Israel 2012 Bible Tour Day 5

Jericho


2012 Israel Bible Tour Day 5 Part 1 from Charissa Robertson on Vimeo .

Jericho is the oldest city in the world, and is also the lowest in elevation in the world. When Abraham came to Jericho, it would have already been 7,000 years old. 

"Joshua 3:14-17
14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge,16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground." 

In the time of Joshua, and even now, the Jews are not water people, they do not go to rivers, lakes and the ocean for leisure. They most likely did not know how to swim, so approaching a river at flood stage would be very intimidating. My pastor preached a sermon on this a few weeks ago, where several places in the bible when God causes bodies of water to split and the ground to dry up its is never when the people are on the shore waiting for God to move. They always have to first get their feet wet and press on trusting that God will move. With just this information alone, I could end the blog and let you chew on this thought for a while, but we have more to cover.  Back in the day when Joshua was written, there were several cultures living in the land that is now known as Israel... hence why the Israelites had to roam the desert for 40 years because they were scared of the giants who inhabited the land. All of these cultures had their own gods that they worshiped. One being Baal who was the god of water and fertility. They believed that water was his sperm, because where there was an abundance of water, things grew. The inhabiting cultures also believed that gods were regional gods. So they believed in the God of Israel, but only as the desert god. So imagine you are one of the officials of the Fortified City of Jericho watching this group of potentially a million Jews approaching in the distance. You would probably feel secure because 1. the Jordan is at flood stage (Baal is protecting us), and their god can not leave the desert and 2. the wall around the city was built to be impenetrable, even if they did manage to get past the river some how. Now you might get a little worried when you see that the river has dried up and the desert people are walking across without any problems, but you still find security in the wall.

Lets take a step back and get more background from Joshua 2

"Rahab and the Spies
1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. 2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.”3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.” 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from.5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.)7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. 8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.12 Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death.” 14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.” 15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall.16 Now she had said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.” 17 The men said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house.19 If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him.20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.” 21 “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. 22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them.23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them.24 They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”"

Ok so did anyone else notice that these "holy" men of Israel went straight to the Prostitutes house? Many pagan cultures would have temple prostitutes, and it would be no surprise for traveling men to visit the prostitutes when they came through town to "worship", although the Israelite men conducted themselves differently and demonstrated to Jericho, Rahab and the world took notice. Because of her faith, she was saved for saving them using a scarlet chord in the window of her house which was part of the wall. Perhaps its part of God's sense of humor, but of the 4 women named in Jesus' genealogy, Rahab is one of them. But lets get back to the story of Jericho. I don't know about you but I have never physically encountered what Joshua encounters when approaching Jericho as described in Joshua 5:13-15 when I am approaching spiritual battles.

Joshua 5:13-15

 "13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so."

I may be a little freaked out if I ever came across a man in modern culture standing in front of me with a drawn weapon... be it a gun or a sword, but I am often reminded by God that I can do nothing by my own power, and that it is not I who am making an impact, but God making an impact in the world through me, I am just one of the many tools in his tool shed.

Joshua 6

 "Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. 2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.”
6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” 7 And he ordered the people, “Advance! March around the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.” 8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord's covenant followed them.9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding.10 But Joshua had commanded the people, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 11 So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the people returned to camp and spent the night there. 12 Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. 14 So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it.19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.” 20 When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city. 21 They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. 22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.
24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord's house.25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day. 26 At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: “At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates.” 27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land."

 When I was growing up reading about the story of Jericho and how the Israelite people marched around it for seven days and finally blew the trumpets and the walls fell, I imagined that it was a huge fortified city, equaling in size to the city I grew up in (Reno, Nevada) which would have taken quite a long time. However when we pulled up to the old city of Jericho and began our trek around it, it was not very big, we walked around its ruins once, and it took a little over 10 minutes. We walked the same path that the Israelite people would have walked each day, and the whole story of Jericho shows that the battle was the Lord's, not Joshua's. Just to awe and amaze you at this fact, here are some archaeological facts about the old city. When excavating the ruins of this city archaeologists found evidence that they believe the walls of the city were banked at a inward angle and when the walls fell they fell outward not inward and the retaining walls crumbled outward creating a ramp for the Israelites to gain easy access to the city. There is some fascinating information on this at  http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/cm/v21/n2/the-walls-of-jericho if you are interested in knowing more details about what the archaeologists found.

Ruins of old city Jericho

God says to leave the ruins where they are, and not to rebuild the city over the ruins. With the consequence being the death of all your children

Joshua 6:26 " 26 At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: “At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates."

When the Israelites came to Jericho, they had just finished wandering in the desert for 40 years, they owned the clothes on their backs and the livestock that survived in the desert, but they had no land or permanent homes. Imagine after wandering in the desert you not only reach, but concur this beautiful oasis. If this were me, I would be praising God for his provision in giving me a land of abundance. But God tells the Israelite people "no that is mine. I want you to show me, that you know who is giving it to you, and that you trust that I will give you the rest."... Wait... What?! If this was me, with my selfish entitled heart I would be mad! I would be arguing with God about how I worked so hard for it (by walking around the city and really doing nothing to take the city other than be at the right place when God moved). Isn't that how we react when our pastors preach on tithing? Well I earned this money... its mine! Why should I have to give God the first fruits of my labor... I will just give him whatever is left over at the end of the month. This is a important principle to embrace. Its not that God needs our money, our land, our crops. Its a act of faith on our part and a proclamation that we trust in God above our own means. This city was to remain in Ruins as a reminder to the world what there is a God of Israel, and that they were to trust Him to provide for them even if they gave Him their First Fruits.

In 1 Kings, King Ahab decided that it was okay to rebuild Jericho despite what God had said about doing so. He gave permission to Hiel to rebuild Jericho, and he did indeed suffer the loss of his children in the process.

1 Kings 16:34
"In Ahab's time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun."

Modern Jericho

There are several feasts throughout the year that God commands the Jews to celebrate... (Why we as a Christian church abandoned this practice is beyond me, God commands us to party and celebrate who He is, and over time the church has become a somber place. Lets bring back the parties!) There is Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Schavout, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Succoth. For the feast of First Fruits, you would pick the first ripening fruits from your vineyards and bring them to God symbolically saying "I trust you God that this is just the first to come, but even if my crops are destroyed tomorrow, I trust you will provide for me." Jericho was the first fruits of Israel as they were coming into the promise land. Do you practice giving God a portion of your first fruits? If not Why? Are you serving God with the talents, gifts and abilities He has given you every day, or are you using them only for your own enjoyment?

Elishas Spring

Israel 2012 Day 5 part 2 from Charissa Robertson on Vimeo.

Israel 2012 Bible Tour Day 4

Today we head out for our first day in the Desert, and went to some of my favorite places En Gedi, and Qumran. I did not get the full Video of En Gedi so I will do my best to recount the teaching from there. So here we go, turn up your speakers and open your minds and hearts.

En Gedi

En Gedi is an oasis in the desert of Judah. As we entered the national park and made our way along the path the sound of running water became evident. The springs in En Gedi have allowed for the area to be inhabited for over 5,000 years and consists of two wadi's (canyons) and four fresh water springs. The springs are fed by water that falls in the Judah mountains and becomes part of underground rivers that follow the water tables. Solomon compared the beauty of his wife to the henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi in Song of Solomon 1:14.

David fled to En Gedi when Saul was pursuing him in about 1,000 BC

1 Samuel 23:24-24:22

"24 So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David. 26 Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them,27 a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.”28 Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth. 29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi. 

1 Samuel 24

David Spares Saul's Life

1 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats. 3 He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’ ” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe. 5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe.6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.”7 With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way. 8 Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.9 He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’?10 This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the Lord's anointed.’11 See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life.12 May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. 13 As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you. 14 “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? 15 May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.” 16 When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud.17 “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.18 You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me.19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today.20 I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. 21 Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's family.” 22 So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold."

The Midrash (Rabbinic commentary) refers to this as David cutting off the corner of Saul’s prayer shall. In Hebrew word for corner is Kanaf and is also the same word for wings. The Torah commanded that the Jews sew tassels to the corner of their robes.

Numbers 15:37-41"37 The Lord said to Moses,38 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel.39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God.41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.’”" Deuteronomy 22:12"12 Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear."

These tassels are called tzitzit and have 613 knots (one for every commandment in Torah) and are made up of 8 strings and 5 large knots which equal 13. Every Hebrew letter represents both a letter and a number so by adding up the strings and the large knots 13= the word ekhad which means one. (Tzitzit=600). 1st century garments consisted of a Tahluk (under/inner garments) and the Talet (outer garments). Jesus said that if a man asked for your cloak, that you should give him your shirt too... in other words it is better for you to go naked than to deny a person in need. In Matthew 9:20 and Mark 5:25 recounts the story of the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years and how she reached out to the corner of Jesus's robe and was healed. Wow ... lots to unpack in this story alone, I promise we will get back to David and Saul.

At the time of Jesus and before, a woman was considered unclean during her menstrual cycle. This meant that she could not touch anyone, she could not be in community, she would have to remain outside the camp or town until the end of her cycle and then she would have to ceremonially clean herself before being welcomed back into the community. This woman, who was bleeding for 12 years, was not only in discomfort, she was an outcast to the community. She could not receive a hug from her friends, children or husband without making them unclean. She could not make love to her husband; she could not be part of family events such as wedding ceremonies, births, funerals etc... For twelve years. As a woman I can tell you that would be agony! So lonely! In her desperation she believed the prophecy in Malachi 4:2 " But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall." She believed Jesus was the Messiah; she had nothing to lose and everything to gain by her faith in Jesus as the Messiah, believing that He would have healing in his Kanaf! How awesome is that!!!

Ok back to David and Saul. When David cut the kanaf off of Saul's prayer shawl it symbolized that Saul was no longer under the Shadow of God's wings, and a visual that Saul was not being obedient to God's laws.

Zechariah 8:23

"23 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days’ ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’ ”"

En Gedi is 30 miles from Azekah where David fought Goliath. The Desert is a place where the Jews would go to find God because of the necessity for God to show up. We all face times of wandering through the proverbial desert in our lives, and can identify with the psalmist who thirsts for God. We (I) often must pray for the feet to walk the path that God has laid out before us, and sometimes He makes that path smooth, but other times He does not. Many times we have to ask God to give us the strength to get through the day, and even when God does provide us the feet to climb life’s mountain sides, its still not guaranteed to be easy.

2 Samuel 22:34, Psalm 18:33 and Habakkuk all say,

"He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights."

Here at En Gedi we see the word picture for water coming out of a rock. The desert of Israel gets rain maybe once every 200 year. The water that is found in En Gedi comes from Bethlehem. When it rains in Bethlehem and Jerusalem the water seeps down through the porous limestone which conducts water while purifying it. When the water hits Zola mite it flows along it until hitting a weak point in the rock, where the built up pressure of water will seep out of the rock (fresh water coming out of the rock), as described twice in the story of Moses. It takes about 2000 years from rainfall to the time it comes out in the springs of En Gedi. It's hard for that fact to sink in when you’re not sitting near its waterfalls in the sweltering heat of the desert, with not much to save you from the heat to realize that God loves his people so much that He would provide rain 2000 years prior, knowing that people would be hot and maybe even thirsty needing relief... God is the God of details. 

Living water (Maim Chaim) is mentioned several times in the bible to describe God (Jeremiah 17:13, Isaiah 32:2, 35:5-6, Psalms 107:35, Isaiah 49:10, Isaiah 58:11). Living water is defined as water that moves under its own power, and is fresh. Dead water is water that does not move, such as the Dead Sea and cistern water that collects rain water and sits in limestone cave like structures that become murky, muddy and stagnant. Cisterns were also filled by human hands in certain places throughout the holy land. In Psalm 63 David writes about this in En Gedi.

Psalm 63:1-2

  "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, 

in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory"

Cisterns were the peoples way of taking care of themselves rather than relying on God's provision for water. 

Jeremiah 2:13

" 13 “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

God does not promise that our deserts will go away, but He does promise to sustain us in the desert. It is important for those who claim Christ to continue to renew themselves with "living water" through fellowship with fellow believers, time in the word, asking questions, spending time in prayer. We can't do it ourselves without God's living water we risk burn out, but with God's living water we find our strength in Him. The Israelites rejected the living water and chose to rely on their own storage of water over God's provision of water. How do we rely on and sustain ourselves? What are our cisterns? Drugs, gambling, pre-marital sex, porn, success, over-time? All these are dead water that promise sustainability but ultimately lead to self destruction. They are attractive from a distance, but just like the Dead Sea, nothing thrives in it, and not only does it not satisfy our thirst, when we drink it, it is deadly. There is the continual need for more. The greatest downfall of the church (as a whole not the building) today is keeping this living water behind the church (Building) doors Monday through Saturday and only bringing it out Sunday morning. Jesus gave us the example and the standard to share God with even the lowliest in society, those who culture says has no value. We live in a world dying of dehydration (figuratively) who are desperate for living water. 

Although En Gedi is an oasis in the Judean desert, there are no apartments, condo's, houses, hotels, or even camp sites. God never intended for people to stay there long term. It was meant to bring rest and refreshment to empower the Jews to continue on. 

Gods Provision in the Desert

Acacia trees are desert tree’s that are the Bedouin’s best friend, they provide shade, burn very hot and very slow due to the density of its wood, its sap can be used to treat skin and stomach ailments, is nourishing for camels (one kilo of  its boiled leaves can feed a camel for a month) and serves as a sign that there was water nearby, and many Bedouins use the acacia tree as a marker for where to dig a well.  Acacia wood is very valuable, the rod of a shepherd is made of acacia wood, and the Ark of the Covenant as well as many of the instruments made for worship in the temple was made of acacia wood and then plated with Gold.

Acacia trees generally grow in wadi’s which are canyons created by rushing walls of water, and are the most dangerous place in the desert. There are two ways that people die in the desert, Dehydration, and Drowning. Although it does not rain in the deserts of Israel, when the rain comes in Jerusalem all the water cannot be absorbed by the rocks and will burst from the water table as described above in a wall of rushing water towards the Dead  Sea which creates  the wadis. Even today when the rains come the Bedouin people beat metal drums to warn people to get out of the wadis because the water comes and leaves so quickly that once you hear or see the water coming, it is too late to escape its reach. Acacia trees are occasionally found in the middle of the wadi, but generally are on the sides of the wadis, and there is a beautifully comforting fact about Acacia tree’s, as Jeremiah 17:7-8 describes,

 “7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.””

When the rain doesn’t come, or the water doesn’t come down the wadi where the acacia tree is, it can go dormant for up to 10 years. So why is this comforting? God says that a man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream (Acacia tree). There have been times in my faith, where I feel like I have not been watered, and feel like I am dormant, but this passage seems to say that this is ok, that like the Acacia tree, I won’t stay stagnant forever, and that I am not going to wither a die like any other tree would without water, that when the rains come again I will once again flourish.

Joshua 1:6-9

6 “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

There are 3 words for meditate in hebrew are Hagarh, Hagah and Halak. To hagarh and hagah the text is to devour it like a lion devours it prey. And in this passage Hazak (Be strong and courageous) is used 4 times. Hagah is also the word used for the sound a lion makes when hungry and has just caught a prey.

Sodomite apple’s

This is a Sodomite apple. Doesn’t it look inviting? Like it would be succulent and juicy… a answer to prayer in the hot Judean desert.

But when opened not only is it hollow and empty, but is lethally poisonous when consumed. This can be very reflective of some people faith. Perhaps you are or you know those Sunday Christians who look like they have it all together, look as though their walk with God is perfect, and they are living a life that is richly blessed. But Monday through Saturday they live a life where God is not welcomed; they live a life that is full of empty things that promise the world but truly only deliver death.

Jeremiah 17:1-18

“1 “Judah's sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars. 2 Even their children remember their altars and Asherah poles beside the spreading trees and on the high hills. 3 My mountain in the land and your wealth and all your treasures I will give away as plunder, together with your high places, because of sin throughout your country. 4 Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for you have kindled my anger, and it will burn forever.” 5 This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” 11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool. 12 A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary. 13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water. 14 Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. 15 They keep saying to me, “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it now be fulfilled!” 16 I have not run away from being your shepherd; you know I have not desired the day of despair. What passes my lips is open before you. 17 Do not be a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster. 18 Let my persecutors be put to shame, but keep me from shame; let them be terrified, but keep me from terror. Bring on them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction.”

If you claim Christ, and you are honest with yourself, where do you land? Are you more reflective of the Acacia tree, or are you a Sodomite apple?

 This is one of my favorite lessons of the trip, and is hard to introduce, but here is some background to set the stage. Its about 100 degrees outside, no humidity, we are sweating buckets and the hike has not yet begun. There is a beautiful waterfall and shallow streams that we just finished a teaching by, and we are preparing for the hike to the highest point of the park. Some of us dip our hats in the spring to cool our heads, others soak and handkerchief or sweat towels to cool our faces. There's no better teaching moment than this.

This lesson alone changed my life, and how I pursue my faith. 

Qumran and the Dead Sea scrolls

Israel 2012 Day 4 from Charissa Robertson on Vimeo.