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Israel Study Tour - The Forge (Pine Cove)
March 15-27, 2015
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Nazareth and more
Today was a big day! We traveled all through the middle of Israel.
We left the Sea of Galilee this morning. Our devotion was on the edge of the Sea of Galilee as our last chance at the water to dwell on what we have learned over the past five days! We traveled from the east side of the Sea of Galilee to Nazareth. It is about a day’s walk in Jesus time to get from Galilee to Nazareth. There we talked some about Jesus childhood and the beginning of His ministry. The teachers in the synagogue rejected Christ as Messiah, took him up to the Mount Precipice to throw him down. We sat on the top of this Mount that overlooks the Jezreel Valley we were in yesterday.
Then we headed down into the Jezreel Valley to the middle of it where the town of Megiddo used to be. This is where the King Josiah came after bringing order to the Kingdom of Israel. He fought in a battle and was killed. We also stood in the stables of King Solomon. And there we learned about Solomon’s disobedience to the laws set for kings in Deuteronomy. To sum it up, Solomon had a lot more than he needed and instructed to have. For me, this is a challenge for me to consider how often do I follow the laws that God has set before me. Something that I learned yesterday that applied here is this question. When do I see the rules set before me, yet I feel as though I have the authority to bend the rules for my circumstances? It is crazy how these days and applications blend together and build on top of each other. It is true that the bible is one big story!
Megiddo
From the earliest times (EB) to the earliest historical records of the area (Thutmose III) to the future (Revelation 16), Megiddo assumes a prominent role. This is largely owing to its strategic location astride the Megiddo Pass (Wadi Ara) and inside the busy Jezreel Valley.
After that we headed up into the mountains to Mount Carmel. Again we crossed the Jezreel Valley. As we looked out from this cliff we saw many of the sites we had visited today and yesterday! There, we were set out to read the story of Elijah, Baal, and King Ahab. However, Ronan and Matt challenged us to read through the text ourselves and bring questions and conclusions. It was a neat and amazing experience to read through the story WHERE it happened! We had a better understanding for what was happening.
Mt. Carmel
Biblically, Mt. Carmel is referenced most often as a symbol of beauty and fertility. To be given the “splendor of Carmel” was to be blessed indeed (Isa 35:2). Solomon praised his beloved: “your head crowns you like Mount Carmel” (Song 7:5). But for Carmel to wither was a sign of devastating judgment (Nahum 1:4).
Lastly, we traveled through the mountains and arrived on the Mediterranean Sea. We walked on the ruins of Caesarea. At it’s peak, there were 120,000 people and a huge hub for basically everything. We didn’t have much time for stories but Matt did tell us this is where Philip, Peter, and Paul did some of their ministry!
Caesarea Maritima
The city and harbor were built under Herod the Great during c. 22–10 BC near the site of a former Phoenician naval station known as Stratonos pyrgos (Στράτωνος πύργος).[2] It later became the provincial capital of Roman Judea, Roman Syria Palaestina and Byzantine Palaestina Prima provinces. The city was populated throughout the 1st to 6th centuries CE and became an important early center of Christianity during the Byzantine period, but was mostly abandoned following the Muslim conquest of 640. It was re-fortified by the Crusaders, and finally slighted by the Mamluks in 1265.
We have traveled from the desert in the south to the Sea of Galilee in the North to the Mediterranean on the West. Now we head to Jerusalem!! There have been many many sites that we have visited. As I type, we are on the ascent drive to the Holy City. There are ascent psalms that talk about this journey. We are excited for what lies ahead.
Shalom!
By Garret Ward
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