us from the ninth of AV?

Perhaps it's this we all experience times of pain, sorrow, tragedy, and loss.

And when those times come, we're faced with a choice.

We can choose to allow the sorrow to overwhelm us, to paralyze us, to force us into a perpetual loop of anger, hurt and pain.

Or we can acknowledge our sorrow and then turn to the God of all comfort, the God who promised to turn the ninth of AR from a time of fasting into a time of feasting, has also given promises to us.

He's promised to send his peace to guard our hearts, to comfort us with his presence, and someday to wipe away every tear from our eyes.

If you're experiencing pain, sorrow, loss, or hurt today, search out the God of all comfort and then watch him work through your life in a way that will replace your sorrow with peace and your sadness with joy.

Boy, those are amazing, amazing statistics or quotes there, Charlie, on all those events from the 13th.

Thank you for sharing that devotional and its application as well, Charlie.

A lot of people are still unaware and not taking advantage of our podcast.

Boy, I wish they would, don't you?

I do, John, because they could go back if they heard something and want to hear it again.

They can listen to it.

Uh, they can share it with a friend, but it provides an opportunity to hear what we've said, the whole program at their convenience, on their time schedule.

And you say, where do I find this podcast?

Head to the land and the book, our website, the land and the book.

Thanks for checking out the podcast.

Thanks for hanging out with us today.

On behalf of Charlie Dyer, our host, and Anderson, our producer, I'm John Gager and the Land and the book is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.