In 2013 Iona and I embarked on one of the most amazing adventures of our lives – we went to Israel! What an adventure it was! We went with a group of pastors and wives, and it was organized by Christian Journeys out of North Bay Ontario. I highly recommend them to anyone that would be interested in walking the paths of the Holy Land. Our guide was a man that had over 30 experience and he filled us in with geographical, Biblical, and even theological background information. It was a journey that I will probably remember for the rest of my life.
We flew from Toronto to Tel Aviv. We boarded a bus that took us to our first destination – the Dead Sea. As we approached our destination, we saw signs by the side of the road that told us how far below sea level we were. That figure was around 400 metres or 1300 feet below sea level when we reached the Dead Sea It is called the Dead Sea because it sustains virtually no life at all. It is fed by the Jordan River that first goes through the Sea of Galilee, which has sustained a thriving fishing industry for centuries. If the Sea of Galilee is so full of life, why is the Dead Sea so dead? The answer is quite simple – there is no outlet from the Dead Sea. The water accumulates there and then begins to evaporate leaving behind all its minerals and salts, making it the saltiest body of water in the world – nearly ten times saltier than water in our oceans. Nothing but a few crustaceans can live in it. Because of its salinity, it is very easy to float in it, unless of course you are as dense as I am. No matter what I did, my legs kept sinking into the water and dragging the rest of me with them.
There is an interesting preaching point to be made here. Every follower of Jesus Christ has been given the Holy Spirit and through that same Spirit we have been gifts that are to be used to build up the church. If we don’t use our gifts, we can become like the Dead Sea and begin to stagnate and die spiritually. Not a very attractive thought.
I had a hot mud wrap. I was covered with heated Dead Sea mud and then wrapped in saran wrap. Apparently, this is supposed to be very healthy. Couldn’t prove it by me. On our way to the Dead Sea, we stopped at the Elah Valley, site of the little skirmish between David and Goliath. Standing in the valley, we saw the hills where the Israelite and Philistine armies camped. Where Goliath came out daily to taunt and challenge the soldiers of King Saul’s army. We saw the dried riverbed where David would have picked up his five smooth stones for his historical confrontation with his giant opponent. The wadi was covered with smooth stones, no doubt a lot like the ones David had picked up. We were told we could pick up a stone to take home with us, not use as ammunition for our slings.
We soon arrived at the ancient city of Jericho and from there went to the Jordan River where it is believed Jesus had been baptized by John the Baptist. I wonder how many times Jesus had been baptized because there are so many spots that are touted as the site where His baptism took place. As we stood by the banks of that muddy river, we saw pilgrims walking into the water. We could also see across the river to the country of Jordan. We saw a young Jordanian soldier sitting on a bench with an automatic weapon across his lap. Throughout our journey I saw many young Israeli armed soldiers. At that time, every young person was forced to serve a term in the Israeli army. Men had to put in three years, while women only two.
We came across an archaeological dig where an ancient synagogue was being excavated. We saw the intricate mosaic tile designs on the floor. At the front of the synagogue was a stone bench that was called the Seat of Moses. It was there that travelling rabbis would sit when they taught. As I looked at that old synagogue, I was reminded of Jesus’ first recorded sermon in Nazareth. Luke gives us this description. Luke 4:18-20 (NLT) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently.” After the reading from Isaiah, Jesus took the posture of a rabbinic teacher and He sat. today, our preachers stand, while in ancient Israel, the preachers sat.
As I walked the paths that Jesus had once walked, I was continuing to learn how to keep the Son in my eyes.
AMEN.