Day 03 - God Among Us: Arava border crossing, Tabernacle replica, Dead Sea Swim

Shalom, shalom from Israel! We woke up this morning to a beautiful sunrise over Wadi Rum in Jordan, spent a brief time in devotional and then headed towards the border to cross into Israel. The southernmost border crossing is near the gulf of Aqaba at Elat and, for a brief moment, you can see Jordan, Israel, and Egypt all at once.

We had a couple of bumps along the way, but we all made it safely through where met our Israeli guide, Dan, and boarded another bus.

Our first stop was the Timna Valley. Timna, like Wadi Rum, is a desert region somewhat similar to the desert landscape of the Sinai Peninsula and, so, provides us with another picture of what the Israelites coming out of Egypt would have encountered in their journey to the Promised Land.

We learned about the early production of copper in the area during the Chalcolithic period. The copper mines are referred to as Solomon’s copper mines, presumably because of the use of copper in the Temple he commissioned be built for the Lord. However, for the longest, time, nothing was found at Timna dating to the 10th century BC (the period when Solomon lived). That is, until recently. Archaeologists at Tel Aviv University have, in the last handful of years, begun to dig up what seems to be a workers camp, indicating that there was, in fact, copper production year at the time of Solomon.

The highlight of Timna, though, is undoubtedly the replica of the Tabernacle. A local Messianic Jewish guide led us through the different parts of the Tabernacle. It was amazing to hear him talk about how the various parts of and practices in the Tabernacle served as a shadow of what Jesus would one day do.

The Tabernacle not only points us to Jesus, but also reminds us that we serve a God who goes with us in the desert.

The desert, as we’ve been learning the last few days, is a harsh, inhospitable, and desolate place. There’s little water, little vegetation, little shelter.

The desert comes up a lot in the Bible. It is one of the most common geographical features mentioned and is the setting for so many of the stories that you probably grew up hearing.

Abraham lived in the desert. Moses herded sheep in the desert. The people of Israel were led by God through the desert. David also herded sheep in the desert – and then hid from Saul in the desert. John the Baptist came out of the desert. Jesus was tempted in the desert.

God often allowed His people to experience the desert. But He never abandoned them to the desert. Rather, He led them through the desert. He had a purpose for the desert. He was with them in the desert.

We talked today about how God still allows His people to experience the desert – metaphorically speaking. You’ve experienced the desert. You may be experiencing it now. But He never abandons you to the desert. He leads you through the desert, if you’ll let Him. He has a purpose for the desert, if you’ll allow Him to show you. He is with you through the desert.

The desert is a place of dependence and, make no mistake, when we find ourselves in the desert we will depend on someone or something. God invites us to let that someone be Him. He invites us to trust His presence, protection, and provision.

The desert is no place to go it alone and, praise God, we don’t have to.

We then drove north towards the Dead Sea where we enjoyed a very warm float. It was a relaxing end to a wonderful day.

That said, we’d like to ask for your prayers. We’ve had a number of people dealing with uncomfortable stomach issues and a couple instances of overheating. Pray for God’s healing, for a restful night of sleep, and for refreshed bodies and spirits in the morning.

It is so good to be in Israel. We look forward to seeing what God does in the coming days.