Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 45-47 ERV, Ch. 48-50 NLV

Podcast Introduction

This is Prophecy Friday. We’ll read Isaiah 45-50. I’m calling this episode “Getting Your Sea Legs.”

Comments on Isaiah 48

I don’t know where you live. Do you live near an ocean? Have you ever been to the beach and watched the waves come crashing onto the shore? 

I’m a southern California native. For all but about four years of my life, I’ve never lived more than an hour from the Pacific Ocean. As a matter of fact, I used to go surfing early in the morning before school started when I was in high school. I used to go SCUBA diving. I’ve never owned a boat, but I’ve had friends that did, and I love to sail. I love pretty much everything about the ocean.

One of the things you learn about the ocean if you spend any amount of time in, under or on the water is that there is no fighting the force of the waves. When the swells come in, you can’t do anything to stop them. And if you’re surfing, and you have a bit of skill, they’ll carry you along and give you a thrilling ride. If you’re SCUBA diving below the surface, the swells push you in a sort of ebb and flow. If you’re on a boat, you’d better get your sea legs quickly or you’ll find yourself on the deck.

What’s my point? In chapter 48, verse 17 and 18 we read: “The Lord Who bought you and saves you, the Holy One of Israel, says, “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to do well, Who leads you in the way you should go. If only you had listened to My Laws! Then your peace would have been like a river and your right-standing with God would have been like the waves of the sea.”

Your right-standing with God would have been like the waves of the sea. Stay with me…

God teaches us to do well and leads us in the way we should go. And here in Isaiah 48, He is talking to His chosen people. And He is disappointed. He says, “If only you had listened to me, your peace would’ve been like a river and your right-standing with Me would’ve been relentless and unstoppable, washing over you, giving you the ride of your lives.” 

It reminds me of 1 John 3:1, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us…”. Merriam Webster defines “lavish” as: expending or bestowing profusely. Isn’t it incredible how much our God loves us? Remember, love is more than a fuzzy feeling. Love is action. God wants to put His love into action toward us, and He wants to do it in such a way that we are carried away by it, overcome with it, thrilled by it.

Brothers and sisters, we serve a God who SO deserves our praise!

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Isaiah 45-50: Getting Your Sea Legs (LSFAB S13E062)

[TEASER – 0:00]
There’s no fighting the force of the waves.

[INTRO S13E062 – 0:10]
This is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, and podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we’ll read through the entire Bible in a year, and the website is at lifespringmedia.com. Today’s Prophecy Friday, and we’ll read Isaiah 45 through 50. And I’m calling the episode “Getting Your Sea Legs”.

So today’s plan is, we’ll read the chapters. I’ll have some comments on the reading. And then we’ll have Christmas question number two today, which will be answered by my British buddy, James Cooper of WhyChristmas.com.

But before we read, let’s pray.

[OPENING PRAYER – 0:49]
Our Heavenly Father, we thank you again for calling us together. We thank you for your Word. And I asked today, Lord, that You would bless this time I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

All right, let’s go.

[ISAIAH 45 (ERV) – 1:03]
Isaiah, chapter 45.

(1) This is what the Lord said to Cyrus, his chosen king:

“I took you by your right hand to help you defeat nations,
to strip other kings of their power,
and to open city gates that will not be closed again.
(2) I will go in front of you
and make the mountains flat.
I will break the city gates of bronze
and cut the iron bars on the gates.
(3) I will give you the wealth that is stored in secret places.
I will give you those hidden treasures.
Then you will know that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who calls you by name.
(4) I do this for my servant, Jacob.
I do it for my chosen people, Israel.
Cyrus, I am calling you by name.
You don’t know me, but I know you.
(5) I am the Lord, the only God.
There is no other God except me.
I put your clothes on you,
but still you don’t know me.
(6) I am doing this so that everyone will know
that I am the only God.
From the east to the west, people will know that I am the Lord
and that there is no other God.
(7) I made the light and the darkness.
I bring peace, and I cause trouble.
I, the Lord, do all these things.

(8) “May the clouds in the skies above
pour goodness on the earth like rain.
May the earth open up
to let salvation grow.
And may goodness grow with that salvation,
which I, the Lord, created.

(9) “Look at these people! They are arguing with the one who made them. Look at them argue with me. They are like pieces of clay from a broken pot. Clay does not say to the one molding it, ‘Man, what are you doing?’ Things that are made don’t have the power to question the one who makes them. (10) A father gives life to his children, and they cannot ask, ‘Why are you giving me life?’ They cannot question their mother and ask, ‘Why are you giving birth to me?’”

(11) The Lord God is the Holy One of Israel. He created Israel, and he says,

“My children, you asked me to show you a sign.
You told me to show you what I have done.
(12) I made the earth,
and I created the people on it.
I used my own hands to make the skies.
And I command all the armies in the sky.
(13) I was right to give power to Cyrus,
and I will make his work easy.
He will rebuild my city,
and he will set my people free without bribes or payment.”
The Lord All-Powerful said this.

(14) The Lord says, “Egypt and Ethiopia are rich,
but, Israel, you will get those riches.
The tall people from Seba will be yours.
They will walk behind you with chains around their necks.
They will bow down before you
and ask you to pray for them and say,
‘The true God really is with you,
and there is no other God.’”

(15) You are the God people cannot see.
You are the God who saves Israel.
(16) Many people make false gods,
but they will be disappointed.
All of them will go away ashamed.
(17) But Israel will be saved by the Lord.
That salvation will continue forever.
Never again will Israel be shamed.
(18) The Lord is God.
He made the skies and the earth.
He put the earth in its place.
He did not want the earth to be empty when he made it.
He created it to be lived on.
“I am the Lord.
There is no other God.
(19) I have spoken openly, not in secret.
I did not hide my words in a dark and secret place.
I did not tell the people of Jacob
to look for me in empty places.
I am the Lord, and I speak the truth.
I say only what is right.

(20) “You people who escaped from other nations, gather together before me. (These people carry statues of false gods. They pray to useless gods, but they don’t know what they are doing. (21) Tell them to come to me. Let them present their case and discuss these things.)

“Who told you about this before it happened? Who told you this so long ago? I, the Lord, am the one who said these things. I am the only God, the one who does what is right. I am the one who saves, and there is no other! (22) So all you people in faraway places, turn to me and be saved, because I am God, and there is no other.

(23) “When I make a promise, that promise is true. It will happen. And I swear by my own power that everyone will bow before me and will take an oath to obey me. (24) They will say, ‘Goodness and strength come only from the Lord.’”

And all who show their anger against him will be humiliated. (25) The Lord will help the people of Israel live right and praise their God.

[ISAIAH 46 (ERV) – 5:25]
Isaiah, chapter 46.

(1) The Lord says, “Bel has fallen to the ground. Nebo is kneeling before me.

“Men put those idols on the backs of animals. They are only heavy burdens that must be carried. They do nothing but make people tired. (2) But they all bowed down and fell to the ground. They couldn’t escape; they were all carried away like prisoners.

(3) “Family of Jacob, listen to me! You who are left from the family of Israel, listen! I have carried you since you left your mother’s womb. I carried you when you were born, (4) and I will still be carrying you when you are old. Your hair will turn gray, and I will still carry you. I made you, and I will carry you to safety.

(5) “Can you compare me to anyone? No one is equal to me. You cannot understand everything about me. There is nothing like me. (6) Some people are rich with gold and silver. Gold falls from their purses, and they weigh their silver on scales. They pay an artist to make a false god from wood. Then they bow down and worship that false god. (7) They put their false god on their shoulders and carry it. That false god is useless; people have to carry it! People set the statue on the ground, and it cannot move. That false god never walks away from its place. People can yell at it, but it will not answer. That false god is only a statue; it cannot save people from their troubles.

(8) “Sinners, change your heart and mind. Think about this again. Remember it and be strong. (9) Remember what happened long ago. Remember, I am God and there is no other God. There is no other like me.

(10) “In the beginning, I told you what would happen in the end. A long time ago, I told you things that have not happened yet. When I plan something, it happens. I do whatever I want to do. (11) I am calling a man from the east to do what I want. He will come like an eagle from a faraway country. He will do all that I have planned. Everything I said will happen just as I said it would.

(12) “Listen to me, you stubborn people! You are far from doing what is right. (13) But I am close to making things right. Salvation will not be delayed much longer. I will bring salvation to Zion and to my wonderful Israel.”

[ISAIAH 47 (ERV) – 7:43]
Isaiah, chapter 47.

(1) “Fall down and sit in the dirt, Virgin Daughter Babylon.
You have no throne, so sit on the ground, daughter of the Chaldeans.
You are not the ruler now.
You are no longer the beautiful young princess that people said you were.
(2) Get the millstones ready
and grind the grain into flour.
Take off your veil and fancy clothes.
Lift your skirt and get ready to cross the rivers.
(3) Men will see your naked body
and use you for sex.
I will make you pay for the bad things you did,
and I will not let anyone help you.

(4) “My people say, ‘God saves us.
His name is the Lord All-Powerful, the Holy One of Israel.’”

(5) “So Babylon, sit down and shut up.
Daughter of the Chaldeans, go into the dark prison.
You will no longer be ‘The Queen of the Kingdoms.’

(6) “I was angry with my people.
They were mine, but I turned against them.
I let you punish them,
but you showed them no mercy.
Even for those who were old
you made the work hard.
(7) You said, ‘I will live forever.
I will always be the queen.’
You didn’t care what you did to my people.
You didn’t think about what might happen later.
(8) So now listen, you who love only pleasure!
Feeling so safe, you tell yourself,
‘I alone am important, and no one else matters.
I will never be a widow or lose my children.’
(9) These two things will happen to you:
First, you will lose your children and then your husband.
And none of your magic spells will help you.
(10) You do bad things but still feel safe.
You say to yourself, ‘No one sees the wrong I do.’
You thought that your wisdom and knowledge would save you.
You tell yourself, ‘I alone am important,
and no one else matters.’

(11) “But disaster is coming your way.
You don’t know when it will happen, but disaster is coming.
And there is nothing you can do to stop it.
(12) You worked hard all your life
learning magic and spells.
So start using that magic.
Maybe those spells will help you.
Maybe you will be able to frighten someone.
(13) You have many advisors.
Are you tired of the advice they give?
Then send out your men who read the stars.
They can tell when the month starts,
so maybe they can tell you when your troubles will come.
(14) But they cannot even save themselves.
They will burn like straw.
They will burn so fast that there will be no coals left to cook bread.
There will be no fire left to sit by.
(15) That’s what will happen to those you have worked with,
the people you did business with all your life.
They will all go their own way.
There will be no one left to save you.”

[ISAIAH 48 (NLV) – 10:17]
Isaiah, chapter 48.

(1) “Hear this, O family of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who come from the seed of Judah. They make promises in the name of the Lord, and call upon the God of Israel, but not in truth or by what is right and good. (2) For they call themselves people of the holy city, and trust in the God of Israel. The Lord of All is His name. (3) I made known the things that would happen long ago. From My mouth My words went out. Then all at once I did what I said I would, and they came to pass. (4) I know that your heart is hard. Your neck is like iron, and your forehead is like brass. (5) So I made them known to you long ago. I told you before they happened, or else you might say, ‘My false god has done them. My objects of worship have made them happen.’ (6) You have heard, now look at all this. And will you say that you will not tell about it? I tell you new things from this time on, even hidden things which you have not known. (7) They are made now, not long ago. Before today you have never heard of them, or you would say, ‘See, I knew them.’ (8) You have not heard. You have not known. Even from long ago your ear has not been open, because I knew that you could not be trusted. You have been known to fight against the law and not obey from birth. (9) Because of My name I hold back My anger. For My praise I keep Myself from cutting you off. (10) See, I have tested you, but not as silver. I have tested you in the fire of suffering. (11) For My own good, for My own good, I will do this. For why should I allow My name to be put to shame? I will not give My shining-greatness to another.

(12) “Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel whom I called. I am He. I am the first, and I am the last. (13) My hand put the earth in its place. And My right hand spread out the heavens. When I call to them, they stand together. (14) Gather together, all of you, and listen! Who among them has made these things known? The Lord loves him. He will do to Babylon what pleases him, and his arm will be against the Babylonians. (15) I, even I, have spoken. Yes, I have called him, I have brought him, and he will do well. (16) Come near to Me and listen to this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret. From the time it came to be, I was there. And now the Lord God has sent me and His Spirit.”

(17) The Lord Who bought you and saves you, the Holy One of Israel, says, “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to do well, Who leads you in the way you should go. (18) If only you had listened to My Laws! Then your peace would have been like a river and your right-standing with God would have been like the waves of the sea. (19) Your children’s children would have been like the sand. Those born to you would have been like the sand. Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before Me.”

(20) Go out from Babylon! Run from the Babylonians! Call out for joy and let this be known to the end of the earth, saying, “The Lord has bought and set free His servant Jacob!” (21) They were not thirsty when He led them through the deserts. He made water flow out of the rock for them. He broke the rock, and the water flowed out. (22) “There is no peace for the sinful,” says the Lord.

[ISAIAH 49 (NLV) – 13:34]
Isaiah, chapter 49.

(1) Listen to Me, O islands. Listen, you people from far away. The Lord called Me before I was born. From the body of My mother he said My name. (2) He has made My mouth like a sharp sword. He has hidden Me in the shadow of His hand. He has made Me a shining arrow, keeping Me in His secret place. (3) And He said to Me, “You are My Servant Israel, in Whom I will show My shining-greatness.” (4) But I said, “My work has been for nothing. I have spent My strength for nothing. Yet for sure what should come to Me is with the Lord, and My reward is with My God.”

(5) And now the Lord speaks, Who made Me before I was born to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, that Israel might be gathered to Him. For I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and My God is My strength. (6) He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the family groups of Jacob, and to bring back those of Israel I have kept safe. I will also make You a light to the nations, so that men over all the earth can be saved from the punishment of their sins.” (7) This is what the Lord, the One Who saves Israel, and its Holy One, says to the hated One, to the One hated by the nations, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see and rise up. Rulers will also bow down, because of the Lord Who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel Who has chosen You.”

(8) The Lord says, “I have answered You at the right time. I have helped You in a day when people are saved. I will keep You and give You for an agreement to the people, to make the land good again, and to give them their land which had been destroyed. (9) I will say to those in prison, ‘Come out,’ and to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ They will eat along the roads, and find grass on all the hills. (10) They will not be hungry or thirsty. The burning heat of the sun will not trouble them. For He Who has loving-pity on them will lead them. He will lead them to wells of water. (11) And I will make all My mountains a road. My straight roads will be raised up. (12) See, these will come from far away. See, these will come from the north and from the west, and from the land of Sinim.” (13) Sing for joy, O heavens! Be glad, O earth! Break out into songs of joy, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people. He will have loving-pity on His suffering people.

(14) But Zion said, “The Lord has left me alone. The Lord has forgotten me.” (15) “Can a woman forget her nursing child? Can she have no pity on the son to whom she gave birth? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. (16) See, I have marked your names on My hands. Your walls are always before Me. (17) Your builders hurry. And those who destroy you will leave you. (18) Lift up your eyes and look around. All of them gather together and come to you. As I live,” says the Lord, “you will put them on like objects of beauty. You will tie them on as a bride does. (19) For your waste places and your destroyed land will now be too small for the people. And those who destroyed you will be far away. (20) The children born to you during the time of your sorrow will say for you to hear, ‘The place is too small for us. Make a bigger place for us to live in.’ (21) Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has given birth to these for me? My children were taken from me, and I could not give birth. I was sent away and had no place of my own. Who has brought up these children? See, I was left alone. Where have these come from?’”

(22) The Lord God says, “See, I will lift up My hand to the nations. I will raise My flag to the people. And they will bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders. (23) Kings will take care of you as fathers. And their queens will be your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground, and kiss the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Those who wait for Me with hope will not be put to shame. (24) “Can that which was taken by a strong man in battle be taken from him? Can those taken away to prison by a powerful ruler be saved?” (25) The Lord says, “Even those taken away by the strong man will be taken from him. Those taken by the powerful ruler will be saved. For I will fight with the one who fights with you, and I will save your sons. (26) I will feed those who make it hard for you with their own flesh. They will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. Then all flesh will know that I, the Lord, am the One Who saves you, and the One Who bought you, the Powerful One of Jacob.”

[ISAIAH 50 (NLV) – 18:11]
Isaiah, chapter 50.

(1) The Lord says, “Where is the writing of your mother’s divorce, by which I have sent her away? To whom of those who owed Me money did I sell you? See, you were sold for your sins. For your wrong-doing your mother was sent away. (2) Why was there no man when I came? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Is My hand so short that it cannot pay for your life? Have I no power to take you out of trouble? See, I dry up the sea with My sharp words. I make the rivers a desert. Their fish smell bad because they do not have enough water, and die of thirst. (3) I clothe the heavens with darkness. I make cloth made from hair its covering.”

(4) The Lord God has given Me the tongue of those who follow Him, that I may know how to give strength when I speak to one who is tired. He wakes Me up morning by morning. He wakes up My ear to listen as a follower. (5) The Lord God has opened My ear, and I obeyed Him. I did not turn back. (6) I gave My back to those who hit Me, and My face to those who pull out the hair on my face. I did not cover My face from shame and spit. (7) For the Lord God helps Me, so I am not put to shame. I have set My face like hard stone, and know that I will not be ashamed. (8) He Who shows I am right is near. Who will fight with Me? Let us stand up to each other. Who has something against Me? Let him come near to Me. (9) See, the Lord God helps Me. Who will say that I am guilty? See, they will all wear out like a piece of clothing. The moth will eat them. (10) Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of His Servant, yet walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and have faith in his God. (11) See, all you who start a fire and put fire all around you! Walk in the light of your fire and among the pieces of wood you have started to burn. You will receive this from My hand: You will lie down in much suffering.

[COMMENTARY – 20:18]
Got a couple of comments on chapter 48. I don’t know where you live, But do you live near an ocean? Have you ever been to the beach and watched the waves come crashing onto the shore?

I’m a Southern California native myself, and for all but about four years of my life. I’ve never lived more than an hour or so from the Pacific Ocean. As a matter of fact, I used to go surfing early in the morning before school started when I was in high school. I used to go scuba diving. I’ve never owned a boat, but I’ve had friends that did and I love to sail. I love pretty much everything about the ocean.

One of the things you learn about the ocean, if you spend any amount of time in, under, or on the water is that there’s no fighting the force of the waves. When the swells come in, you can’t do anything to stop them. And if you’re surfing and you have a bit of skill, they’ll carry you along and give you a thrilling ride. If you’re scuba diving below the surface, the swells will push you in a sort of ebb and flow, back and forth kind of way. If you’re on a boat, you better get your sea legs quickly or you’ll find yourself laying on the deck.

So what’s my point? In chapter 48, verse 17, and 18, we read, “The Lord Who bought you and saves you, the Holy One of Israel, says, ‘I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to do well, Who leads you in the way you should go. If only you had listened to My Laws! Then your peace would have been like a river and your right- standing with God would have been like the waves of the sea.’”

Your right-standing with God would have been like the waves of the sea. Stay with me.

God teaches us to do well and leads us in the way we should go. And here in Isaiah 48, he’s talking to his chosen people. And he’s disappointed. He says – and let me take some liberties here with the translation – “If only you had listened to me, your peace would’ve been like a river and your right-standing with Me would’ve been relentless and unstoppable, washing over you, giving you the ride of your lives.”

It reminds me of I John 3:1. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us…”. Merriam-Webster defines “lavish” as expending or bestowing profusely. Isn’t it incredible how much our God loves us. See what great love the Father has lavished on us. Remember, love is more than a fuzzy feeling. Love is action. God wants to put his love into action toward us. And he wants to do it in such a way that we are carried away by it, overcome with it, thrilled by it.

Brothers and sisters, we serve a God who so deserves our praise.

[LIFESPRING FAMILY HOTLINE – 23:07]
I’d love to hear what you have to say. Call the Lifespring Family Hotline at +1-951-732-8511, or comment at comment.lifespringmedia.com, or email me at steve.lifespringmedia.com. I read every comment and I do want to hear from you. Chances are good I’ll read your comment or play your voicemail right here on the show.

Tomorrow is Gospel Saturday and we’ll read Matthew 23 through 25.

[CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS – 23:39]
Before I get to Christmas question number two, let me remind you that you could win a signed copy of my book, “Webb’s Easy Bible Names Pronunciation Guide”, or you could win a free ticket to see the movie “Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon”. All you have to do is send in a Christmas question to me at st***@*************ia.com. And for each question I use on the show, you’ll get an entry for the drawing to win the book, and each question sent in whether or not I use it on the show, the writer of the question will be entered in the drawing for the movie ticket. I’ve got three tickets to give away so there’ll be three winners. Now listen up. This is important. The movie will only run on December 5, 6, and 7. It’s a Fathom event and they’ve got distribution in theaters all over the country. And in case you don’t know the theaters aren’t named Fathom. So don’t be confused about that. Fathom distributes to all sorts of theaters. I’ve got a 65-page PDF of all the theaters that “Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon” will be playing in. But you must send your Christmas questions in right away because I’m going to be drawing the winners this coming Sunday, December 4, 2022, at 4 pm Pacific Time, so chop-chop. Now’s the time to do it. You have to enter to win and to enter you have to send in at least one question and the more questions you send the more entries you’ll have and the greater your chance of winning. And by the way, if you’d like to see a trailer for the movie, go to lifespringmedia.com/cash.

Now, today’s question comes again from Sister Denise. She says, “What was the star of Bethlehem really? Was it a star? Was it a planetary convergence? Was it a special object that God created just for this occasion? I mean, it seems to move around a lot in Matthew’s account.” She continues, “When I was a kid, sometime in the 70s, there was a planetary convergence in December. I remember my parents waking me up so that I could see the Christmas star at Christmas time. It was very cool.”

All right. Well, Denise, there’s your question. It’s a good one. Let’s see what our Christmas expert, James Cooper, has for us.

[JAMES COOPER ANSWERS – 25:46]
Well, the short answer to that question is, no one actually knows. But that’s really not much of an answer, is it? And there are lots of theories.

First of all, what were the wise men? Well, the wise men or the Magi came from an area which is now either in Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, or Yemen, which was then known as Persia, Arabia, or Sheba. They are often called the Three Kings, but the Bible doesn’t say how many of them there were, or that they were even kings. They got the number three because of the gifts that they brought with them. And they were indeed wise men, the Magi were “Magupati”, which was a title given to priests in sects of ancient religions like Zoroastrianism. Today, we’d probably call them astrologers. But back then astronomy and astrology were part of the overall same sort of studies and their version of science. A translation of “saw it in the east” is “in the first light of dawn.” So not just in the east, but early in the morning.

So what was the star? Well, over the years, there have been lots of theories, some of them more probable than others. I’ll briefly go through them.

One popular early theory was a meteor or a shooting star. But there are loads of those and they’re not really particularly special. And they’d have to be something really massive falling through the sky, which we’d know about, and there aren’t any of that date.

The next is a helical rising or the rising of a star. This is where a star is seemed to rise early in the morning sky, so fits with the translation. But again, loads of stars rise early every year as the stars changes. There’s a star called Sa’d al-Malik in Babylonian and which is known as “The Lucky Star of The King” is now in the constellation of Aquarius in modern astronomy. It rises every year though, so it would have need some other special things happening around it to make that a candidate, and they really weren’t any.

The next is a comet. Throughout history, comets have meant to foretold various events, but they were normally associated with death rather than life. In 5 BCE, in China, there are records of a broom star appearing in the morning sky for 70 days. Now broom stars are normally thought to be comets, but they can actually be supernova. And that’s our next candidate.

Supernovas happened when a star explodes at the end of its life. But again in history, they generally tend to mean something bad happening rather than good. An interesting theory about the Chinese broom star is from Dr. Mark Kidger, who thinks it was a nova rather than a comet. And he thinks you can see the remnants of this nova in deep scans for in the constellation Aquila. It would fit with the dates and it also would have risen in the dawn and you would have also seen it in the Middle East as well as from China.

There are also some good theories involving planetary conjunctions or convergences, where planets and other celestial objects in the sky come together to make new stars. The first theory involves Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7 BC. In Persian astrology, the constellation of Pisces represented Israel. Jupiter was the royal planet and Saturn represented old rulers. So a new star coming together of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces would have meant a great deal to the Magi. And to make it even more special, it wasn’t just one conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces, but three took place during the year in May, September, and then December. So it really would have said something very special to the Magi. There’s also another conjunction which is a good contender. This happened in 6 BC, with Jupiter and the moon in the constellation of Aries. In Roman astrology, Aries represented Israel. And again, Jupiter is the king star. And the moon meant births, especially of new kings. This happened in the dawn, in the east on the 17th of April 6 BC. So it was very unusual. It’s also called an occulation, which is when a special type of eclipse happens involving the earth, the moon, the sun, and a planet. So again, very, very special in the right place at the right time.

And of course, the star could have been something completely supernatural, God’s God, he can do what he likes. But I also think it’s incredible that we have all of this amazing celestial activity going on in the right place at the right time. And I actually think, why can’t there have been multiple stars? If you start with Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7 BCE, it means there’s going to be a new king to rule over Israel. The next year, you get a new star, Jupiter, and the moon in Aries, saying, “and a king over the Roman world,” which was then most of the known world. Then a few months after that, you get the broom star nova in 5 BC, saying “A king is being born now. Go to Israel!” So why didn’t all of those three come together? It would have been astonishing for the Magi to see something like that. And the Psalm 19, verse 1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the works of his hands.”

There’s more information about all the different possible stars over on my site, whychristmas.com. And it includes images from astronomy software, so you can see what they might have looked like from various places in the Middle East. The link will be in the show notes.

[STEVE WEBB – 30:59]
Wow. Fascinating stuff, James. Thank you for going so deep with that. And yes, Beloved, links will be on the show notes page for this episode at lifespringmedia.com/s13e062. And if you’d like to know more about all things Christmas be sure to listen to the Lifespring WhyChristmas show hosted by James Cooper and yours truly. Get it at lifespringwhychristmas.show. On that show, we’re giving away a signed copy of Brian Duncan’s CD, “A Nehosoul Christmas” and by the way, I will be playing another cut from that CD at the end of today’s show.

[ANDY BAKER INTERVIEWS STEVE – 31:42]
I was interviewed yesterday by Lifespring member Andy Baker on his show the Doom Kitchen. The episode’s available on several streaming services if you’d like to watch or listen, I’ll have a link on the show notes page for this episode to the YouTube version. And for the audio version search for Doom Kitchen in your favorite podcast app. Andy, thanks for inviting me on your show. It was fun.

[OUTRO S13E062 – 32:12]
Remember, send in your Christmas question to st***@*************ia.com with the subject line “Christmas question”. You might win that signed copy of my book or you might get a movie ticket.

Sister Kirsty does the newsletter. Brother Sean of San Pedro does the chapters. Sister Denise corrects the transcripts. Thanks, guys. God bless you.

Comment on today’s show by going to +1-951-732-8511, leaving a voice message, or go to comment.lifespringmedia.com. And, Beloved, if you think this show’s worth your time and you must because you’re listening right now, perhaps it’s worth a little bit of your treasure. Decide how much the show means to you and go to lifespringmedia.com\support.

The next time we pray together will be this coming Sunday so send in your prayer requests and praises at prayer.lifespringmedia.com, or email me at st***@*************ia.com.

At the top of the show, I promised that I would play for you a cut from Bryan Duncan’s “A Nehosoul Christmas” CD. Well, here it is. This song is called “This Christmas” and until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. Thank you for letting me spend some time with you today. My name is Steve Webb. I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye.

[BRYAN DUNCAN SINGS “THIS CHRISTMAS” – 33:28]
After the snowfall melts away
and Christmas bells have ceased to ring
one gift of love on Christmas Day
transcends the season
to be loved the whole year through.
Let this one gift last forever
It’s the love that I get from you.

It never gets old.
It’s the love I need
and it’s what I want
and it’s what I want for you.
The story is told
of a newborn love.
It’s the best of all I know this Christmas brings.

Long after Christmas ties are gone
and treasures here no longer new
this Christmas love just like a song
brings out the reason
to be sung the whole year through.
Let this one gift last forever
in the love that I get from you.

It never gets old.
It’s the love I need
and it’s what I want,
and it’s what I want for you.
The story is told
of a newborn love.
It’s the best of all I know this Christmas brings.

Count the days ’til Christmas comes.
Treat every soul like it was Christmas.
364 plus one
and with this Christmas done
we’ll start all over again,
start all over again.

It never gets old.
This Christmas.
and it’s what I want,
and it’s what I want for you.
The story is told,
this Christmas,
of a newborn love
and it’s what I want for you.

It never gets old.
This Christmas.
and it’s what I want,
and it’s what I want for you.
The story is told,
this Christmas,
of a newborn love
and it’s what I want for you.

The story is told.
This Christmas.
and it’s what I want,
what I want for you.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Transcript corrected by Denise