Monday, Oct 5 Day 2 Preparation Period & Ministry Foundations (HOUSING @ GLORIA)
- Herodium
- Jordan River
- Dead Sea swim at Kalia Beach
- Walk Wadi Qelt – From St George Monastery to New Testament Jericho
- New Testament Jericho
This morning we were up early and had breakfast. We had to be on the bus by 7:30 instead of 8:00 am because we have a full day with a lot of travel planned.
Bus ride to Herodium
On our way to Herodium, Andrey our tour guide told us about the three territories in Israel. Territory A is only for Arabs – Israeli citizens are not allowed to enter. Territory B is for both Arabs and Israeli and Territory C is for Israeli only. On our way to Herodium we traveled into A territory on a B territory road. As you drive you can tell the difference between the Arab communities and the Israeli settlements first by the roofs. Israeli settlements have a strong European influence thus their roofs are typical pitch. Arab houses have flat roofs. Also, the Israeli settlements are fortified with fences and high security. It felt as though we were entering a 3rd world country – you could just feel the oppression. I will say I felt no fear, only peace as I recognized the danger of entering Palestinian territory. After all, these are people who chant “Death to America” and have a common goal of wiping Israel off the face of the earth. Now, it was reassuring to realize that even though the the Arab Palestinian area is occupied by the Arab’s – it is still ultimately controlled by the Israeli government. The Arabs and a large portion of the world see this exactly the opposite. They say that Israel is occupying Palestinian territory in the West Bank.
Herodium
The Bible does not mention Herodium however, it was located in a very unique place and was built by Herod the Great. In 40 B.C., Herod barely escaped from Palestine. The combined forces of the Jews and the Parthians had closed in on him as they supported a Jewish Hasmonean contender for the throne, Mattathias Antigonus. However, Herod managed to defeat this coalition and escape to Rome. Once the Roman Senate conferred the kingship of Palestine on Herod, he returned and made plans to build a palace and a fortress on the site of his great victory. The building of this very unusual fortress, began in 24 B.C., was completed in 15 B.C. Herod was buried here and his grave was discovered in 2007.
As you stand on top of the Herodium you will have an unobstructed 360 degree view: east toward Moab in Transjordan, from where Naomi and Ruth came to Bethlehem; south toward Tekoa where the prophet Amos was born and was a shepherd; west toward Bethlehem; and north toward Jerusalem. Below this fortress is the subtle transition from the desert to the cultivated area where shepherds lead their flocks from place to place, depending on the time of year. It was in the shadow of this fortress the Prince of Peace was born.
This place offered me an opportunity to reflect on all of the great places of the Bible as I looked at them. A place to imagine the unique aspect of God’s decision to reveal His Glory right here from a vantage point where I could see it all. I took a picture of a rock I took from this location as a memory stone. I put it on my Bible on the book of Amos and took another picture.
The Jordan River
We drove from Herodium back around Jerusalem to the north side of the Mount of Olives and then east toward the Jordan River. It was here that I began to understand why the Bible is always describing “going up to Jerusalem” no matter what direction you are coming from. Because it is on top of a mountain! Ears popping as we drove below sea level, you could see dramatic and fast changes in the landscape. Desolate desert region scattered with nomads. As we approached the Jordan we entered a military zone. That is a zone about a half mile wide that skirts the whole Jordan river area called the West Bank. Once you cross over the zone you enter no mans land and you are not allowed to take pictures. Then, all at once we park and walk to the river. This was the most Holy moment I have ever experienced. The reality of Jesus being baptized right here. The Heaven’s being torn open right here. God’s audible voice being heard right here. The Holy Spirit manifested in the form of a dove right here. The idea of Jesus’ public ministry starting right here. All of these thoughts flooded my mind and I was overcome emotionally (privately). Pastor Tim Hatt and Jared Vanvorst climbed into the water and baptized (re-affirmed) Christine. I took photos and video of this. Then, I stepped into the greenish brown water and slowly cherished the moment. Finally, baptized in the Jordan. I intentionally imagined the Holy Spirit descending upon me and praised God for this privilege. After I was done and out of the water, I sat down and covered my head with a towel. I began to speak quietly in tongues. It was the purest I have ever spoke and I didn’t want to stop – 5 minutes or more as I realized that most Christians will never be afforded the favor I have and never experience this. Thank you Lord.
I collected a bottle of water from the river and took it with me along with a number of leaves and plants that spring forth from this Holy ground. I will treasure them for my entire life – God willing. I am so fortunate to have experienced this with Christine – a memory we will share for eternity.
Dead Sea
From the Jordan river we went to the Dead Sea. It is amazing to me how low the water level is as you can see it has receded long distances and the water level appears to have dropped at least 30 feet from where it once was. We went down to the beach and floated on the water. What makes this so unique is the fact that the water contains 40% minerals as compared to 2.5% of the Atlantic Ocean. Of course we rubbed ourselves with the mud – I see Christine collected about 2 pounds to take home. You do not come this far and not float in the Dead Sea, however I probably wouldn’t do it again.
From the West side of the Dead Sea you can see the Mount Nebo. This is the Mountain that he ascended to view the Land of Israel, that he would never enter. He died and was buried there in an unknown valley.
Wadi Qelt – From St George Monastery to New Testament Jericho
The travel route of Jesus from Jerusalem to Jericho – one of the few places guaranteed that Jesus walked. This land is so hostile, the mountains are a real obstacle and thus this route is the only one Jesus would have traveled. Probably the coolest thing I have ever done – this is a 3 mile walk through the mountains of the Judean Wilderness. This location is famous for a number of reasons, one – this is the area that Jesus fasted forty days and was tempted. It is also the trail Mary and Joseph walked when they lost Jesus for 3 days. We had a Bedouin named mohamed follow us with his donkey on this journey. The Bedouins are “Desert Dwellers” and in this region Arabs. They capitalize on tourists by selling their wares – scarves, jewelry, water, juice, etc. Actually, they are very forceful in their approach. The tactic is to hand you something and if you take it they will not take it back. They demand money. For some, this is very uncomfortable as you might imagine. Anyway, Mahamoud wanted to lead our trip and of course would expect to be paid. Steve told him we didn’t need him but he came anyway. On one hand it was rather neat to see this young man and his donkey ride on very dangerous trails. On the other hand, he knew he would get paid and he did – 50 Shekels. As we came out of the mountains into Jericho there was a local there with his tractor. He had set up a table and had pressed fresh pomegranate and orange juice – you could buy for 5 Shekels. He had three very young boys with him who begged “Shekel?” They are trained pick-pockets and so Steve warned us to be careful. I sat down and played with them – gave one a quarter. I thought about how hard their lives must be and the Lord filled me with compassion.
It was the end of a long day and I was tired. After our walk, we met up with Christine and a few others who did not walk the trail. Christine has a fear of heights and would not have fared well – she had a very hard time just riding the bus to this location. We sat back and enjoyed the ride back while we listened to the song “Jerusalem”.
We came back to the hotel and had dinner. Shortly after that I started to feel horrible. I could not sleep – bad stomach pains and then fever. Cold, clammy, headache – just felt horrible. So, I skipped the Day 3 and instead slept most of the day. Below is the itinerary of what I missed. I am writing this post on Tuesday evening as I am just now getting my energy back.
Tuesday, Oct 6 Day 3 Museums (HOUSING @ GLORIA) (General modesty all day)
- Israel Museum scale model of Jerusalem and Dead Sea scrolls
- Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum)
- MINISTRY VISIT: Steven Khoury (Mount of Olives)
So, I will post about Day 4 tomorrow. As you can see, this is the itinerary of that day and I am excited.
Wednesday, Oct 7 Day 4 Old City and City of David (HOUSING @ GLORIA)
- Temple Mount (Muslim modesty in the morning)
- Pool of Bethesda
- Western Wall
- City of David-movie, Ruins, Warren’s shaft and shaft, Hezekiah’s tunnel (clothes & shoes that will get wet while walking through the tunnel in the afternoon. You WILL go back to hotel to change during lunch time)
- Western Wall tunnels (Night visit; All lit up and no water. No modesty)
Pursuing Breakthrough 