Lessons from the Holy Land
(FEBC’s 14th Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, 15-29 November 2009)
Judith d’Silva
This was my second Holy Land trip in 12 years. It was at times a gruelling schedule, with early hotel check-outs, long drives, and lots of walking and trekking through rough terrain up steep slopes and narrow footpaths under the clear blue sky and bright sun. Temperatures dipped as daylight faded in the early winter evenings. By then we would be heading back to the hotel, tired out, just in time for dinner and devotion. From the first stop at Mount Nebo to the last tour at Jerash, we eagerly took in the sights, jostling to capture the perfect shot while hurrying along to catch up with the rest of the group following closely behind the guide. Thank God for Jeries (pronounced as “Jarius”), our Christian guide, who often quoted the Scriptures, even reading from relevant passages, as he explained the significance of each place we visited and showed us their biblical references and names in the Old and New Testaments. It was like an “onsite” Bible study as we retraced the events, lives and journeys of prophets, kings and even the Lord Jesus Christ that were recorded perfectly in the Holy Scriptures. But while these Bible stories became alive during the day, it was the evening devotions that brought out the spiritual lessons as we read from God’s Word and listened to the faithful teaching by Rev Jeffrey Khoo.
From Mount Nebo, or Pisgah, on which Moses stood to behold the Promised Land with his eyes, we learnt that every word of God is important. Instead of speaking to the rock, as instructed by God, to bring forth water, Moses smote the rock (Num 20:7-12). Because of his disobedience in not hearkening to every word of God, Moses was forbidden to “go over this Jordan” (Deut 3:27). The following day, at Bethabara-Beyond-The-Jordan, a site on the east bank of the River Jordan believed to be where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist (John 1:28), we learnt about the Greater Moses whose perfect obedience was well pleasing to God. There is another baptismal site at the Jordan River near the Sea of Galilee. What was more important than the location, we learnt, was the event itself. And it is the two key statements – by John the Baptist, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) and God the Father Himself, “Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11) – that teach us about the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus by His active and passive obedience kept the Law of God without any fault and died on the Cross of Calvary to save us from our sins.
Jesus, the Lamb of God, was the perfect sacrifice, offered once and for all to obtain eternal redemption for us. So we learnt that Jesus was also the more perfect Tabernacle. The first Tabernacle – a life-sized model of which we visited in Timna Park just outside of Eilat – was perfect in that its design and measurements were given by God. But it was only temporary. It was a type of Christ, in which everything pointed to Christ, our more perfect and permanent Tabernacle (Heb 9:11-15). We also learnt about the active obedience of Christ on the Mount of Temptation. By keeping the commandments and not sinning, Jesus fulfilled all righteousness and earned it for us (Rom 5:19). A cable car took us from old Jericho to the “Mount of Quarantel” which rises behind and is believed to be the site of the first and second temptations. The Greek Orthodox Monastery perched high up on a cliff face was closed and we could not go in, but we learnt why the temptation of Jesus was necessary.
Rocks and seas also had something to teach us. An impressive archaeological site, with its marvelously preserved rock-hewn tombs and temples that once encircled a thriving metropolis, ancient Petra is traditionally biblical Sela (2 Kgs 14:5-7), capital of Edom. Sela means “jagged cliffs” and its many caves in the wilderness offer a refuge to which the people of Israel will flee, as prophesied in Revelation 12:13-17. For us, we must make sure that our faith is built on Christ the Rock (Matt 16:13-18). Another imposing rock was the fortress of Masada, not far from the Dead Sea. This was a symbol of courage and loyalty. Another cable car ride took us to the top where we heard how the band of Jewish patriots who had made Masada their base chose to die by their own hand rather than surrender to the Roman soldiers who had built a ramp and were about to break through the fortress wall with a battering ram. We too have our Masada in Revelation 2:10 – “be thou faithful unto death” – the Church in Smyrna is our Christian symbol of loyalty.
From the top of the rock to the lowest point on the earth’s surface, 1,300 ft below sea level, where squeals of laughter drifted to the shore as many of the pilgrims braved the icy cold water to experience floating in the Dead Sea –the final destination of the River Jordan that flows through the Sea of Galilee. With no outlet to discharge its waters further downstream, a high level of mineral content is built up and it is this that keeps the body from sinking. Deborah Mae tried to read her RPG while afloat, but she lost her balance and pickled the booklet in the briny waters of the Dead Sea. The heavy concentration of salt and minerals also cannot support any animal life. Hence the name, the Dead Sea. Floating in the Dead Sea may be fun, but we should be like the Sea of Galilee –it is full of life because it gives as it receives. As it is written in Acts 20:35, “it is more blessed to give than to receive”.
Whilst still in the Dead Sea area, we got off the coach at the Ein Gedi National Park and trekked through narrow rocky paths winding their way up to a cave where David is believed to have taken shelter while fleeing from King Saul. The clear, cool waters of the waterfall beside it were a welcome relief, but much more the living waters of Jesus Christ that quench our thirsty souls and make us whole. Upon reaching the waterfall, we read from Psalms 57 and 142, written by David as he hid from Saul in the cave. These two psalms are also for us to read and pray when faced with persecution, trials or tribulations. A quick stop at the Qumran Caves nearby, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, yielded an important and precious truth about the preservation of Scripture. Because the most famous scroll – of Isaiah – was found to be virtually the same word for word as our present Isaiah, many see this as proof of the accuracy of the Traditional Text on which the KJV is based. However, the Text underlying the KJV really needs no vindication or endorsement by any other scroll except the Word of God itself that promises in Psalm 12 that the “words of the Lord are pure words” and that God “shalt preserve them from this generation for ever”. We simply trust in the promise of God as found in His Word and need no other evidence.
I remember, on my first Holy Land trip, Pastor Timothy Tow bringing us to Shepherd’s Field to show us the plot of land which Life Bible-Presbyterian Church under his pastoral care had helped to purchase for the Baraka Bible-Presbyterian Church in Bethlehem. On Sunday, we worshipped in the new church that was built there, together with the pilgrims from Calvary Pandan whose itinerary coincided with ours on that Lord’s Day. Rev George Awad, now a good 72 years, welcomed all of us and paid a warm tribute to the late Pastor Tow. After the service, he invited Mrs Tow to hang a plaque on a wall in memory of him. It was an emotional moment for all of us. We also visited the Baraka Educational Centre which had a nursery and classrooms where the Palestinians could learn some computer skills for gainful employment.
Entering Jerusalem the following day, I was struck by how crowded and congested it has become. Traffic snarled through the narrow roads, coaches squeezed to the sides, and tourists spilled out only to be instantly accosted by peddlers everywhere selling postcards and souvenirs for “one dollar, one dollar”. Over two days, our biblical trail took us to the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Palace of the High Priest Caiaphas, the Upper Room, the Pool of Bethesda, the Via Dolorosa, the Place of the Skull and the Garden Tomb. The Mount of Olives had special significance. It was not only the place where Jesus ascended to heaven, it will be the very same place on which He will set foot when He returns (Zech 14:4) and it will split into two when that happens. Walking down the Palm Sunday Road, we passed a graveyard with many tombstones. It was explained that the Christian Jews wanted to be buried near where Jesus will return. But 1 Thessalonians 4:16 tells us that when Jesus descends “the dead in Christ shall rise first”. More important than where you are buried is whether you are saved. Be sure of our salvation was the message from the tombstones. As we made our way to the Garden Tomb, the long queue of pilgrims waiting to go inside would find it empty. And we rejoice in that, for our faith is in a risen Saviour. The drizzle that had accompanied our walk along the Via Dolorosa towards the Place of the Skull ceased and, as the chilly evening began to lose its light, we had a short Lord’s Supper service in the Garden. Singing the chorus of “Yesterday, Today, Forever”, we were reminded to be sure of our salvation.
This was echoed the following day at Megiddo or Armageddon, where we stood and surveyed the Valley of Jezreel that stretched before us to as far as the eye could see – the site of the final battle as recorded in Revelation 16:12-16. Jesus will come at any time, as a thief in the night. Blessed is he who is alert and vigilant. Be sure that we have on the robe of Christ’s righteousness, our garment of salvation, and we will be witness to the final battle at Armageddon (Rev 19:11-21). Another highlight of the trip was the sunrise service by the Sea of Galilee. As we sat facing the sea, from the beach of Kibbutz Ma’agan where we stayed, the early morning darkness lifted and we read from John 21 about how Peter and the other disciples could not catch any fish all night until Jesus appeared on the shore when the morning came and told them where to cast their nets. Similarly, we cannot do anything without Jesus Christ. The important thing is to love the Lord, take up our cross and follow Jesus. The area surrounding the Sea of Galilee is where Jesus spent most of His public life, teaching, healing and performing most of His miracles. We visited many of these places and saw many archaeological sites which were believed to be remains of these biblical locations. One vivid example was Capernaum, where Jesus centred His ministry after Nazareth rejected Him. These sites have been venerated by the building of ornate churches by various denominations and so it was helpful that Jeries, our guide, read from the Bible everywhere we went. As we concluded our pilgrim route in Israel, we were reminded during devotion time of how the birth of the Israeli nation in 1948 was a fulfilling of prophecy in Isaiah 11:11-12. The stage is now set for the Second Coming of Christ.
For two weeks, 48 pilgrims from 10 churches journeyed through the lands of the Bible on both sides of the River Jordan, “from Dan even to Beersheba” under the watchful eye and care of God our Father as He promised in Psalm 121, to “preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore”. The flights were pleasant, border crossings smooth and swift. There were no mishaps. God watched over the pilgrims and sustained us through all the walking, and no one fell sick. The older children helped to take care of the smaller ones and no one went missing. God watched over the weather and kept the rain away, confounding the weathermen who forecasted rain over the two days we were in the Sea of Galilee. God watched over the time and we reached the Tabernacle and Mt Megiddo just before closing hour. We were also able to get out of Eilat just minutes before the roads were closed for a triathalon. Thank God for His guidance for He truly went before us and led us all the way. Our trip to the Holy Land has ended, but our journey with Christ continues. May He continue to lead us as we keep walking with Jesus.
