Day 02 - Wilderness: Bedouin Hospitality, Camel Ride, Tel Arad, Masada

Hello from Ein Bokek!

We arrived at our beautiful hotel right on the Dead Sea yesterday evening. We started the day by driving through the mountains to an incredible overlook site. From there, we could see Mount Sodom, which is part of the Judean Desert and would have been the region of Sodom and Gomorrah. Our team reflected on Genesis 19, where it says that God brought sulfur and fire down on the cities, and that Lot’s wife looked back on the destruction of the region and turned into a pillar of salt. The Dead Sea is right next to Mount Sodom and contains both sulfur and salt. It is roughly 30 times saltier than  the Mediterranean Sea! Our team also read from Matthew 7 at this site:

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

In looking at the amazing rocky mountains before us, it gave a whole new meaning to how the people of Israel would have first heard and understood the messages of the Bible. We discussed what it means to build “your house” according to God’s plan, and how to know whether we are building our spiritual lives on a firm foundation, rather than rock and sand that could crumble under pressure.  

Our next stop was Arad.  We started our time in Arad by going to a Bedouin camp to ride camels and [attempting to] herd goats! After the camel ride, we had lessons on shepherding and hospitality. We spent time reading scripture out loud. We read through many verses that describe the lifestyle and responsibilities of shepherds. Earlier this morning, we had talked about how God is described as a rock on which we can stand and depend on - and here we discussed how He is also a Shepherd who protects, who is gentle, and who pursues the ones who walk away. In the wise words of our tour guide, Ronen, “When you graduate from being a shepherd, you graduate from the university of life!”

We then sat inside a Bedouin tent, where they served us coffee, tea, and bread, and spoke about hospitality. We discussed that the hospitality we show to others is a reflection of our understanding of God’s generosity to us. We reflected on the ways that we are giving of our time and resources, and how we could each grow in that area. We also reflected on God’s graciousness towards us, even in the midst of struggle. Looking out over the desert, we thought about how God’s people wandered in the desert for 40 years, and were forced to depend on Him. At the same time, God provided for them in the ways that they needed (Deuteronomy 29:5 “ I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet.”)  Our team spent time sharing personal stories of times that have been difficult, and how we could see God providing, even in the valley seasons of life.  

Our last stop of the day was Masada - one of the several fortresses built by Herod the Great. This site was truly incredible, and it is difficult to capture just how amazing it was in the pictures! We had a good hike up to reach the top of the fortress, which was built to be a place Herod could escape to if needed. There is evidence that the fortress was used, but no one is sure if Herod himself actually was there. We were able to see some of the original mosaic tile floors and walls that have been preserved.  We learned about the intricate architecture the Romans designed in order to bring water up to the fortress, and to channel the water into cisterns they carved into the side of the mountain. We learned more about the character of King Herod - how powerful, wealthy, brutal and violent he was. Seeing just how enormous and complex the fortress was and how difficult it would have been to bring food, water, or any supplies needed up to the top of the mountain showed the immense power and control of Herod’s reign. It made me think of how brave the wise men must have been to ignore Herod’s commands to bring news of baby Jesus and to not return to him.  

We then took the bus back to our hotel, where our team got to swim/float in the Dead Sea at sunset!  It’s hard to believe we have only had two days in Israel. Our team is having a great time, and appreciate your prayers!

A few highlights from students…

Josh Strzalka -  “The highlight of my day was seeing the beauty that surrounded the Israelites and Christ when He walked on Earth. We visited Masada National Park, one of the seven palaces of King Herod. The fortress sat on a mountain overlooking the Dead Sea and was surrounded by views that rivaled the Grand Canyon. It gave context to the earthly power of King Herod, the man who eventually helped to condemn our Savior, creator of Heaven and Earth, to die.”

Jada Campbell-Cartlidge - “Today was another great day in Israel. I must say I have received so many blessings in such a short period of time and couldn’t be more grateful. We had an amazing opportunity to ride camels today and herd goats! At first I didn’t understand why we were randomly instructed to herd goats, but soon after, we had an enlightening discussion about the role of the shepherd and connecting that to the role of Jesus as a shepherd in our lives. One takeaway I had from the conversation was that the shepherd is not always in front of you, but sometimes He is behind you.  Just because He is not visible to the flock doesn’t mean He has lost control or abandoned them. He is always near. “

Ethan Brunner – “ Day 2 brought with it a lesson about leadership. Through the teaching of our guide, Ronen, we learned about the shepherds in Bible times who roamed the desert with their flocks, who naturally developed leadership skills. Being a shepherd taught a man how to tend to the individual needs of his flock and lay down his life everyday for his sleep in the hot glare of the desert sun or in the face of a wild predator. Some of the most successful Old Testament leaders were shepherds, including Jacob and David. Jesus, the ultimate leader, compared himself to a good shepherd saying, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). His meaning is that he spends so much time with his sheep, which represent his followers, that they recognize his voice and follow him just as sheep do. We had the chance today to herd a group of sheep in a field, making this verse come alive, especially when the sheep refused to listen to us. We realized that since the sheep didn’t know us, they didn’t respond to our voice, making it twice as hard to get the sheep to follow us. This bond between shepherd and sheep takes time and care to forge, representing the relationship with our great shepherd and leader, Jesus.”