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Israel Study Tour - The Church At Rocky Peak (Sep)
September 8-19, 2014
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Mountains, Caves, and Waterfalls
We started at the lowest point on earth with a teaching at the beach of the Dead Sea. We were reminded by Mike that like the Dead Sea we can't just have the spirit flowing into our live, it also has to flow out of our lives to others.
Dead Sea
Known in the Bible as the “Salt Sea” or the “Sea of the Arabah,” this inland body of water is appropriately named because its high mineral content allows nothing to live in its waters. Other post-biblical names for the Dead Sea include the “Sea of Sodom,” the “Sea of Lot,” the “Sea of Asphalt” and the “Stinking Sea.” In the Crusader period, it was sometimes called the “Devil’s Sea.” All of these names reflect something of the nature of this lake.
We then strained our bodies to reach a physical high by climbing the face of Masada and learning about this last independent Israel stronghold. They went almost two thousand years from the fall of the fort to the forming of the new nation. Now this fortress is a ongoing reminder for Israel to hold their independence going forward.
Masada
The summit of Masada sits 190 feet (59 m) above sea level and about 1,500 feet (470 m) above the level of the Dead Sea. The mountain itself is 1950 feet (610 m) long, 650 feet (200 m) wide, 4,250 feet (1330 m) in circumference, and encompasses 23 acres. The “Snake Path” climbs 900 feet (280 m) in elevation. From the west, the difference in height is 225 feet (70 m).
We then went to Ein Gedi where David could have cut off Saul's garment in the cave. Mike taught about David's low times when he had to hide for fear of his life and how Jonathan modeled a true friend. Mike challenged us to be that kind of a church going towards each other in times of trouble and praying for each other.
Ein Gedi
En Gedi is the largest oasis along the western shore of the Dead Sea. The springs here have allowed nearly continuous inhabitation of the site since the Chalcolithic period. The area was allotted to the tribe of Judah, and was famous in the time of Solomon (Josh 15:62). Today the Israeli kibbutz of En Gedi sits along the southern bank of the Nahal Arugot.
We then hiked up the beautiful Ein Gedi canyon which was filled with living water (AKA running water). Many of us refreshed in the beautiful cool waterfalls. We were reminded of the desperate need for water in a desert and the living water available in our lives that Christ promises.
Next was Qumran where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. This was a Small community of maybe less than 100 people but hundreds of scrolls stored in the caves (including every book of the bible except Ruth and Nehemiah). They were a Messianic group so it makes since they had the most copies of Isaiah. There is no record of why they disappeared but one possible explanation is that they left everything and became part of The Way (ie Christians). My high point here was when a small Group of us hiked up the wadi and climbed through cave like passages along the walls that this community once used.
Qumran
10 miles south of Jericho, Qumran was on a “dead-end street” and provided a perfect location for the isolationist sect of the Essenes to live.
The site was excavated by Catholic priest Roland deVaux from 1953-56. More recent excavations of the site have taken place under the direction of Hanan Eshel.
The next high point for everyone else might have been the shower and the Sabbath meal in Galilee, but for me it was different. When we arrived in Galilee I immediate went down to the shore. There just after sunset on the Sabbath, I saw the waters that were Jesus' home base for his ministry. The waters where the disciples fished. The wind was blowing and small waves were crashing along the shore. While I was praying, I felt the power of Christ who could pull the energy out of the waves during the storm and who could walk on these waters. But I also felt the humility of a creator who walked these shores and called simple fishermen to follow him as his disciples. I felt the great patience of our father, through Christ, who loved these men even through their short comings. Most of all, on these shores, I felt the greatest sensation of being home that I have ever felt. Part of it was the waters that nourished my soul but without a doubt, it was because this is my spiritual home along these shores. Here I am, a disciple, on the shore of my Lord's lake. How wonderful is that!
by Mark Heimbuch
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