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Today
was a day of continuing to learn of Israel’s rich history, seeing how well our
God has preserved His people and His Word, and being able to enjoy one of the
wonders of the world! We began the day by going to Masada. This was
an incredible experience for all of us. Herod the Great built
palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BC. After
Christ’s time, this was the last place that the Romans sought to take over
after they conquered Jerusalem and burned the city in 70 A.D. The
Roman siege of Masada is often revered in modern Israel as a symbol of Jewish
heroism. Masada became a symbol for a heroic 'last stand' for the State of
Israel and played a major role for Israel in forging a national identity. To
Israel, it symbolized the courage of the warriors of Masada, the strength they
showed when they were able to hold of Masada for almost three years, and their
choice of death over slavery for them and their children in their struggle against
an aggressive empire. Masada also became an important site of military
ceremonies. When you come to Masada, there are two ways to get up to
the top – walk up the steep and challenging 1.5 mile “Snake Path,” or take a
cable car to the top. There were a few of us that decided that we
would hike/run up to the top of Masada, with the challenge that we would need
to beat the cable car to the crest of the mountain. And…that is what
we did! It was a great time! Right before leaving Masada,
we were taken to a place where the scrolls of Ezekiel were preserved and hidden
away from the Romans. This spoke volumes to all of us as we saw how
the people of Israel valued the Scriptures above their very lives.
After
leaving Masada, we traveled to the Ahava Shop by the Dead Sea. The
minerals that are found in the Dead Sea are taken into these laboratories and
fashioned into a skin care product that is shipped all over the world. Then,
after spending our time and some of our money, we went to Jericho for lunch.
Our
next stop was to see Ein Gedi, the place where David and his men hid from Saul
in the caves in 1 Samuel 24. Pastor Ferrell read the passage and
Boaz explained to us the significance of this place. This was a time
of unimaginable fear and doubt in David’s life, as it would be for us. And
yet, we certainly find ourselves in similar situations where we too are tempted
to question God’s unchanging character in light of our circumstances. In
Psalm 57, David expresses the fear that he was facing and his trust in God’s
faithfulness. In flight from Saul, and about to spend a night as a
fugitive, the cave looms above him, but he sees it as the outspread wings of
his God. Because of this, the opening cry of prayer turns into a concluding cry
of praise! What is important to David is not that he should be delivered, but
that God should be exalted in glory.
After
we left Ein Gedi, we spent the rest of the afternoon on the Dead Sea, Israel’s
“8th wonder of the world.” Even if you can’t swim, it is
impossible to sink! As soon as you fall back into the water, you immediately
float up due to the minerals in the water. We had a great time!
Tomorrow
we will get to tour the Old City of Jerusalem. We will be walking up
the Mount of Olives, viewing the Eastern Gate, touring Bethlehem, and the
Garden of Gethsemane. It will be a full day! We
anticipate God meeting with us in a special way as we walk through His Word.
Pastor
Stephen
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