Day 07 - Katzrin, Mount Bental, Caesarea Philippi, & Tel Dan

Boker Tov!! (Good morning!)

Today was a great day!  We started with worship and a devotion beside the Sea of Galilee. Then we boarded the bus and drove to Katzrin.

Katzrin

Katzrin was an old village restored to replicate what it would have looked like in the time of Christ. We had a great time in this village. Here we learned about the importance of olive oil and its’ many uses. Back then olive oil was used for everything from cooking to skin care to lighting and annointing. Our guide in this village, Asher, took us through the process of making olive oil and pita bread. We had a short church service in the town synagogue, which dates to the 4th century. Once again, in this village we see the synagogue as the center of the town and the importance they placed on family.

Everyone entered a home in the town and Terry told the story from Mark 2 when Jesus heals a paralytic man. As the story goes, Jesus was in Capernaum at a home and so many people were surrounding him that no one else could enter the house. The friends did not give up and hoisted him onto and through the roof so that he might be healed by Jesus. While this was going on, scribes were present and claiming that Jesus was blaspheming since He stated that He could forgive the sins of the men. Jesus basically told the scribes that He was indeed the Messiah, and then backs up his claim by performing a miracle and healing the paralyzed man on the spot.

Although the story took place in Capernaum, it was in a house just like the one we were sitting in throughout this lesson. Being in that crowded room really brought this story to life. We could visualize the roof and how it was possible to remove enough of it to lower someone down. Terry then helped us apply this story to our lives by asking, “are you willing to be embarrassed for your faith?” As Christians we don’t typically suffer persecution, but we may get embarrassed when professing Christ and living out our faith? The man’s friends were unashamed of their need for Christ. They did everything they could to get their friend the help he so desperately needed. He was saved by the faithfulness of his friends. Ask yourself, “would I be the kind of friend with great faith that would do whatever it takes to get my friends to Jesus? Am I currently a friend like that?” We were encouraged to be that kind of friend and to think about what it would be like to do anything to bring people to Jesus. Faith comes in the discomfort. God doesn’t call us to be happy or to avoid suffering or embarrassment, He calls us to be faithful. Our faith is a response to the gospel. All we need is the faith of a mustard seed.

Matthew 5: 13 – 16

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Philippians 2:4

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Matthew 25: 44-45

Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you? Then he will answer them saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”

Olea Essence

After hearing about the importance of olive oil and how it was produced in biblical times, we went to an olive oil factory and did some shopping. This place was amazing and what they are doing to eliminate excess waste in the production of olive oil is astounding. The olive oil was also delicious!

Mount Bental

Once our olive oil needs were sufficiently met, we headed to the northern end of Israel to Mount Bental. From the peak of this mountain, which served as an army post, we saw the Syrian border and were told that on a clear day we would have been able to see Lebanon to the west. Yehuda provided a great history of the Syrian civil war and the tensions between the countries. Looking out over this beautiful landscape, it was sad to think of the people divided and lives lost.

Banias / Caesarea Philippi

Our next stop was Banias/Caesarea Philippi. Before reaching our final destination at this site, Terry spoke to us about the story in Matthew 16.

Matthew 16: 13-18

“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Here, we saw a massive cave on the cliff-face that once had a river flowing from it. Upon finding this place, Greek soldiers named it Banias (place of pan) after their god, Pan. One of many gods they worshipped, Pan was a satyr (half-man, half-goat) and was a pornographic being. They also believed in the underworld and thought that this very cave was an entrance to Hades. According to the scriptures, Jesus and his disciples were in Caesarea Philippi, most likely staring at this very cave while Jesus said these words spoken in Matthew 16. Jesus asked Peter, “who do you say I am?” and Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” On the rock of Peter’s confession, not even death will prevail against God’s church. Death has no hold on us when we are in Christ Jesus. Early Christians believed this, and we need to remember this too.

1 Corinthians 15: 54-57

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O’ death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Tel Dan

Tel Dan is a truly amazing site! In 1200 B.C., the tribe of Dan headed north to distance themselves from the Philistines. When they reached Laish, they conquered the city, ran everyone out of the town, and renamed the city Dan. Jeroboam had a temple constructed in 930 B.C. to the specifications listed in Leviticus. We could see the outline of the temple, the large altar and steps to the Holy of Holies. Seeing how precise they were in building the temple one might assume that the people of Dan were closely following God. Sadly, this was not the case.

The fact that the temple was built at all was highly offensive because God only ever intended for there to be one temple. But this is not the only place where they fell short. The people of Dan were henotheistic; they had golden calves in the temple and were worshipping other gods. Pig bones were also found during excavation of the temple area. One might argue that the people here were serving God, but in reality they were serving God on their own terms. God demands to be worshipped the way He says He should be worshipped.

Matthew 16:24

“Then Jesus told His disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”

This day was truly amazing and we are learning so much! Tomorrow morning we will leave the Sea of Galilee and head to Jerusalem!