Israel: Day 5

The King for a Gift

Today was an amazing day beginning upon Mt Olives overlooking the Kidron Valley to Old Jerusalem. We traveled down to the celebrated spot of the Garden of Gethsemane. The Church of All Nations was there and open to the public as God was being worshipped. I was not sure how I felt about taking photos while the worship service was in progress, but the sanctuary was amazingly beautiful with ornate pillars and arches.

From Gethsemane, we traveled to an abandoned vineyard with an amazing overlook, watching the landscape change to the Shephelah. Here, we listened to the scriptures concerning God as the vineyard master and witnessed the results of a vineyard becoming abandoned. The thistles and thorn bushes overcame the ground while the vines withered away. By abiding the vine, the vineyard master cares for his vines and prunes the barren branches.

We traveled south to the Herodian, Herod the Great’s palace. From its height, we took in breathtaking views across the valleys below and explored the ruins of a once grand fortress palace. I spent some time in the synagogue praising God, imagined stepping into the ritual bath and explored the intricate cistern, water system under the palace. Herod, who killed wives, sons and infants of Bethlehem, had enormous wealth and power that enabled him to build such amazing structures as the Herodian. However, his wealth and power did not sustain him and it is believed that he was buried within the hill there at Herodian. Yet a few miles north, a little, helpless baby was born whose kingdom has withstood the test of time and will reign for all time.

As we were leaving the Herodian, we made an unscheduled stop at the bottom to allow those adventurous ones explore the bathhouse. With only ten minutes, I scrambled quickly down into the bath, ran across the floor and scampered up the center stones to take it all in. I might as well have been ten years old scaling the rocks at Mesa Verde or Garden of the Gods. My heart was racing but not from the running and climbing. I had been invited to be a son whose Father delighted in his child’s joy.

From there we traveled into occupied territory and into the not-so-little town of Bethlehem. In town, we had the opportunity to go into the Orthodox Church and view into the “traditional” birthplace of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This same city also knew young King David. An unlikely town, two Kings and one true King of Kings!

As with the birth of God’s Son, today was truly a gift from the Father. I delight in the gift that has been given me and give Him praises and thanks for He is good, very good.

Israel: Day 2

Today was a fun day! After having studied King David, I was really looking forward to spending time in the Jerusalem of David. I was excited to stand overlooking the ancient city and the Hinnom, Central and Kidron Valleys below. As we sat atop the ancient city, we could see all the hills towering over us across the valleys. We stood on top a hill in the middle of a bowl, as though we were nestled in the palm of God’s hand. It was very evident the strategy in selecting this site. Even though the hill was not the tallest around, it was high enough to make it easy to defend while remaining close to a nice water supply.

Gishon Spring, this natural spring lies under the ancient city in the Kidron Valley and houses the amazing Hezekiah’s Tunnel. As we wound our way through the water and dark, I imagined the people of the Old Testament rushing through the tunnel to avoid being seen by approaching enemies. While it was quite refreshing to cool ourselves in the cold spring water, I was reminded of the importance of protecting a water supply. The long, hot walk home (JUC) made me grateful that this was not the convenient water supply for our time and looked forward to a nice shower before dinner.
After such a long, fun morning, I struggled to keep awake for our afternoon lectures. However, I found the archeology/excavation lectures really intriguing. As we learned about the two approaches to excavation, removing large areas and trenching, I realized that I probably lack the patience required for such an endeavor. In the excitement of discovering something, I may miss the important details crucial to understanding the significance of such discoveries. It is unfortunate that many of our previous historical “archeologists” may have suffered from the same lack of patience and many of our questions concerning their discoveries remain perpetually unanswered.

While today did not offer any “mountain top” experiences, I enjoyed the blessings of God’s Promised Land. As we played in Hezekiah’s Tunnel and traversed the Jerusalem of David, the Lord God smiled upon us as would a father watching his children laugh and play. As we lay our heads upon our pillows this night, may our Father grant us rest so that we may continue to draw ourselves to Him through His Son.

Israel: Day 1

The day’s task was a walking tour of the four quadrants of Old Jerusalem; Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian. We noted gate placement and topography that divided the walled city into four sections. We witnessed the separation of no less than six churches with the historic Church of the Holy Sepulchre. As we passed to and through the differing quadrants, we could see changes in cultural dress and behavior.

Though I kept reminding myself continually where I was in relation to God’s revelation of Himself to us, I felt His strong presence notably on two very different occasions on this day. The first came as no surprise as we sang a song of worship, hearing our voices reverberate within the Church of St Anne. As we sang and sat in prayer, I began reflecting upon the many faces that have searched these same stones for His presence and felt Him there, met Him there. It was humbling.

The second occurrence will not be forgotten anytime soon. While we noted the varying cultures and landscapes, we came to a place owned by two Orthodox Jews and listened to God’s profound Word; a unifying Word of God. His words will continue to haunt me as I walk these holy grounds. As I see my brothers and sisters, I must seek to understand and trust God Almighty to settle our differences. According to my new friend, a Jew does not view the Law as a burden, but a privilege. As a Christian, do I view my faith as a curse or blessing? Do I feel obliged or do I serve to bring honor to my beloved?

I walk a ground that knows nothing if it does not know change. Will I ever walk the same way?