I just stepped out of my Land and Bible final. It brought tears to my eyes. Why, you may ask? The depth of material overstepped your intellectual bounds? Lo! (No). My eyes were clouded because the final encapsulated my time in Israel!
Allow me to explain =). For first half of the final, we looked up biblical references and named the regions and routes used by the people in the text. The second half was naming the cities in Israel. Y'all, for every reference, I had a picture in my mind. I know what those sites and routes look like!
I can see the Jezreel Valley stretching below, Jehu riding furiously down the Harod Valley to kill Jezebel at the city of Jezreel. I can see the whole Sea of Galilee - the plains where Jesus fed the 5000, the place of His home there, Capernaum. When Jeremiah speaks of briars and thorns, I feel them scraping across my legs (hiking in the hill country of Judah!). Just outside my window, the vineyards slope down the hills, painting a beautiful picture of Israel and later Jesus' words in John 15.
I'm here in Israel to tell you that the Bible is real. I have experienced it!! The events in the Bible must be seen as real events, not just stories created to satiate a mob, to be an "opiate of the masses". In the gospels, each disciple has his own perspective for events that happened - it wasn't as if they were all with each other every second of Jesus' ministry! Does it surprise you then, when we find apparent "discrepancies" when comparing the texts?
In only 2 weeks, I'll be headed home. But i know that what i will take with me cannot be kept in this land. The Word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It has come alive for me through my experiences here, and for that I am extremely blessed and grateful to my heavenly Abba!
Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha'olam!
"Blessed be the Lord our God, King of the universe!"
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Galilee Pictures!
Mediterranean Sea
Cliffs of Arbel, overlooking the Sea of Galilee
Banias Waterfall by Caesarea Phillippi
From our rooms at En Gev! (Sea of Galilee)
The Sunsets were beautiful
Syrian Trenches - Golan Heights
Sami, me, Natalie, and Christina
Galatians biblestudy with Rachel at 5:00 a.m.!
Galilee Reflections
It has been quite a while since I have posted, and I feel like I should apologize! Life in Israel has been more than hectic that last couple weeks.. (Trip to the Negev/Dead Sea and last week gone for 8 days to Galilee). So i think it is time to share some things I have been learning!
I was looking forward to the sunny beaches of the Sea of Galilee. Instead, we were met with rain the first 3 days! I couldn't believe it. But God taught me more through the rain than He could have ever taught me with sunshine. Isn't that usually the case in life? To take a line from Le' Miserables.. "the rain will make the flowers grow".
We stood on top of the Mount of Beautitudes, where Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount. The boys had memorized the whole thing, and each stepped up to speak his part - surprising all the girls! As James quoted "the rain falls on the just and the unjust" the skies opened up. It poured.
I thought of the crowds as they sat listening to Jesus. They would give anything to listen to Him, to be with Him. They followed Him everywhere, regardless of whether there was food and shelter. Would I follow Him as well through the rain? Or did i care more about my wet clothes than the words of Jesus?
Later that day, we boarded a small boat to sail across the Sea of Galilee. It was drizzling as we boarded, but the rain was more of a mist. Once we got out onto the Sea, the storm hit us. Waves were crashing against the boat and the rain was pelting our faces. It was during this storm we read about Jesus calming the Sea and walking on water.
I wish i could convey the feeling of that moment. It was if He was speaking directly to my heart "Ellen, I have brought you to this land to show you more of myself. You expected my home to be easy and sunny, but when was my life ever easy? In life you will not be sitting on the beach, basking in the sun. Rather, you will be rocking on a boat with the wind and the rain. But do not fear, for I WILL BE WITH YOU."
"My peace I give to you, not as the world gives.. in this world you will have trouble, but be not afraid, I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33)
The God who calmed the wind and the rain.. who said to the Sea "peace, be still" is saying the same thing to my heart. He brought me to Israel to show me that He alone is worthy of trust. He will never leave me or forsake me. Even when the wind batters me from every side and I am afraid that I will drown, He promises that even the waters cannot stop His love from keeping me.. for He has the power to calm the storm.
Why should I worry about the future He has in store? As we crossed the Sea we sang... "whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say.. It is well, It is well with my soul"
I was looking forward to the sunny beaches of the Sea of Galilee. Instead, we were met with rain the first 3 days! I couldn't believe it. But God taught me more through the rain than He could have ever taught me with sunshine. Isn't that usually the case in life? To take a line from Le' Miserables.. "the rain will make the flowers grow".
We stood on top of the Mount of Beautitudes, where Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount. The boys had memorized the whole thing, and each stepped up to speak his part - surprising all the girls! As James quoted "the rain falls on the just and the unjust" the skies opened up. It poured.
I thought of the crowds as they sat listening to Jesus. They would give anything to listen to Him, to be with Him. They followed Him everywhere, regardless of whether there was food and shelter. Would I follow Him as well through the rain? Or did i care more about my wet clothes than the words of Jesus?
Later that day, we boarded a small boat to sail across the Sea of Galilee. It was drizzling as we boarded, but the rain was more of a mist. Once we got out onto the Sea, the storm hit us. Waves were crashing against the boat and the rain was pelting our faces. It was during this storm we read about Jesus calming the Sea and walking on water.
I wish i could convey the feeling of that moment. It was if He was speaking directly to my heart "Ellen, I have brought you to this land to show you more of myself. You expected my home to be easy and sunny, but when was my life ever easy? In life you will not be sitting on the beach, basking in the sun. Rather, you will be rocking on a boat with the wind and the rain. But do not fear, for I WILL BE WITH YOU."
"My peace I give to you, not as the world gives.. in this world you will have trouble, but be not afraid, I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33)
The God who calmed the wind and the rain.. who said to the Sea "peace, be still" is saying the same thing to my heart. He brought me to Israel to show me that He alone is worthy of trust. He will never leave me or forsake me. Even when the wind batters me from every side and I am afraid that I will drown, He promises that even the waters cannot stop His love from keeping me.. for He has the power to calm the storm.
Why should I worry about the future He has in store? As we crossed the Sea we sang... "whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say.. It is well, It is well with my soul"
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