The Last Day

It was bound to come.  As sure as the sun rises and sets, so leaving the land of Israel had to come.  As I type this, I sit in an airport, waiting on my flight.  It is good to almost be home.  The opportunity to travel abroad always makes me more thankful for my home, and kindred. 

Yet, every day I spent in the Holy Land was a day that leaves so many memories and lasting impressions.  Even our last day to be in the land, was as memorable as any day before.   We had previously met a new friend who offered himself, and his car, to guide us to a few remaining sites that had to been seen.

Early Wednesday morning we went to the Dead Sea valley, to the ancient fortress of Masada.  Masada is to the Israeli, what Gettysburg was to the Union.  Not so much a military victory, but a place of reverent vow.  As Lincoln swore at Gettysburg, "these dead shall not have died in vain," so the Israeli soldier vows, "Masada shall not fall again."

 

If one wonders what Israel will do about their threatening enemies, just reflect upon their history. From the first Diaspora, at the hands Assyrians in 722 BC, to the Nazi holocaust of the twenty century, the Israeli has resolved to never be a victimized again.  They will be free, even if the cost of freedom requires they choose the place of their death.  Some of us Americans believe the principals of one of our heroes, Patrick Henry, "give me liberty, or give me death."

From Masada we hiked back into David's stronghold called En-gedi.  Only a benevolent God could give to David such an unbelievable sanctuary in the deadly land of the Judean wilderness.  I would never believe the harsh dessert could harbor such a haven of life and safety.   As God sustained David in that inhospitable place, so the same God will sustain Israel for His purpose.

From En--gedi went into the Jordan River valley and into the muddy, slow waters where John the Baptist baptized Jesus the Christ.  Standing in the water, we were no more than twenty feet from the country of Jordan to the west.  Going east of the Jordan, we visited the Palestinian city of Jericho where we had our noon meal. 

 The highlight of the day for me was not the land, nor the water, but the people.  For instance, there at the Jordan River, in that 100 plus degree heat, sat two young Israeli men guarding their border.  I felt bad for them, dressed in full battle fatigues with their weapons and helmets, waiting day after day for that next move.  When we came to the river and inquired if it was permitted that we enter the water, they said we were welcome to enter the area constructed for such purpose. 

After some pictures and quiet introspection, we returned to the car.   Stopping at the guards we made some small talk.  In the conversation, one of them inquired why Christians 'dunk" their faithful under the water.  It opened the door to 15 minutes of personal conversation with the men.  They asked of the Christian faith, and why we cared about them.  The men were sincerely inquisitive and even if they disagreed with our beliefs they seemed impressed that we were so passionate about a book written by their prophets that concerns their God.

We encouraged these men to consider that their Messiah had already come.  They understood who we were speaking of and thanked us for the gospel tracts we left them to read.   While were walking away one of our group said, "Wouldn't it be awesome if we see these men again, but as believers in the Jesus the Messiah."  Indeed it would.

Caught in the Current

Last Friday we had intentions of traveling to Bethlehem, the city of the Jesus' birth.  We had entered into the old city at the Jaffa gate, and needed to pass through, then exit at the Damascus gate where the bus station sat nearby.  The bus station to Bethlehem, sits near where the road from Damascus joins to the road from Jericho.  Remember this point it has certain Biblical significance.

The time was around 5:15 as we moved from the Christian quarter into the Muslim quarter.  The streets in these areas are more like large sidewalks maybe only 15 feet wide, lined with shops and cafes, all selling their wares to tourists or locals.  We walked through winding streets making lefts then rights, up stairs and down, till we came to a crossroad that was congested with people. 

We walked right into a human traffic jam and to our right people jamming toward us.  Men and women began to pack around us, to the front, to the sides, and to our rear.  We could barley move forward and to move back would have been difficult.  We realized the mosque of the old city had just let out, and hundreds of Muslim men and women were all intending to exit the Damascus gate.

Slowly we all moved toward the Damascus gate.  The road had widened to about twenty feet and we were solid, all as one current flowing together on to the gate.  Later, our guides Peter and Betsy said, they had never been in such a large crowd in the old city.  It was concerning because it was not just a crowd, but a crowd of Muslims leaving their quarter, and we were obviously standing out among them. 

It was Friday nearly sunset, the beginning of Sabbath, and the fifth day of the Muslim holiday Ramadan, where the Muslims fast from all food and water for the entire day till sunset.  Friends, to go without food and water all day in this climate is a challenge to the human flesh and will affect the temperament of an individual.  Plus during this season they are praying to Allah and asking for visions, so who knows what they are seeing and hearing in the mosque.

With no choice we flowed with the current, drifting out the Damascus gate, into the streets of Jerusalem, to the station  nearby.  When we arrived, we sadly discovered we were not welcome on the bus, for they were being filled with the Muslims hurrying home to end the day's fast. 

While our guide spoke to locals about alternative routes, I looked through the bus lot just 50 yards away, and saw the rocky faced cliff called in the Hebrew Golgotha, or Calvary.  There it was, I could have walked across the pavement, climbed the 3 foot rail and touched it!  Strangely there it sits, at the edge of the dirty hot pavement.  Just outside the station were buses and cars in gridlock with angry drivers blowing their horns.  The sidewalks were full of pedestrians while the vendors yelled out their specials.  The busy place of Calvary, shoppers buying, merchants selling, travelers pushing, and we, standing in the middle.

It occurred to me it was Friday.  Jesus was crucified the day before a Sabbath, and during a Jewish holiday.  On that day and in perhaps the same general area Simon of Cyrene was caught in all the chaos and forced to walk to Calvary.  Carrying the cross of Jesus he stood there and watched him die. In my mind, I can see the shoppers buying, merchants selling, travelers pushing, and Jesus paying the price for my sin, and Simon's.  (Mark 15)

Hezekiah's Ingenuity

Twenty years ago I listened to a college professor speak of his trip to Israel.  I vividly remember him describing his hike through the Hezekiah tunnel.  How fascinating it sounded hearing him describe this tunnel, walking through by candle light, and wading in the water.

One evening our guide, Peter asked if there was anything specific we wanted to do.  I asked if the tunnel was still open.  He said it was and we could go.  Wow, after twenty years I would walk through that same passage I heard described. 

That tunnel was constructed 2700 years ago, to provide a secure source of fresh water for Jerusalem.  During the prophet Isaiah, and king Hezekiah, Jewish engineers designed a plan to bore from the Gihon springs, to Soloam pool. With two different crews beginning at the two opposite ends simultaneously they dug till they met in the middle.  Click the wiki link below for more info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezekiah%27s_Tunnel

What a task, and the tool marks are still present within the side of the rock! Spring water still flows and the walls look as sound as ever.  Many parallels can be drawn to life, but one that I heard from our group was how busy Israel was preparing their defenses.  Even though they needed God to deliver them, they still did their responsibility, and dug. 

Hence I am reminded that it is my job to be faithful in prayer and watching, but also exercise the ingenuity God grants.  While at the same time relying on the power of God to do only what the Almighty can do.  It is God's job to do His part, my job to do my part, and the Spirit of wisdom to know the difference. 

Kind of a new Serenity Prayer.

God grant me the strength to do what I should do;

The faith to wait for you to do what you should do;

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Being a Blessing = Receiving a Blessing

I want to go back to our time in the public park, where we were hoping to be a blessing to the Israeli people.  Have you every given yourself over to serve another in hope of being a blessing?  Only to realize later that you had been blessed even more? 

That was the expeirence in the park.  A Jewish woman, wanting to bless us.  She was offering to us a blessing because with love and patience we were telling her we believe the messiah had come, and His name is Yeshua.  We were in the park that night to be a blessing to the people of Israel, by singing their Psalms, serve them refreshments, and pray for their needs.  Most the people we met were thankful, even if they did not accept our testimony of Yeshua being their messiah.

However, one particular Israeli women really began to question who we were, and why we were doing this service.  She questioned our motive, and closely listened to our beliefs.  We spoke of how we believed Israel is God's chosen people, how we love, and pray for Israel.  We shared we loved the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, and were following her God through faith in Yeshua.  We told her we wanted all Israel to see that Yeshua is still their messiah.

Throughout the conversation she reacted somewhat skeptically, and would counter our statements with her doubts.  Now, she was never rude, or mean, just firm.  Yet, I thought it strange that she did not disengage from the conversation, but kept asking us more of our beliefs.

When it seemed as though the visit may be waining down, I asked her if there was one thing I could lift up in prayer.  At first she gave a general, "pray for peace" response, but I pressed her for something personal.  Something just for her. 

She stood there and just smiled, so I said, "You believe God answers prayer don't you? You believe God will help us when we pray? Surely you have something we should pray about? Or do you not pray at all?"

For a moment, she stood looking at us, then, with a big smile said, "I have to be honest with you,  I'm Messianic."  Messianic is a common term for a Jew who believes Jesus is the messiah.  Instantly the conversation became joyous, as if we had just been reunited with a long lost relative.  She apologized for not telling us sooner, but went on to explain that she has suffered persecution, and continues to live in fear of the reprisals if her superiors find that she believes in Yeshua.

Space here will not allow me to go on, but she looked at us before we parted, and said, "I want to give to both of you a blessing.  I want to bless you for what you are doing, and how you are doing it.  We Israelis can be as the sabra, hard on the outside, but soft on the inside.  So don't give up on us.  Keep sharing Yeshua in such a way that it makes us Israelis jealous."  Romans 11:11

(The posted pics are of the sabra fruit and Israelis)

Jerusalem, Off the Beaten Path

Wednesday evening our group was in a local park engaged in open air evangelism, well, not actually, for such seems to be illegal in Israel.  To correct myself, we were in a public park to be a blessing to the Israeli and studying the personal belief system of the people.  There, hopefully that will keep me from being escorted from the country.

During that evening, one of our guides said to me with a smile, "Toby, this is not your typical tour."  I replied, "You know, I've been thinking of titling this entire experience, 'Jerusalem, off the Beaten Path.'"  This trip covers more than Jerusalem. 

Last Tuesday for instance, we left Jerusalem and drove through the Eastern Mountains to descend into the Dead Sea valley.  When I say descend, I mean descend, for the elevation changes from above 3000 feet sea level to blow 1500 feet sea level.  

Pictures cannot justify the harsh elements of the lowest ground upon the earth.  Neither can my words describe the hot air, and the ever burning sun.  Yet in this harsh land people have lived and even thrived for thousands of years. 

One of our destinations in the area was the Qumran community, the land of the ancient Essenes.  The Essenes were a radical group of Jewish extremists who separated themselves for rigorous devotion and communal living.  Read the wiki link below to learn more of the Qumran community.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qumran

Their significance to modern Biblical archeology among many things is the collection of scrolls called the Dead Sea Scrolls.  Hastily hidden in a cave before the Romans attacked in 68 AD, these cave where discovered by local goat herders back in the 1940's.  The discoveries of these many writings included an entire copy of the book of Isaiah, dated to 200 years before Christ.  This discovery gives extremely strong evidence to the authenticity of the scriptures.

In other words, the book of Isaiah is today, as it was 200 years before Christ and the same extreme devotion that has kept one book accurate, can be repeated for the entire text we call the Bible.

One of our group mentioned his own reflection from Psalm 12:6-7.  Just that very morning he had been reading the Psalm and for the first time it dawned upon him the fact that it is God who has preserved His word.  Whether by the Essenes, or the simple faithful, God has kept His Word for us to know Him. 

Jesus said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." Luke 21:33

Hosanna

This previous Monday, we were on course to see the southern temple mount.  With a little after thought we realized we could easily access the temple mount for a quick view of the land where Solomon's Temple once stood, and where the Dome of the Rock currently stands. 

This is a piece of ground that can be walked from one corner to the other in less than five minutes yet, this piece of elevated earth has the potential to start a war that could involve entire nations.  Even now as I write this I sit in view of the western wall while to my left are at least 20 armed security men and women, each with a loaded weapon prepared to keep the peace.

Back to Monday, as we were walking toward the Temple Mount we came near a gate called the Dung Gate.  This is the closest Western Wall entry from a large street that serves as a common drop point for buses.  One Mondays, local Jewish boys are brought to the wall in celebration of their bar-mitzvahs.  The bar mitzvah is a special time in the life of the Jewish family and therefore cause for great celebration. 

Here entire families and friends come together by bus with their rabbi and synagogue cantor.  Together they all parade through the Dung gate and to the Western Wall.  When I say "parade," I am not exaggerating!  Drums, cymbals, horns, and banners, they group walks along with the young man.  With the boy up front, family and friends are directly behind singing and clapping.  The atmosphere is festive, and one would think a warm hero has returned from battle to be decorated.  

We stood above, on an elevated walkway, to watch the passing parade.  The group would periodically stop, join hands with the young man, and dance in a circle.  I pulled my camera to take video and drew their attention.  With pride some waved at the camera, smiled, and sang even louder.

Instantly my mind was filled with the event traditionally called the Triumphal Entry, also called, Palm Sunday.  The time when Jesus entered the City of Jerusalem to present himself as Messiah.  Great multitudes grabbed palm branches and waved them into the air.  Others took their coats off and laid them upon the ground to create a walk for the coming King of Jews.  (Luke 19:28-40)

My eyes filled with tears as I thought of that day, to see Jesus walk into the city.  How I look forward to seeing Him come again, the second time to rule as the King of Kings.

Walking away from the event we were stopped by local beggar who said in broken English, "when Messiah come he will make all things right," one of our group turned to him and said, "Messiah has come, it is Yeshua, and Yeshua is coming again."

 

"Even so, come Lord Jesus come." (Rev. 22:20)

He Is Not Here

If my first post seemed rather negative, please don't be too hard on me.  Neither turn your back on the city of Jerusalem, for this is a major city, and every city has its problems.  For a second impression I hope you'll be more pleased to hear the delightful aspects of this region that can only be found here.

It is hard to comprehend a city with at least 4000 years of human civilization.  An area that has seen more war and conquest than I can keep up with.  In  all the war and changing of culture, comes era after era of building up and tarring down.  What one king or people erected, another tore down. 

Entire valleys have been backfilled with as much as 100 feet or more of fill, so that to reach an actual "street that Jesus walked," could require an excavation several stories below the current ground level.  Everywhere one looks there is significant history.  Many times that history has been built upon the ruins of previous history, and that upon the ruins of, who knows how much previous history.  Trying to keep it all straight makes my brain ache!

There is however, one period of archeology that uncovered the possible location of Calvary.  The place where Jesus the Christ would have been crucified.  This place is refereed to as 

Gordon's Calvary, named after Charles Gordon, who researched the sight back in 1883.  

It is indeed an impressive place.  So many indicators point to the possibility that this is the very place where Jesus of Nazareth died.  At the bottom of this article is the wiki link with pics and history that would be worth your time to read.  On the edge of the rocky outcrop, that resembles a skull, is "a garden, and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein never man was yet laid." (John 19:41)

Incredible,  that was the experience.  The place really puts color into my pencil sketch of what the area looked like where Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection occurred.  We had the pleasure of not only an excellently guided tour by a fellow believer in Christ, but we also had the honor of sharing in the Lord's Supper under the shade of the garden, between Calvary and the Garden Tomb.  How humbled I was, when the group asked me to serve the bread and wine of the Lord's memorial.  Even as I write this, I look through blurry eyes from the tears I work to hold back.  Oh, to eat that supper one day, with our Lord in the Father's kingdom!

Most impressive though about the day, is not what we found, but what we did not find.  If you come to Jerusalem to find Jesus the Christ, you will be disappointed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_Tomb