Day 02 - A Day in the Desert

Day 2 – Desert Walk, Bedouin Experience, Tel Arad, Dead Sea

Today was our “spa” day: we got to sleep in (6:30 am Israeli time), opened our day with a devotional and worship on the shore of the Dead Sea, made fewer stops (3), and got to spend time in the late afternoon and evening floating in the waters of the Dead Sea, as well as the heated Dead Sea waters of the special hotel pool. Everything is so fascinating here. You can’t look anywhere without seeing something awe-inspiring, whether it’s the gorgeous landscapes that change dramatically and quickly, the historical locations, Biblical sites and landmarks, or the people around you soaking in the experience. Everyone is learning, everyone has questions, everyone is bringing insights and knowledge to our conversations about the Bible. Saying “being in Israel makes the Bible come alive” is so true, but until I experienced it I didn’t grasp the full power and truth in that statement.

Terry taught as we walked in the desert like Abraham did when he obeyed God’s call to leave Ur for the Promised Land, as Moses and the Israelites did after the Exodus from Egypt, and as David did as he ran from Saul. These are our spiritual ancestors. Just as they all experienced desert periods in their lives, we too have experiences of the “desert” in our lives. God uses those desert experiences to draw us near to Him, to experience the fullness and complete satisfaction found only in Him, and to bring us into greater spiritual maturity so we can bring His ministry purpose for our lives to others.

“The dessert strips away the noise of life. When the noise of life is removed, the love of God stands out.” -Terry Feix

At the Bedouin experience, Cole taught about hospitality. “Bedouin” comes from the Arabic word for desert and translates to “men of the desert”. Up until about 50 years ago they had a traditional, ritual display of hospitality for their guests that involved food and drink, ceremony, and respect. He said to watch for contrasting stories in the Bible such as those in Genesis 18 & 19 that show the hospitality of Abraham to the Spirit of the Lord and His angels vs that of the men of Sodom and Gomorrah. Hospitality is a lifestyle, a character trait, not just an event that has a start and an ending.

“God reorients us away from taking and towards giving. Everything we’ve been given is to be stewarded for God’s glory. Our hospitality is not based on scarcity; we can never run out of the fruits of the Spirit.” - Cole Feix

Our last site before returning to the Dead Sea for the evening was Tel Arad. There is a fortress that has been excavated that would have served as support for the other fortresses in the region surrounding the border. They would have relayed messages back and forth between the fortresses and Jerusalem as a way station for soldiers, weapons, olive oil, food and other supplies. The temple there is of special interest. Why was there a temple there? What did they worship there? Why was the altar built correctly, but there were two stones for idols in the Holy of Holies? No one knows. But it was definitely a Jewish fortress, and a Jewish temple. Terry taught about Henotheism - continuing to worship God as the one main god, but accommodating other lesser beliefs and gods of the people and cultures around them. It was a beautiful warning of the subtle ways we can let smaller “gods” creep into our lives, not taking the place of God, but taking away part of our worship and becoming idols.

“Think of temptation for us not as ‘I’m going to stop worshipping God’, but ‘what can I add to my worship outside of God’.” - Terry Feix

“The Great Commission is good for new and old believers alike. Don’t live vicariously through corporate acts of service, don’t lose your personal call to serve others and bring the Gospel to them.” - Terry Feix

- Dani Toland