Israel In Depth Study Tour - North Coast Church

June 18-29, 2018

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Flourishing through obedience

After nearly 24 hours of travel, we made it to Israel!

The anticipation mounted throughout our travel day and by early Wednesday morning, despite a 1am check in, we piled on the bus for our first full day. The excitement felt palpable as we headed out, anxious to see what God had in store for us. Our first stop was Kiriath-Jearim (“the memorial of the eight”) a Biblical Garden. It was easy to tell right away that this picturesque spot would start us off on the right foot. I appreciated the opening from one of our guides, Rich, reminding us to question what our goal was for this trip...“We don’t need to be here to know him, but can we see God in the process and what does that mean for us personally?” As we stood there looking out over the valley where the Philistines defeated the Israelites, it was clear that the Bible was going to come alive in the next 10 days.

We explored the gardens and learned details about the Promised Land and what it meant to actually live and flourish in this time with the aid of our knowledgeable guide Ronan. Connections started to become clear as we imagined the struggles and successes the people of Israel encountered thousands of years ago and how through obedience they would flourished.

Leviticus 26:3-5 “If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.”

Hopping back on the bus from there we went to Beth Shemesh (“house of sun”), and snapped pictures of Israeli archeologists, we descended into a cistern that was literally and figuratively very cool. Without missing a step we were off quickly to Azekah (meaning “strength”), were we got to see from atop the hill where the Philistines would be looking down when David slain Goliath. We were even lucky enough to make a quick stop and grab a pebble where David found his stones: “then he took his staff in his hand, choose 5 stones from the stream and put them in his pouch” I Sam 17:40.

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.

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And this was all before lunch... I’m tired just thinking about it :)

Quick stops at a couple awe inspiring caves and we were ready to take the two hour trip south east where tonight we rest, well fed, looking out over the Dead Sea.

I can’t imagine what the next 9 days will hold, but tonight I thank God for this time and I pray for him to teach us just exactly what we need personally as we embrace this time and his land.

Rachel Daichendt

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