Israel, Redux

Masada was one of the bleakest places I have ever seen. Nothing much grows in the Dead Sea region, unless it is artificially irrigated. On top of Masada, there was not a single tree, or flower. The only vegetation in sight was a clump or two of dry grass.

But this bird was there. Bold and bright eyed, he perched on a railing of the Masada ruins, checking out all the thirsty tourists. How on earth does this bird survive in this dessert? I was baffled, but the bird seemed completely unconcerned.

I thought I had left my Israel posts behind me. I thought I was done. But yesterday I helped teach the 4 year olds in Sunday school. The lesson was taken from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus tells the people not to worry about what they will eat or drink, "Look at the birds of the air," He tells them, "they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they?" (Matthew 6:26) Mrs. Sylvia simplified it a bit for the children. "God cares for the birds," she told them, "They do not worry about what they will eat. And God cares for you, too. He will take care of your needs."

As I was listening to Mrs. Sylvia teach the children, my mind kept coming back to this picture of the bird at Masada. Sure, it's easy to see how God cares for the birds of Florida. We have bugs the size of mini-vans flying around, and worms practically jump from the ground every morning. But that bird at Masada was living in, from all appearances, a completely barren wasteland devoid of all life. Except it wasn't devoid of all life. Obviously, the bird survived, so there must have been a food source for him somewhere. God was providing sustenance for that bird, even in that harsh environment.

Can I take to heart the simple lesson we were trying to teach a group of 4 year olds? I saw with my own eyes a bird who was not worried. Should I be worried? Financially, things have been pretty bleak in this country lately. Maybe not Dead Sea bleak, but it's been tough for a lot of people. It's hard not to worry. But the next time a worry tries to take hold in my mind, I will remember the Masada bird, and believe that God values me as much as the birds of the air. He will take care of me.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Musings from Israel, part Eight

Cornerstones and Capstones

Israel is a great place to look at ancient architecture. Because each subsequent civilization built directly on top of the ruins of the old, Israel is an archeologist's dream come true. In Jerusalem, the "Old City" is built on top of an even older city, and we had the privilege of exploring some of those older sections. I snapped the following picture of two arches in one of these "older" areas, underneath the Jewish quarter of the Old City. Yoni brought our attention to the top stone of the arch, called the cap stone. The cap stone is the most important stone in the arch. Without it, the entire arch would collapse.



In another section of Jerusalem, just oustide the walls of the Old City, we visited the Southern Wall excavation area. Here, we saw Herodian era pavement and walls. Herod's builders would use enormous blocks of stone, like the one in the picture below, and cut them so straight and true that no mortar was necessary when the walls were constructed.



Either of these pictures could illustrate the Messianic Psalm 118:22, depending on which translation you use.
"The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone." NKJV
"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone." NIV

In Acts 4:10-12, Peter confirmed that the cornerstone or capstone referred to none other than Jesus. In all my previous Bible study, I had always read the "cornerstone" translation, and imagined Jesus as a weighty foundation stone, like in the Herodian wall, cut so straight and true that anything laid upon that foundation would stand strong.

But Yoni offered us an alternate picture of Christ as the central capstone in the arch of our faith. He is the central, most important element of our salvation, and without Him, all would crumble.

Both metaphors work very well, I think, and that is one of the greatest things about studying the Bible. Just like in Israel, where you can peel back layer upon layer of archeology; when you study God's Word, you can uncover layers of meaning the deeper you dig.

Musings from Israel, part seven

The Valley of the Shadow of Death

Before we arrived in Jerusalem, our bus pulled over to the side of a hill, and Yoni led us up the hill for a view of this vast, bleak valley. It seems as if nothing could live in this cruel, punishing landscape. But this place is rich in Biblical history. This is the wilderness of David. This is where Elijah was fed by ravens. The Good Samaritan story featured this area. Jesus' temptation likely took place here as well. It was wilderness thousands of years ago, and wilderness it remains, a stunning visual of deprivation and hopelessness.

And yet, the prophet Hosea called this the "Door of Hope" in Hosea 2:15. "I will give her her vineyards from there. And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt." When the Israelites came up from Egypt, they were promised a land "flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8). And the land delivers on that promise, in many areas. But this valley hardly seems to offer any promise of milk and honey, so why would IT be called the door of hope? It looks so hopeless!

According to Yoni, the answer is found in Isaiah 45. I won't type it all out here, but within that chapter, repeated over and over, are the words, "I am the Lord, and there is no other."

"I am the Lord, and there is no other."

"I am the Lord, and there is no other."

This valley is called "the door of hope," not for what the land contains, but for WHO made the promise. The valley of the shadow of death need not inspire fear, when we know Who is with us.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil; for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Musings from Israel, Part Six

A Good Eye

As we explored the ruins of Korazim, we saw this stone seat inside what was once the synagogue. Yoni explained to us that this is a "Seat of Moses." The rabbis would sit in these seats of honor inside the synagogue to teach the people the laws and to settle disputes. Jesus referenced this seat in Matthew 23:1-3, "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples: 'The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.'" For the rest of Matthew 23, Jesus harshly criticized the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. What I find interesting is that the religious leaders were teaching the truth of God to the people, even though they were not living it out in their own lives. They had the knowlege of the truth in their heads, but it had not penetrated their hearts.

Previously in Matthew's gospel, Jesus had followed up another condemnation of hypocrisy with these sayings:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where theives break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destoys and where theives do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Matthew 6:19-23 NKJV

The first part of this passage is very familiar to us, but the second part is not quoted as often. The concept of the "good eye/bad eye" does not make much sense to us, because it is a Hebrew idiom. A person with "good eye" is not a person with keen eyesight, but a generous person. Proverbs 22:9 gives a little more context, "He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor."

So how do we show that we have internalized the truth of God in our hearts? That we are not just hypocrites like the Pharisees? How do we lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven?

By having a good eye - a generous heart.

Give to others.

Musings from Israel, Part Five

Oy!

One of the many ruins we visited in Israel was Korazim (or Chorazin...place names in Israel seem to have many different spellings). This was one of the cities Jesus rebuked for unbelief in Matthew 11:21-22. Jesus exclaimed, "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you."

Yoni explained to us that Jesus used the word, "Oy" at the beginning of this exclamation. When we translate that into English as the dour, "Woe to you," it seems as if Jesus was angrily laying a curse on these cities. But the word "oy" is more of a lament. The prophet Isaiah uses the same word in Isaiah 6:5, "Woe to me, for I am undone!" Jesus was lamenting the unbelief of these cities, Korazim, Bethsaida, and, later in the same chapter, Capernaum. These three cities were all in the Galilee region where He preached and performed numerous miracles. Jesus went on to predict the coming judgement on these cities for continuing in their unbelief, but it was by no means an angry, vengeful Christ calling down fire and brimstone upon the people of the Galilee. It was with a lament (Oy!) and a call to repentance that Jesus predicted the future judgement upon those who continued to reject Him.

At the end of His speech, Jesus reminded the people of His love and mercy. He offered hope and a second chance to all, as He still does today.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me,

for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

Musings from Israel, Part Four

Of Olive Trees and Tassels

Another theme that we discussed throughout our tour of Israel was the concept of the grafted branch. In Romans 11, the apostle Paul explains this metaphor this way: the "cultivated" olive tree is Israel. The "wild" olive trees are the Gentiles. Some of the branches of the cultivated tree were broken off, because of unbelief. The Gentile believers were cut from the wild olive trees and grafted into the cultivated tree (11:17). Paul exhorts the Gentile believers in Rome not to "boast against" the Jewish branches (11:18), and he looks forward to the day when Jews and Gentiles will unite together in Christ (11:26-27).


Isaiah 2:2 gives us a picture of this, "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations (goyim, gentiles) shall flow to it."

Another interesting prophecy by Zechariah reminded us of the tassels we had dicussed earlier: "The LORD of Hosts says this: 'In those days, ten men from nations of every language will grab the robe of a Jewish man tightly, urging: Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'" Some English versions translate "robe" as "sleeve." Others, "hem" or "skirt." I do not think it is a stretch to believe that Zechariah's prophecy is of Gentiles from every nation grabbing hold of the tassel of one Jewish man, believing that God is with Him. And of course, I believe that one Jewish man was Jesus of Nazareth.

Musings from Israel, part Three

Wings

In the area of Capernaum, as we sat by the Sea of Galilee, Yoni related to us a familiar gospel story, with a Jewish twist that I had never before considered. Holding up a tallit, a traditional undergament worn by orthodox Jews, in Jesus' day as well as today, Yoni explained that the corner of the tallit, where a tassel or fringe hangs down, is called the "wing" of the garment. Several days later, in Jerusalem, I snapped the following picture of an orthodox man, where you can see his tassel hanging down beneath his jacket.

The story Yoni told us is found in Mark 5:25-34, and it is the story of a woman who suffered from an affliction, a flow of blood, and wanted only to touch Jesus' garment as He passed by in a crowd. She succeeded in touching His garment, and felt immediately that she had been healed. Of course, Jesus knew what had happened; and a somewhat amusing exhcange with His disciples followed, wherein Jesus demanded to know who touched Him, and the incredulous disciples looked around at the huge throng of people pressing in on all sides, and back at Jesus as if to say, "What on earth are you talking about?" But Jesus knew exactly who touched Him, and He knew exactly why. When the woman came forward and told her story, Jesus commended her on her faith.

Obviously, a Jewish woman who believed Jesus to be the Messiah, would have faith that He had the ability to heal her, but why did she believe that merely touching His garment would be enough? To answer that question, we look to Malachi 4:2, "The Sun of Righteousness shall arrive with healing in his wings." I've heard that verse many times, and, with my Western mind, always assumed the wings were like angels' wings or birds' wings. But to the afflicted Jewish woman, the Messiah would be a Jewish man, wearing a Jewish tallit, and she knew there would be healing in His wings.

Be merciful to me, O God,

Be merciful to me!

For my soul trusts in You;

And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,

Until these calamities have passed by.

Psalm 57:1

Musings from Israel, part two

Rock of Ages

Exodus 17:6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.

This strange account may seem like nonsense, but it is the perfect combination of two important metaphors: the water and the rock.

In our journey through Israel, after we discussed the significance of water, we turned our focus to rocks. We visited Banias, a.k.a. Ceasarea Phillippi, where a large cave opens in a towering cliff face. In ancient times, a spring gushed out from this cave, and it was known as "the Gates of Hades." It was here in this area where Peter declared the diety of Jesus, and Jesus responded, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:17-18)


While there is some debate over whether Jesus meant Himself or Peter when He refered to "this rock," there is no doubt that Jesus is THE rock of our salvation (1 Cor. 10: 4 - "that Rock was Christ.")


So back to the Exodus passage....the picture becomes crystal clear! Just as Moses struck the rock in Horeb and the water flowed out to meet the needs of the people, so too Jesus (the Rock) was struck (crucified) to provide living water for His people.


It is both simple and profound.

Hear my cry, O God.

Attend to my prayer.

From the end of the earth,

I will cry to You.

When my heart is overwhelmed,

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psalm 61:1-2

Musings from Israel, part One

(Earlier this year, I had the amazing privilege of attending a study tour in Israel, with our pastor, David Tarkington, and a wonderful group of people from my church. Our guide, Yoni Gerrish, helped us tour the country, and brought scripture to life for us for 10 days.

This is the first of a series of posts which are inspired by my trip to Israel.)

An Ever Flowing Stream

Jeremiah 17:7-8 Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yeilding fruit.
In the northern part of Israel, we toured the Tel Dan Nature Reserve. The springs of the Dan are the source for the Jordan River (Jor-"Dan"). This was a breathtakingly beautiful area, with rushing streams and waterfalls, and we paused to consider a few verses. In the Jeremiah passage above, the LORD is symbolically represented by the river, the waters. In another passage, Isaiah 58:11, we read, "The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."

Yoni told us that the upper spring in Dan never stops flowing. As we see from Isaiah 58:11, God is our ever-flowing stream. And if we read John 7: 37-38, we see the words of Jesus, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

Obviously, water is a very important spiritual metaphor. Physical water brings physical life - the flowers bloom, the trees bear fruit. And spiritual water brings spiritual life, not just a little bit, but an abundance..."rivers of living water." With God as our source, our ever-flowing stream, our spiritual life should be one of abundance and continuous growth.

After the Nature Reserve, we visited the Hermon Stream Waterfall. This gorgeous waterfall is referenced in Psalm 42, which also employs the water metaphor.

As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?...

O My God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, and from the heights of Hermon, from the Hill Mizar. Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and billows have gone over me.

Psalm 42:1-2, 6-7