Jewish Responses to the Meron Tragedy

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So how does the Jewish world respond to the tragic loss of 45 Jews in the stampede during religious holiday last week stalking for the line of fire with your host activist all the international speaker and theologian Dr. Michael Brown your voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution Michael Brown is the director of the coalition of conscience have president of fire school of ministry get into the line of fire valves like always 866-34-TRUTH that's 866-34-TRUTH your Jim is Dr. Michael Brown friends. We've got a lot of ground to cover important issues to discuss today on thoroughly Jewish Thursday on the modified, but is always on Thursdays. The phones are wide open to for your Jewish related questions and of course welcome calls from Jewish friends who differ with our permission. A position about Jesus. Yeshua being the Messiah.

866-34-TRUTH 866-34-TRUTH 7884 were given important update on the Israeli elections give you more about the odd situation with this Gentile Christian who is posing as an Orthodox Jewish rabbi living in Israel on touch about that one focus first on the tragedy in May wrong last week. I mistakenly said in the area of Jerusalem of one speaking about it last week.

Of course my role and is in northern Israel near soffit's fault, and this was something really unprecedented that the, the loss of life that the staggering number of people killed while celebrating the traditional Jewish holidays was just numbing and stunning for the country coming out of Kovic now the largest public gathering that that would've been held with with a lot of the restrictions being relaxed 100,000, perhaps more traditional Jews gathered together coming from different parts the world to visit the grave site of the famous rabbinic leader Rabbi Shimon then your high and 33rd day in the counting of the old mayor. This is from Passover to shovel at the feast of weeks Pentecost bonfires lit commemorating this man is a light of Israel and so on it. Forget about what why the holiday traditions were venerating some his grace and forget about all that to major annual event in traditional Judaism, and specifically they are in Israel so there is a tunnel through which the crowds pass. There is dispute that did the police have a barricade in some part of it is just a has been taken care of properly. We Orthodox Jews just don't care about the laws.

The ultra-Orthodox thing to do. They want to do regardless of any of that 45 men were killed. So men that were there. 45 men were killed many, many others injured. So, it suggests that sent shockwaves honesty through community about 6 million Jews in Israel. So when you multiply this it would it would be like a 911 type of loss of life and in one day we had in America happening in Israel minutes it's it's that jarring, but the nature of it makes it all the more jarring so I'm not here to give commentary on what happened or why I'm not here to give spiritual insight behind the events. If there's insight to be gained by the Scripture by meditation and prayer. I haven't received that insight yet and again, the Jewish world mourns over this. These are laws of the loss that cannot be brought back. But it's interesting to watch the different reactions from different parts of the Jewish community. If your reading op-ed say in Haaretz, which is very liberal and which would often be the most hostile to ultra-Orthodox Judaism. In looking at it is as backwards or antiquated or unhelpful or uncooperative with the rest of the society. You'll kind of we things that are critical of me in the morning. Of course morning of loss of licensing is tragic within critical of the ultra-Orthodox communities. It that will have their own laws that want to do things their way. That that that I can listen to the safety cautions and thing of beauty are encoded or be it now and that this should been fixed long ago.

This was an unsafe situation that should beat it up in control of numbers of people or safety issue should been addressed years ago this could have been avoided and any tragedy similar not quite as widescale similar tragedy happened many decades ago, Israel maybe 80 years ago. In any case. In any case that that would be the response from some this look at this through natural laws is not factoring God in not factoring in the spiritual reasons of how could such a thing happen. Not that just look at the natural thing. This was an accident waiting to happen once or society going to learn that my friend Rabbi shrilly wrote an article a because some are are trying to give a spiritual explanation to this is the nation's is is racked with morning and shock.

So he has an editorial on Jerusalem Post and this would be typical shrilly. What I would expect from him and insists stop justifying the 45 deaths amount Moron of there is no reason and no justification for the victims deaths. There is no good that came from their debts. No lesson for the collective Jewish people now surprisingly in in this editorial. He he pushes back against redemptive value of suffering which is something he certainly believes in another context and he says this and again, this would be a forceful argument from for my from revocable he said imagine if someone written about the Holocaust sure 6 million is a terrible price but serves them right. They should've known to be sinus in the Craig to Palestine to 2000 years of European anti-Semitism.

Teach them nothing. If someone had written of the 11 Lord is really out ethics near a truly terrible tragedy, but what did they expect returning to Germany just 25 years after the Holocaust. So is out. I dare you throw blame around the point that finger all the dense air fall which is known or whatever, but then on.

On the other hand, on the other hand he he rejects a redemptive view of sufferings and that's the Christian view that you Jesus dies after dying you have to suffer for redemption to come.

Though this is just a senseless tragedy and and let's mourn together in except the tragedy so that's again I'm giving you the short version can read his his whole op-ed piece, which is always forcefully written as you'd expect from revocable. Here is an ultra-Orthodox response and inheres a response to the ultra-Orthodox response Rabbi Chaim kindly. I always mispronounce, listen, ask excuse me, is one of the most revered rabbinic authorities in the world and the ultra-Orthodox committee, especially Lithuanian Jews, but he's considered this ultimate Sage in an old man, very, very hard to understand words disabled people will come to him for legal opinions around the world leading rabbis will come December got the situation.

We need your input. We need your wisdom and and what you have to say and how to skip is one or two word answer yes no. This is okay this is not your legendary for his study habits. Getting up at 230 in the morning so you can study for hours and hours and hours and go through a massive amount of of rabbinic literature every year and get which again is held in high esteem. There been a community so according to him. This happened by the decree of heaven because you cannot have some like this happen without God decreeing it.

That would be typically Orthodox Jewish view, yet we have no understanding of why happened, it was decreed by heaven, but we have no idea why that happened but what we can do. He says is being more devoted spiritual and what is that mean it means more prayer and more observance of of torrid tradition, and it means the women dress even more modestly and make sure you wash your hands properly before meals not in his world this would be the parallel say of it and evangelical Christian world after the some national tragedy been on the why this happened but we got to see gobble regarding interface got a fast go pray will Jewish tradition since they will then we should live more traditional allies be more devoted to our tradition not think how that sounds, though the secular world to the secular usual.

So here's another article in the Jerusalem Post and Jeremy Sharon, women must respond to Moron disaster with more modesty, rough, kindly asking his first comments regarding the death of 45 people during the long polymer celebrations leading to really rabbis of the disaster was the decree from heaven. For reasons that cannot be known, and then they've got a picture of this actual letter, either from him or her as as written out by his son or someone else writing it out for him so it's it's written in Hebrew and it says that in the document. This is the son explain to get Scott Scholl says that he is been asked by many people ask his father was a disaster amount may run amok bowler less. We took place. He responded that it is quote a decree from heaven. We cannot know the considerations of heaven. I asked what needs to be rectified.

What can we do to fix this in our master ministry of the Torah.

Reply we must strengthen ourselves in Torah and persevering in the study of Torah and repeated this several times and added and women should strengthen themselves in modesty.

So the sun writing out his father's opinion. So get within their community. Let's be the work even harder. The more traditional and following the customs being diligent the outside is really world. Many of them look at this is all that said, so women need to be more modest to stop project is from you kidding me and again within the community.

The women are pretty much covered head to toe start so again just different responses there some from the religious Jewish world amok of police articles up now, but they they refer to those who died is this cabanas Corbin note, which would be sacrifices and the concept would be that somehow they they died but they were offered up as sacrifices to God. So, for whatever reason, the decree came that they died. It wasn't just random.

They were selected to die and there is rabbinic concept.

I haven't read the eulogies from the different funerals, perhaps more will be published but I've seen in times like this when religious Jews will die if not, not someone you know 98 years old and you know or we may be said then, but you know this may be a 35-year-old rabbi father of seven killed by a terrorist response would be well. This is the tradition of the death of the righteous services and a tome for the generation what is person.I will call was angry with the generation and he died and it was it was his merit his credit, his righteousness, that will, offset the evil of the generation if they will repent. God will have mercy, but even with with a famous old rabbi that say when he dies, Ms. death be in atonement but all the more in situations that I haven't haven't read that in eulogies yet.

I would expect that some of that was said, but even the reference to them is cabanas sacrifices would point to that this idea of of of them dying as sacrifices as offerings on behalf of the rest community and their righteousness will bring mercy to me that the kind concept of oversimplifying okay. Just different responses. In any case. Pray that God's mercy poured out in the good command of the trench error on the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown your voice of more cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown show.

Thanks for joining us today on the line for this is Michael Brown. If you have a Jewish related question of any kind give me call 866-34-TRUTH 866-34-TRUTH 7884 or messianic Jews. Deceptive. Is there a strong movement in Christian circles to send Gentiles and his missionaries to the Jews posing as Jews is there is a story that is still shocking the Jewish role worldwide social shocking the messianic Jewish world and the evangelical Christian world is hearing about it. It's a story of a man named Michael elk a man who was born as a Gentile into a non-observant Christian home married a Gentile woman, both of them had become committed Christians began attending a messianic Jewish congregation in Pennsylvania ultimately dressing now like an ultra Orthodox rabbi and posing as a rabbi and getting documents indicating that he was a rabbi and a Jew and then with a second wife having divorce.

The first now the second wife and claiming that she's Jewish also. Although from what I've read. She grew up on a Christmas tree farm they go to Israel and pose as ultra-Orthodox Jews live in the community for years gets found out some years ago. He says I a repent of that missionary stuff that's not not doing that is living as a religious Jew and continue to live in another religious Jewish community in Jerusalem and then was found out and exposed an entity is the larger world because you have clips of him in the ultra-Orthodox card sitting on the show TV show with Rick Joyner years ago openly talking about Jesus and apparently supported by MorningStar as missionary and when I asked Rick Joyner about it. He said he's it is an ultra Orthodox rabbi living in Jerusalem and very bold in his faith. That's what Rick understood some other accusations that he was a rabbi at all that he certainly wasn't Jewish and that was the first pressure that with Rick that he heard about so is this a common practice forging documents, getting into community illegally claiming to be someone other than you are my contributor religious faith okay on the talk about being pragmatic that Cohen's shout everything for the rooftops all the time interviewing a country like North Korea and you can stand on the streetcar preaching is the last actual doing public rights he may keep your Christian faith hidden more and share the more wise response time is out, claiming to be somebody other than you are you claiming to be said and atheist professor at a communist University and denouncing Christianity in your classes while secretly proselytize these common practices, especially in the messianic Jewish world. Well according to counter missionary rabbi Toby Singer.

The certainly or listen to what he had to say about this is a very serious problem. Not only here in Israel.

In Jewish communities throughout the world. In North America, in particular where missionaries infiltrate the Jewish community, they portray themselves as Jewish when they're not Jewish portray themselves as rabbis when they're not members we've had so many cases like this the kind of taking their cues from Paul, who made a lot of claim for himself.

We do see missionaries on TV on YouTube talking about. We have Orthodox believers in Yeshua we need to support them. That's what they're talking about that though there is a whole funding thing for these people who have clandestinely infiltrated the Jewish at first all the messianic Jewish leaders that I know in the world's the senior leaders of organizations like Jews for Jesus and chosen people and one for Israel were all emailing to the who is this guy have you ever heard of such a thing. What the world is going on, what's this guy doing was he thinking who supported him world baffle roll email each other. I'm sure the email trend like what in the world is God who is this we talking about what you think you have organizations called Jews for Jesus I will I would say that is pretty clear assist where people are coming from your chosen people ministries and you go to the website. We exist to bring the gospel first to the Jewish people at one for Israel. You go to their websites. Testimonies about Yeshua I give example after example of Jewish based organizations that do Jewish outreach to Jewish people over the whole world that anyone that knows me knows I am a messianic Jew knows I am a Jewish believer in Jesus is nothing secret about his own mystery about the messianic communities in Israel they people know who they are, that they get opposed you. You've got ultra stuck to try to get them out of the country for various reasons and keep them out of the country coming in because even though we are because we were not ambiguous about things.

As to this idea that there's this whole funding thing for all these alleged secret Orthodox believers. I actually know a few very very few ultra-Orthodox Jews. Another may be more.

I was told by one, that there are many more but it's it's none of us know that I couldn't find the people have no idea how to contact any that was it was that that much that they they were not revealed who they were. They live their whole lives as religious Jews.

They were races, religious Jews, the Holos as religious Jews part of religious Jewish communities came to faith in Yeshua. One guy told is a network of them around the world. I don't know that I've never met them face-to-face. I had one phone conversation with one guy.

Years ago, I met another that was it a secret believer within community, but that was they they were religious Jews that came to faith in Jesus and they continued to live in their community and privately much share their faith with some just like you had some views are little different than the community. When you make a shared private but they were as authentically religious Jews and none of them that I knew over financially supported at none of them that that I knew of getting financial support for what they were doing again. I can even contact him since hard to all that is a step I though the, the one that I know that I can be in contact with these. He's as authentically religious Jewish could be over many years of prayerful studies, convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and it set the resist is not some covert missions. They were we've got all these people sent out and none of us would dream for a split second of getting a Gentile going to be a Jew going to be Jewish Rabbi and then infiltrate a religious Jewish community. As such, to secretly make converts that's applying to us, that's complete completely apartment we do the opposite we get blasted for being so open similar people can be rabbis and are not the super question in the messianic Jewish community rights of messengers congregations. There are hundreds and around the world leaders in early Colorado, not in Israel but the principal to call rabbi. Why because that's what you call a Congregational leader in Catholic churches priest Protestant churches pastor Jewish community rabbi, is it misleading that could be could be many, many was a young Gentile that they're not lying about who they are is and what about the ones that dress up like religious Jews. I always tell them not to tell you. Not that that's not who you want to set your back on. Don't do it. It's deceptive. It's misleading.

It's a Xerox signal if you're Gentile, you will need to dress up as a religious designer making more spiritual energy written about these things it ever because every so often I see when I see it I worn against it.

In none of these people or anybody knows they're not known they're not proselytize it to somebody Gentile going to a messianic congregation in Kentucky dressed as a religious Jew like what the world are you doing man but Toby Singer has more to say let's let's listen the actual leaders of the messianic conditions. Really, if ever, converges to Christianity is almost unheard of as a people don't get people think that the leader of the messianic condition.

He is the one that converges Christianity that almost never occurs, they themselves don't directly evangelize Jews resolutely instruct evangelical Christians how to effectively witness the dues. I am sure there are some of you watching me right now. Who knows someone who got involved. One of these groups have you asked with a cousin of yours who was the first person to witness to you. I can almost assure you it will be someone who was never Jewish and someone who is not a professional missionary danger here is that it's against the law to evangelize children in this country can evangelize minors to look the country in the way the missionaries frequently circumvent this law is by getting their children to evangelize of the children gave the children inside the system. False false false number number one reason that evangelical Christians talk to Jewish people about their faith is because they love Jewish people dislike they talk to Hindus and Buddhists and atheists and non-Christians. They share their faith. That's what evangelical Christians do.

The reason there often the first ones to talk to Jewish people in America is because there's so many evangelical Christians. I'm glad it was evangelical Christians who shared Jesus with me as a teenager. I'm glad they did. But as a messianic leader that Mr. Curry is the leader there Sharon.

If I think anybody else just last week I had there with me. Sam Nadler ascetic rabbi for many years. He's always sharing his face with other Jewish people and Gentiles to ask for within Israel that the believers there are super super careful super careful not to proselytize minds because it's against the law and they'll tell me were having this youth gathering but everyone has to sign they have to have to have permission from their parents before they can, they were the ones that told me about this many years.

It was so against the law across Israel very important that we honor that and keep that so for having a youth gathering. The kids cannot come without express permission from their parents don't listen to the lies of Rabbi Singer get to the truth. Let's focus on the real issue is Jesus Jewish Messiah or not. That's an issue and we are forthright, open, bold, clear, this is who we are. This is what we believe Jesus for Jesus without shame.

File the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown get into the minor fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH dear again is Dr. Michael Brown looking friends to thoroughly Jewish Thursday can I make a request.

We have a lot of material out online Jewish outreach material debates with rabbis teachings on YouTube extensive articles lots of outreach material available.

We have whole series of broadcast recorded for Middle East TV which air in Israel major network of cable network there in Israel with the Hebrew captions just all of them outreach videos we've recorded. I think a total of 25. If I'm correct somewhere around there and those are out those air. One of my colleagues in Israel was was watching what was at the airport ready to fly out on Super Bowl Sunday last year, and any TV had aired the Super Bowl. They air different things Westerns and shows that are still popular in Israel.

People like to watch and then some inspirational programming as well and he was see was praying about some new Jewish outreach initiatives Hebrew outreach in Israel and he was praying about it, wondering, is anyone going to watch and looks up on the screen and there's my face in the airport in Israel and all the monitors are preaching issue of preaching Jesus and obviously what happened was they had the Super Bowl on any TV and what it ended. They, how long it was up for but there I was, and that was their encouragement to him at that moment as he was praying about that very thing. We got a lot of material out there.

We've got series of videos that were producing out just demolishing the misinformation of Commissioner Rabbi Toby Singer and perhaps will route done with those of us could be several dozen will go on to some other kind of missionaries and and refute their material. The list goes on and on and then the five items we've written, answering Jewish objections to Jesus and 22 hour class, the coming missionaries. The author would you pray with me is there is translated into different languages, some and he was some Russian, some in Spanish, some in Portuguese, which you pray with me that God would use these to reach the lost sheep of the house of Israel, which do that the materials are out there.

The resources are out there there and multiple languages were getting more and more stuff dub with Hebrew captions. There is even a creative way that more by material will get out in Hebrew directly through Israelis because enable us to help spark and inspire some of the Major Jewish Outreach Taking Pl. in Israel today.

So what we we play a key role in this. And then when somebody get confused and have questions that they come to us with your questions.

They come to a struggling many on the verge of losing their faith and with our team and our materials were able to help them by God's grace would you pray with us to pray that God would use these materials to touch Jewish people around the world. We are over we are clear, no one has any question about what we believe if they've heard us speak so pray that God would use these it is the prayers of the church that will be vital in bringing the Jewish people into saving knowledge of Messiah Jesus issue our king. So thank you for praying. Those were the stem of this financially know know for sure those that you still with us that this is one of the pillars of our ministry but this is an and always that we are doing this is something that we are always involved with and always putting out material and in helping others with social supports financially know that your your funds are helping us reach the lost sheep of the house of Israel so overt clear this is who we are. You can make one-time contributions watch on Facebook donate button on YouTube.

The $or better still, become a supporting partner to ask Dr. Brown.org. Click on donate again all of you that can pray, we really do appreciate what I want to catch up in a very major development okay just let those go grab some calls but I'm not going to instead I'm going to go over to this article in Jerusalem. Postal Prime Minister Netanyahu is basically said okay. I can't. I can't form a coalition government and is much as he's revered and appreciated, especially by evangelical Christians in America for much of the good he's done in helping Israel's international status and standing strongly for security keys is not as popular within Israel, there are personal family issues that have come up.

He's under attack for that. Is there corruption and he's made coalitions with the ultra right in certain ways and that creates more opposition within Israel. Israel as a whole has shifted more to the right as a nation, but then you have the the far right versus the centrist right and in order for them to form potential coalitions. It means siding with the far right, and that's been more controversial. In any case, as expected, he's been unable to form a government in Israel Knesset Parliament.

That's hundred 20 seats so you need 61 maybe your party gets 35 m major competitors party gets 30, but your competitors, so your document work together. A BC form a coalition. Last time it happened with with Likud and blue-and-white.

Netanyahu is going to form a coalition with Pentagon's okay I'll be Prime Minister first. Then you'll be prime minister after me when was really friends told me the joke Israel is there was only one person in Israel. The thought those go to work and that was Pentagon's it very base. Everybody else understood was Netanyahu sending a stand on anyway right now is unable to form a government. Other you have yet another election. Five. Six. How many elections there has been one after another after another less for years so the possibility is next in line is your regular Pete a geisha. T there is a future that's the name of the party and he is centrist right and there's the possibility of him working with Naftali Bennett of the amino party whose religious scientists, but not not ultra-Orthodox but religious scientists and then may be bringing in an Arab party, which should be the first time that the government would form a coalition.

This way, giving them more waste.

No reteach once as a cow want this.

I want this on with this concession and then you you make the thing work of, but this could actually happen.

So I want to read some of this article May 5 by Gil Hoffman Jerusalem Post a geisha teed leader your ear P the new miniature monopoly Bennett intent to engage in marathon talks to form a unity government beginning Thursday after Pres. Reuven Rivlin announced Wednesday night that he is entrusting P with the second mandate to form a government. The Peter Bennett watch former governments as possible. Believe it can be done within a week expressed concern that if they did not heard their efforts would be harbor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's mandate ended Tuesday night without a coalition. Before he was trying to sabotage the formation of a government would replace in between his various times.

Prime Minister has been prime minister longer than any previous one you mean MKs of these Knesset ministers so no Senate senators, Congress and be the same. You mean MKs under pressure to oppose unity government following the lead of NK on the high Chucky Ritchie kill sees me Chucky earth equally is another breath who announces opposition on Wednesday morning the tongue out of that word MKs would join him let people of 28 days to build a coalition including entrance, acne tends to form a government which Bennett goes first sale to you. You go first while in rotation with him in the Prime Minister's office, but is not ruled out a coalition without you mean the main consideration that is really presidents must weigh when arriving at the decision of who to trust from the government is who has the best chance of forming a government that will have the confidence of the Knesset from a number of recommendations. It is clear that MK are ill appear to form a government that is the confidence of Knesset, despite there being many difficulties slicking to look at what the Pete saying depriving. If, by the way you think politics in America are volatile is nothing like Israel. Israel was far more volatile and I don't mean that the average Israeli gets any more engaged and worked up than your average American, but the mudslinging back and forth in the rockthrowing and the attacks in the level of hostility and acrimony and its is very intense in the amount of different parties all vying picture. We had 20 parties battling for four seats, not, not two main ones. So the Pete pledge to do everything to ensure than is really unity government will be formed. This is possible. Quote after two years of political paralysis is really society is heard is true unity government isn't a compromise or a last resort. Its goal. It's what we need. He said we need a government that will reflect the fact that we don't hate one of the problems. Many do hate each other.

That's the problem is try to say look ultimately we don't refill Israelis, a government which left right and center will work together to tackle the economic and security challenges we face a government that will show that our differences are a source of strength, not weakness. Hey, it's a good speech there were certain things that that Pres. Biden said his inauguration speech that I didn't like the boy loved his call for unity. It just think he's done everything the opposite of that.

Since it's been in other words he's saying radical left position after position after position and only for the further alienating conservatives and those in the right Republicans and and others, but I like the call for you will this is that I like this I like this idea of late are differences come together as strengths sounds good but but can it can it happen soon.

It occurred to me hunt. Netanyahu would Bennett wants to form is a dangerous left-wing government so you know there there trying to sell the what the those in the middle on the left or say Netanyahu is going radical right radical right extremist cycle trump follows white supremacists that kind of rhetoric in the Netanyahu those with him or saying that those who are worse for moderate right centrist leaving left that there forming a radical left government so the warnings and scare tactics of their could it work. It occurred at it. It seems to have a possibility that he could work would be good about holding those who can even figure out which direction it would go. What concessions would have to be made. See one of the gripes that messianic Jews in Israel rightly have with Netanyahu as they appreciate so much good Easter across the board, and yet from to get the power recently.

Not every time, but frequently he said to me, coalitions with ultra-Orthodox the ultra-Orthodox or animate enemies of the messianic Jewish community will make life as difficult as possible for them in terms of immigration status with them when things like that psycho. Netanyahu gets in, and they get power and so it's it's very much a mix is no just black and white here. Everything is is gray on one level or another soul.

Pray for God's will. Lord, your will be done board work out things for your divine purposes of the house and pray beyond that, it's the light of fire with your host activist, author, international speaker and theologian Dr. Michael Brown voice of more cultural and spiritual revolution get into the line of fire now by calling 86643 here again is Dr. Michael Brown is very generous Thursday Brown looking to the broadcast. I just glanced up. It Facebook on my screen here Lexi, thanks for your contribution.

We appreciated very, much 8663 foray 784 if you have a Jewish -related call so today this is this is a first in my life where you're sitting waiting to hear award announcements to win something or not it is in this particular it was the first got notified by my publisher a few weeks ago, publisher of Mike, turn Job since Hendrickson publishers Job the faith to challenge God a new translation and commentary and it was one of six finalists in the Bible reference category. I think there are 11 different categories and six different finalists in each one, and it was the evangelical Christian publishes a social Association annual awards and mine had made. It is a fibrosis of books published between October 2019 October 2020 and then out of the 300 something books that the judges went through, they came up with these finalists and I was honored to be one of the finalists. So I got a notice. The thing is going to be on such and such a time so was an hour before Ray got the okay great warm see her writing all of put it on and so again is an honor to be part of it an honor that the judges found worthy to make it into the final associate different book.

It was a book of the New Testament world by NT Wright and another New Testament scholar that apparently brings things really to life. The perspective of event of an early Christian and so that's the only thing I know that that was that the winter, but I was blessed to be part of that and and that's when I went through the list of 66 books in the finalists was the only commentary that made it there so I was honored by that and again as I was praying on the way I did. I thought that so interesting. I never had that I found out years ago that there was another award the apologetic book of the year and one of my vines and answering Jewish objections to Jesus took second place and II knew the guy that took first place us in a manner good grammar review, but I may not know them or think about this in my books aren't nominated for these awards was just there is an interesting figure in the winter as I thought how interesting. But I disabled with whatever your where your will is on this letter. Let it be done obviously was a Mr. prayer focus that is all. Lord, I'd like to win this disc again. What matters is the favor of God and the impact that her work has another's, but again I was really honored that the book was chosen to get that far to be one of the six finalists and that was the only commentary chosen out of the books that were submitted over this one year. That made it that for so it is there. The reason I share this is it happen just before radio and so it is on my mind but you know there is work that they you do that each of us do that is painstaking that is hard. That is outwardly unrewarding that is often behind the scenes as parents as as followers of Jesus doing things in secret that others don't know some of you plugging away day after day through outward drudgery trying to honor the Lord and and others in secret prayer. Others giving supporting missionaries. Nobody nobody knows what you do with your money, others just parenting and and making the hard choices.

Sacrificial choices to put your kids first in this this goes on for years and for decades and no one seems to notice will first God. God notices God sees. He's aware and and and then secondly, the fruit will remain it if if you have honor the Lord, and you have so mysterious you will reap with joy, either in this world of the world to come. And those are some of the lessons from Job that whatever he does wrong in this world matter who was behind it was wrong. God, if we honor him will make it right. Even this world or the world to come.

Whatever's been taken illegitimately if we honor the Lord will come back to us. This role world come in and the things that are done in secret, to honor God in the things that are not sensational, 99.9% of all Christian ministry that takes place doesn't take place on the big screen. It takes place in interpersonal relations sure God works through Internet, God works through books and God works through TV and God works through all these different means. Obviously, but normally just as people, loving people, its people interacting with people and so much of the most important work is not seen so much of the most important work is not is not heralded by others, and praised by others and see what's that got to do the Joe concert will hear you do not do commentary work to get rich. You do not do commentary work for fame.

I mean, maybe somebody somewhere but it is painstaking. It takes years and years and years of effort on timeout to produce a solid academic commentary. It takes years and years of work and then when you get with through the years and years of work, you have scholars that work on projects 20 or 30 years as a single commentary project glitzy work is in for five or 10 years and then get done with you, finish the work you done with that and they submitted to the publisher and then the academic editor will come back with months of work for you to do nutritive verify this and if you check into this and he did list phrases that whatever and then when the book finally comes out all you Celica million Know you will sell a million cup is like €100,000 100,000, is like 10,000 sell 10,000 out there. There are similar commentaries were that happens that there are some were that happens there. Dennis Prager was stunned with his rationalist commentary in the Torah is first one came out I think was Exodus he sent me a copy of it. He was utterly stunned when it jumped up as a national bestsellers and obviously there's interest in Scripture, but generally speaking, that's not gonna happen. A publisher might be happy if if they sell 1015 hundred 2000 copies of of of a commentary, and if it's part of a series then let Jeremiah commentary.

If you have the by my names and even on the outside because it's together with with Ezekiel. Excuse me. Lamentations and Ezekiel.

So the whole body against mine is the bulk of the volume but you got two of the scholars with two other works there.

So if you if you haven't, just as the editors names on their enemies. It will how much you make with royalties. Okay, let's I could dig ditches with a toothpick working minimum wage and make more money per hour that I may try to God. It so that's what I'm saying to you that so much of what you do is not going to be sensationalized and it is not. It's not going to be big news. And it's not glamorous it's the day-to-day it's in the trenches's behind-the-scenes and I was I was up late last night working on my Isaiah commentary for a new series Pentecostal charismatic scholars. Three commenters in every book of the Bible and I just got caught up on one word and I had researched it a lot in in the first chapter of Isaiah really try to wrestle with joy translate with or alas or wall. I really dug into it because like with Job. I did a new translation of doing the same with Isaiah really dug into it and spent quite a large amount of time really trying to see how this word was used in an house translate the ancient versions how it broke down lexical data in terms of dictionary data through that the Hebrew Bible and where the usage was founded, etc. and then landed on how to translate it in as a one and debated it did finally landed on and now I'm over in the fifth chapter where you have 77 hallway, oracles or pronouncements seven wall.

As we have the 70's bouncing seven woes on the religious hypocrites. In Matthew 23 Luke 11 the same of these woes be impressed with the vast majority of English translations translate with wall when I looked at it more I thought I don't think it's the best translation you started digging deeper and looking further and rethinking without going back to White written the first chapter it the end. In the end preserve of the translation of of one word right and and probably 90% of people read it when you realize there's a deer in the most different but that when we get the full meaning of it.

But isn't this the word of God sacred right and so the whole thing is is not done for people in terms of well what I come out with this. Everybody will be like wow what an amazing teaching the public will what's the big deal between one person for throughput. It's a sacred thing your so many of you doing ministry redoing it. It's sacred, God sees it. You may not have your reward from people but you have reward from God. So many making the hard family choices personal choices doing things honoring God when nobody sees it. God sees you may not have your reward from people, but you get your reward from God. My great reward the junk out. It was honored that almost got this award but great reward for me seeing people being impacted by people being changed by people being helped by growing in the word going the relationship.that's the reward shall be encouraged. Your labor never another program powered by the Truth Network