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Israel Study Tour with Lifebridge Church
February 4-14, 2020
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Strategic places within the culture
Shalom and good evening to all!
Today was our first full day exploring the Holy Land, and what a deep dive it was into the Scriptures and rich history of Israel. Our team awoke to a delicious buffet for breakfast, then it was straight out to our devotion time with Pastor Ralph. He encouragd us by giving the theme for our trip, which is 1) The heart of God for people, and 2) Mission. God places his people in strategic places within the culture that surrounds us in order to bring the attention and glory to him and him alone. Ralph taught that this is what God did in Biblical times, and his strategy has not changed. As God’s children, he has gifted us in the ways we are called to impact those around us. That is our mission.
After our devotion, we hopped on the bus and went to the first site of the day, Gezer. Pastor Ralph and our guide, Yehuda, taught us about this key location in the history of Israel as a vital trade route for thousands of years, dating back into ancient times when nations would vie for control of the fertile crescent. As a result, the Israelites and Philistines clashed often over it. It was the crossroads of the ancient world, and looking out from that location, we were moved by how strategic God was (and is) about the positioning of his people.
Gezer
Situated near the International Coastal Highway and guarding the primary route into the Israelite hill country, Gezer was one of the most strategic cities in the Canaanite and Israelite periods. Gezer is a prominent 33-acre site that overlooked the Aijalon Valley and the road leading through it to Jerusalem. The tel was identified as biblical Gezer in 1871 by C. Clermont-Ganneau who two years later found the first of many boundary stones inscribed with the city’s name.
Our second stop was at Beth Shemesh. After we stopped walking, Yehuda pointed out Zorah, the place where Samson was born and lived his life. Down from Zorah, we saw the Valley of Sorek and the area where Timnah, a Philistine city, used to be. We reflected on Samson’s life and what we can learn from him. Beth Shemesh was also the site where the Philistines returned the Ark of the Covenant on a cart. The Philistines figured that if the cows would walk up the hill on their own, that it was God’s will that the Ark be returned to its rightful spot. The Scriptures say that the cows went lowing the whole way, but they stayed on the road and did not waver. We discussed that yes, God calls us to do things that we may not understand or even like, but we are called to obey anyway, even if we “low all the way.” Obedience is so important, even when it’s difficult for us in our humanity.
Beth Shemesh
A border city between Judah and Dan, Beth Shemesh was given to the Levites. Beth Shemesh was the most important Israelite city in the Sorek Valley as it watched both east-west traffic through the Sorek Valley and north-south traffic along the “Diagonal Route.” Recent excavations have shown a thriving city here from the Middle Bronze Age through the Iron II period.
Our third stop for the day was at Azekah. At this location, we overlooked the Valley of Elah, which is the historic site where David defeated Goliath the Philistine. Pastor Ralph taught us about the difference between Saul, who stood a head taller than all the men around him and had weapons and armor, and David, the young shepherd boy with a stone and sling. In that conflict, Saul should have been Israel’s champion, but he was afraid. When he realized that David was willing to fight, Saul tried to put his own armor on David. Ralph helped us see how this Scripture should apply to our lives. Do not wear someone else’s armor. You are gifted specifically and intentionally by God to do what he’s called you to do in life. Do what you’re called to do, in the way you’re called to do it. As our Pastor so eloquently taught us today, throw your own stone.
Azekah
Azekah (Heb: עזקה, ʿazeqah) was a town in the Shephelah guarding the upper reaches of the Valley of Elah, about 26 km (16 mi) northwest of Hebron. The current tell (ruin) by that name has been identified with the biblical Azekah, dating back to the Canaanite period. According to Eusebius' Onomasticon, the name meant "white" in the Canaanite tongue. The tell is pear shaped with the tip pointing northward. Due to its location in the Elah Valley it functioned as one of the main Judahite border cities, sitting on the boundary between the lower and higher Shephelah.[1] Although listed in Joshua 15:35 as being a city in the plain, it is actually partly in the hill country, partly in the plain.
Our fourth and final stop of the day was at Lachish. This was the biggest ancient fortified city that we saw today. It was the second most important city of Judah next to Jerusalem itself. All over the ruins, we read about how King Sennacherib of Assyria, in the time of Hezekiah, laid seize against Lachish and conquered it. He moved to conquer Jerusalem, but Hezekiah agreed to pay tribute to King Sennacherib in order to prevent him from fully taking the city. One fun discovery for the day was a stone that was discovered in Lachish that was used as a latrine. It is known that when the Israelites got a hold of a stone that was used for idol worship, the Israelites would destroy the idol and then use the stone that remained as a latrine. We were entertained by this little nugget of information.
Lachish
Identified first as Lachish by Albright in 1929, the tell was excavated by James Leslie Starkey 1932-38 and by Tel Aviv University 1973-87.
Lachish is generally regarded as the second most important city in the southern kingdom of Judah. It enters the biblical narrative in the battle accounts of Joshua, Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar.
Thank you all so very much for praying for our trip, for our safety and for our hearts and minds as we learn more about Israel and grow deeper in our faith. As we were walking back to the bus this evening, Pastor Joe mentioned that being here forever changed how he reads the Bible, and he wishes the same for all of us. We want to grow in our faith in a meaningful way in the days to come, and we’re so very thankful to have all of you at home supporting us.
That’s all for today. Much love and peace to all reading these words. We love you, and we can’t wait to share our adventures some more with you tomorrow.
The Lifebridge Team
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