#104 - the God of the Desert

Apr 24, 2025 | Episode Guest: Rich Liverance

Rich Liverance and Rich Ferreira are fresh off the airplane and back in the studio to share about their amazing time in Saudi Arabia and Jordan on the Signature Tour. Our March 2025 Signature Tour group was an adventuresome bunch and the first ever to cross into Saudi Arabia! The itinerary included not only many historical sites in Jordan but also the likely biblical sites of the Split Rock (Exodus 17), the grove of palm trees (Exodus 15), an altar-high place with bull/cow carvings at the foot of the Arabian Mount Horeb (Exodus 32), as well as the desert of Wadi Rum, a possible location of the Wilderness of Paran mentioned in scripture.  To be able to follow the Text step by step and walk the likely route of the Israelites is monumental. God often used the desert as a place of formation for His people, and the Exodus was no exception. Rich L. explains how God met them in the desert, formed them into a nation there, and identifies with the desert; he also breaks down the 7+ specific types of desert in Scripture. To learn more about this incredible trip, read their trip blog at: https://gtitours.org/tour-journal/signature-saudi-jordan-2025 If you're interested in seeing Saudi Arabia and Jordan in March of 2026, email Joni at joni@gtitours.org and let us know. Types of deserts in Hebrew (by Rich Liverance):

1.  Midbar: This is the most used term for "wilderness" in the Bible. In fact, the book of Numbers is entitled, "BaMidbar," in Hebrew, which means "In the Wilderness." A midbar can be any sort of desert terrain but usually indicates a desert that can sustain flocks. There is also a possible association of this term with the Hebrew verb, "to speak (medeber)," which shares the same root (dbr). Thus, the midbar may be the place of speaking or the place where God speaks to His people.
2.  Tziyah: This word is translated as "desert" in the Text. It generally refers to a dry, remote area.
3. Aravah: This is used as the formal name of the desert south of the Dead Sea to the Red Sea but can also refer to the entire Jordan Valley generally south of the Sea of Galilee. When used as a plural (aravoht), however, it refers generally to "deserts." 
4.  Yeshimon: This is my favorite. This refers to the most desolate, barren, and brutally inhospitable land without any water, greenery or growth of any kind.
5. Yabashah: This word comes from the Hebrew word, yabash, meaning "dry." It is usually translated as "dry land" such as when the Israelites crossed the Red sea on "dry land."
6.  Tzekhikhah: This term refes to a "parched land" in Psalm 68:6.
7. Sharav: This word is translated as "scorched land" in Isaiah 35:7 but can also refer to a mirage. This is the kind of desert that causes you to see things like ghosts and oases that aren't really there.
8. Tzimaon: This word is translated as "thirsty ground" in Isa, 35:7 and is used together with "sharav" above.