Day 03 - Negev Desert, Bedouin Experience, Tel Arad, Dead Sea

Day 3 for us started with a morning devotional on the beach next to the Dead Sea. After recapping what we learned about and experienced yesterday, Terry encouraged us to set our minds on the Israelites and their time spent wandering in the desert. We then left the beautiful beach to see the conditions the Israelites had to contend with for so long.

Negev Desert

Today we found ourselves in the Negev Desert, the “wilderness” in which the Israelites wandered for 40 years after God freed them from slavery in Egypt. This short desert walk allowed us to get a brief glimpse of what life would have been like for Moses and his people. As we walked along and attempted to find a comfortable seat among the stones, I was immediately grateful for the hiking boots on my feet and the cozy mattress on which I sleep each night; the Israelites faced their time in the desert without such comforts. Surveying the sloping, rocky terrain with its sparse vegetation, one could better understand the grumbling expressed by the Israelites.

Terry spoke of their story found in Exodus. The people longed to be freed from slavery, yet once God answered that prayer they found themselves disgruntled with their new surroundings and  longing to go back to Egypt. They longed for the relative comfort of their old life.

Ephesians 2:1 - “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—”

The Israelites were in the desert 40 years not because they were lost, but because God was doing something with them. God was using their time in the desert to build their faith.

Dueteronomy 8:1 - "And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every worda that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

Terry reminded us that we often hold on to sin or return to old ways because it is comfortable. Comfort would be returning to Egypt. Comfort was Samson going to Timnah. But God doesn’t call us to be comfortable, nor does He call us to be happy. God calls us to be faithful.

“I’ve learned to kiss the wave that slams me against the rock of ages.” -C.H. Spurgeon

God forms the faith of His people in the desert experiences of our lives.

Romans 8:28 - “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

In times of trial let us never forget that if we are following God, He will work the desert out not for our comfort, but for our good.

Bedouin Experience and Camel Ride

Our next stop began with camel riding, an interesting experience enjoyed by most. It was at this same place that we gathered in a tent to learn about Bedouin culture. The Bedouins were nomadic Arabic tribes. Our amazing guide, Yehuda, taught us about the Bedouin people (during the time of Abraham and Job) who lived in conditions we would consider inhospitable and developed a culture that placed tremendous importance on hospitality. As he shared his knowledge with us, we were treated to the sweet tea, coffee, and pita that they would traditionally serve guests, all of which was made for us over an open fire in the tent.

Terry contrasted the hospitality of the Bedouin nomads, with the oppression and conquests that came out of the cities at the same time. We see throughout the Bible how easily large cities (such a Babel, Bablyon, Nineveh) can create the worst in people and lead them to follow other gods (i.e. technology, power, wealth, self-actualization, etc.).  But we also see in the book of Revelation that God is redeeming cities and a New Jerusalem is coming. Yesterday we discussed that as Christians we live between two cultures. In our cities, we should be careful not to fall prey to the ways of the city, nor should we hold ourselves back because they do not share our beliefs. Our charge a followers of Christ is to be faithful and work to redeem our cities.

Tel Arad

Our last lesson of the day came at Tel Arad, where Yehuda showed us a ruins of a fort built on top of a town originally constructed around 3,500 BC. We know little about the people who built the first town there, but the town was organized into public and residential areas inside of a fortified wall. It’s not clear why such a substantial town would have been built at this location, but a considerable threat must have motivated them to construct such fortifications. Perhaps equally curious was the site was later used for a fortress of the Judean Kingdom with a temple built of unhewn stones, complying with the law recorded in Exodus 20:25. This temple would have been in use at the same time as the temple in Jerusalem, and was built in the same basic layout but at a smaller scale.

Terry led us into what would have been the inner sanctum and asked what would they have placed in the Holy of Holies? Why would they have built this temple away from Jerusalem? Would they have remained steadfast in worship of the one true God? Terry asked whether they might have fallen into a form of Henotheism, worshiping God but also recognizing other lesser deities. This must have been a great temptation then, just as it is today. We may not think of it as worshiping a small-“G” god, but whenever we find ourselves compromising our pursuit of God’s will to pursue worldly desires, we are elevating these things to a position God should occupy. So, as we saw yesterday the place where Samson had tried and failed to live in two cultures, today we could see the ruins of a temple where other “gods” could have shared the home for God’s presence. Interestingly, the collection of dust on the surfaces of the temple at Tel Arad suggests it fell into disuse before the remainder of the fortress, possibly as later Kings stopped sacrifices outside of Jerusalem.

Dead Sea Float

We closed the day with a leisurely float together in the Dead Sea. To float so effortlessly was a definite must-do experience. It was somewhat ironic that such toxic waters rendered you so buoyant that you couldn’t help but relax and enjoy life. It was a great opportunity for the members of the tour to laugh together and get to know one another even better.